Von Miller demands Broncos work harder in practice

DENVER – For Von Miller, Sunday’s loss to the Falcons is just a blip on the radar. A small ditch crossing the path to another championship.

“Would I like to go undefeated every season, yes. But the odds of doing that are pretty tough,” the Broncos star told the press on Sunday. “We lost a game like this last year to [Inidanapolis] around the same time.”

Miller used terms like resilient, character, and “great at adjusting” to describe his team. And why shouldn’t he? The Broncos have gone 58-22 since he was drafted, he’s won the division every year of his career, and he’s been to two Super Bowls. Many personal and professional trials were overcome during that time.

So, if you were wondering if this loss would motivate the Broncos to play harder on Thursday night, Miller made quick work of that mentality.

“You really shouldn’t have to motivate grown men to come out here and play the game that we love,” he said. “We’re already motivated. Me personally, I’m already motivated.”

Not only is Miller motivated, but he thinks it’s time to work even harder at practice and he let his teammates know about it.

“I was just telling Shaq (Barret) and Shane (Ray) that we have to get back in the line. We have to get back in practice, we have to practice harder. The harder we work, the luckier we get. We have to come with it. I’m about to hit the books; we have to do five percent more. That’s where I’m going to start.”

Nobody likes to lose, but it’s games like the one the Broncos encountered on Sunday that force good teams to dig even deeper, to uncover greatness. Conflict reveals character, and Von Miller’s shined bright in a losing locker room on Sunday evening.

The Broncos will face a quick turnaround as they head to San Diego—a place where Miller has traditionally played well—on Wednesday for a Thursday night bout with the Chargers.