Written by Jeff Legwold at ESPN.com
Von Miller has had plenty of games in which he helped lift the Denver Broncos to a win, but on Sunday he quickly took the Broncos’ rather homely 26-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills and put it squarely on his own shoulders.
Miller’s unsportsmanlike conduct penalty kept a fourth-quarter Bills drive going — the Broncos would have forced a punt without the penalty — and 10 plays later, the Bills kicked a field goal that made their seven-point lead a 10-point lead with just more than three minutes remaining in the game.
“I can’t put my team in situations like that,” Miller said. “… I’ve got to be smarter than that. I’m always on the rookies and the young guys about being smart, doing this, doing that. And in a crucial situation in the game — I’ve just got to be better than that … I killed the game today with that play. I’ve just got to be better than that.”
The Broncos, who trailed 23-16 at the time, had put the Bills into a third-and-5 situation at the Denver 46-yard line. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor dropped back and was trying to get the ball to wide receiver Jordan Matthews when Miller crashed into the quarterback.
Taylor’s throw fell incomplete, and the Broncos appeared to have forced a punt in what was still going to be a one-possession game.
Miller, who said he and Taylor had been “laughing and joking” all game, then offered Taylor his hand to help him before he quickly pulled it away. As soon as the linebacker pulled his hand away, referee Carl Cheffers threw the flag.
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