National Football League

Bulky cast, injured thumb slowing Broncos' Miller

Published Dec. 30, 2011 10:38 p.m. ET

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Von Miller has sparked Denver's defense this season just as Tim Tebow has energized the Broncos' offense.

Like Tebow, he's fading at the finish but has a big chance to turn this around Sunday.

The outside linebacker and No. 2 overall pick in the draft looked like a lock for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors when he collected 10 1/2 sacks in his first 10 games.

Then, Miller tore ligaments in his right thumb making a big play at San Diego on Nov. 27.

He hasn't been nearly as troublesome since, collecting just a single sack this month while San Francisco's Aldon Smith closes in on Jevon Kearse's rookie record of 14 1/2 sacks.

After having surgery to reattach the ligaments, Miller missed one game. Upon his return, he's been unable to bend his thumb or wrist, both encased in a cumbersome cast, and he's had only one sack this month and registered a single tackle in each of the last two games, both losses.

Now, Smith is making a push for top rookie honors. Although he doesn't possess the same array of talents that Miller does, the Niners' situational pass-rushing terror needs just one more sack to break Kearse's record.

Miller is torn about that.

He and Smith, who was selected seventh overall in the draft, became fast friends during the NFL lockout.

''He sees the game like I see the game and I said before the season even started that he was going to have a great year,'' Miller said. ''But, hopefully I can fight him off a little bit.''

Miller isn't a big stats guy, even saying when he made the Pro Bowl this week that he was all about winning games and letting the accolades take care of themselves. But he knows this a once-in-a-career opportunity.

''You only get one rookie season,'' Miller said. ''I definitely want to have a great game this weekend.''

He's also rooting for Smith to break the rookie sacks record Sunday at St. Louis, where journeyman Kellen Clemens is likely to get his third straight start for the Rams.

''I talked to him last night and if it was anybody else, I'd feel sour about it,'' Miller said of Smith. ''But that's my dawg and I know what type of football player he is. I know what type of guy he is. If he doesn't get it, I'm going to be extremely disappointed in him.

''Hopefully, he'll be able to get it. And hopefully we'll be able to celebrate after the season. But I got one more game to separate myself from all the other defensive rookies and I just want to go out there and play my game.''

That's something Miller hasn't been able to do since his injury. Before getting hurt, he was terrorizing guards, centers, tackles and quarterbacks on Sundays and bedeviling offensive coordinators the rest of the week.

Denver defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said the cast, which won't come off until the offseason, has affected Miller's ability to grab and shed offensive linemen.

''There's still some pain involved, so any time he goes to hit somebody, he feels a shock,'' Allen said. ''He just hasn't been using that as much, and we're trying to work with him as much as we can to get him to use that, so he can be a little more effective.''

With Miller slowed, teams have run roughshod over the Broncos' nickel defense this month. Miller was even benched for the fourth quarter at Buffalo last weekend so the Broncos could use another down lineman to help stanch the bleeding.

Despite his December dive, Miller made the Pro Bowl, as did fast-charging defensive end Elvis Dumervil, who has 9 1/2 sacks over the last eight games.

The Broncos could use both of them at the top of their game Sunday when they face the Kansas City Chiefs and former teammate Kyle Orton with a playoff berth on the line.

Pressuring Orton is imperative with the likelihood that strong safety Brian Dawkins won't play against the Chiefs. He's been sorely missed by the Broncos since pinching a nerve in his neck in the third quarter of the Broncos' 16-13 overtime victory against Chicago three weeks ago.

A 16-year veteran responsible for pre-snap defensive adjustments, Dawkins has been sidelined for all but one quarter in the last two weeks, when the Broncos have given up 40 and 41 points in losses to Buffalo and New England. That's way up from the 17 points on average the Broncos (8-7) allowed during a six-game winning streak that was fueled by Tebow's play at quarterback and Dawkins' defensive leadership.

Champ Bailey said the Broncos will have to disguise their defense against Orton, who ran the Broncos scout team against Denver's front-line defenders for six weeks after his demotion.

''Yes, that will help, disguise and just pressure,'' Bailey said. ''Pressure kills all of that.''

That's where Miller comes in.

''I definitely want to go out there and show the world you can play with one and a-half hands,'' Miller said. ''I'm not in the business of making excuses.''

Just tackles and takedowns.

Notes: Another sign that Tebow has become a cultural icon: one of the actors in the ''West Side Story'' production in Denver on Thursday night quickly ''Tebowed'' after the Jets gang kicked a phantom field goal during one of their dance numbers.

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Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton