Von Miller considers the fate of the modern-day pass rusher like a philosopher mulls the meaning of life. For the Bills’ sack master there’s not much difference, which is to say that Miller thinks about the purpose of his existence—dropping quarterbacks like bad habits—incessantly, in or out of season, awake or asleep, growing more obsessed each day.
Miller’s pass-rusher paradigm begins here: The vast majority of rushers must be tall enough to impede throwing lanes; strong enough to move massive men; patient enough to fail far more than they succeed; quick enough to thrive in slivers of time and space; athletic enough to change directions, deploy hands and bowl over and tug down targets. But that’s just the foundation. Even for the rare human who can do all those things, the baseline is no longer enough.
In the modern NFL, many rule changes—most, pass rushers argue—are designed to make the gig more arduous. The malicious intent with which, say, Lawrence Taylor once rocked quarterbacks is no longer permitted. Miller and his compatriots can’t hit too hard, too low, too high or too late. The NFL has made clear that it values its most glamorous position above all else. And in choosing pretty over gritty, the league also incentivized coaches to evolve offenses in ways that are increasingly unfriendly to pass rushers. Philosophies and schemes continue to widen (using more of the field) and tighten (shorter throws, delivered faster, more often). Coordinators weaponize timing and precision. All combine for optimum efficiency, further reducing those slivers of time and space available to Miller and his friends.
