LA Rams Von Miller could be huge plus for post season play

If you thought that the LA Rams were going to rush outside linebacker Von Miller onto the football field from the moment that the team traded for him, you were likely disappointed. If you had hopes that the debut of Miller in an LA Rams uniform would be a career-high performance for the All-Pro veteran from the Denver Broncos, you are likely doubly disappointed.

Von Miller was on the field for 45 plays in his debut for the LA Rams defense. He ended the day with three tackles and no pressure on the quarterback.  Not much of a debut for a headlining trade at the NFL Trade Deadline, was it? Well, it was not about making a difference in Week 10, but rather making a difference in the post-season.

Of course, in the minds of analysts and fans, all eyes focused upon Miller and the hot-takes after his first performance has bordered between disappointment, disgust, and a bit of disenchantment.  But if you view the embedded video where NBC Sports analysts Mike Florio and Peter King discuss the Rams addition of Von Miller, you get a different perspective.

Their view is more realistic and is not surprising how the season is playing out for the team so far. Von Miller played about two-thirds of the team’s defensive snaps. No, he didn’t make much of a difference in the game, a game in which the Rams lost in a humiliating fashion. But here’s a perfect spot in the season where we can attempt to reframe all of this.

The LA Rams absolutely needed a win in Week 10 to have any shot of winning the NFC West Division. Not doing so automatically drops the team into the NFL Playoff Wild Card track, the same track used by the Super Bowl LV winners, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.