At any point Monday night, Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller may explode across the line of scrimmage, taking a route with the type of wicked bend that would even make David Beckham blush and accelerating through the chest of young Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes with such force that already overzealous NFL rules protecting quarterbacks may suddenly seem inadequate.
Miller, a three-time all-pro and six-time Pro Bowl selection, routinely makes those sorts of jarring plays. Except, he hasn’t done as much of it against the Chiefs since right tackle Mitchell Schwartz came aboard.
That individual matchup, a game within the game featuring two of the NFL’s best on the stage of Monday Night Football, could play a pivotal role in the game’s outcome.