Von Miller on pass rush against former team: ‘everybody was hungry’

Thursday night the Buffalo Bills beat the Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams in convincing fashion.

While the team’s offense delivered a 31-point final score, it was the Buffalo defense that notably held the defending title holders’ offense led by QB Matthew Stafford to only 10 points.

A leader on that defense, OLB Von Miller crossed over team lines during the offseason from the Rams to the Bills.

And it wasn’t long before Miller got his first sack on his previous team’s quarterback. In fact, it took only seven plays into the Rams first offensive drive for him to do just that.

The Buffalo defense would record three of their seven total sacks on the day in that first half of the game.

“I trusted my preparation,” Miller said while speaking to the press postgame. “I did everything I could possibly do to have success in this game. And today was fine. I didn’t feel like I had anything to worry about. I already thought about the things that could possibly happen on the field.”

A Super Bowl Champion with the Rams, Miller hopes to help bring a championship to Buffalo, releasing a heartfelt video to Bills fans before the game.

His hunger to win is shared by his defensive teammates, to whom he credited the effort on their side of the ball after the win.

“You can look in their eyes and you could tell that everybody was hungry, and everybody wanted this game,” Miller added. “Everybody expected success today, and went out there and took it one play at a time, and here we are.”

Since joining the Bills in free agency, Miller has made an impact on some of his Bills teammates, including second-year defensive edges Greg Rousseau, Boogie Basham, and A.J. Epenesa, who would combine for 3.5 of the team’s sacks and one of the Bills defense’s three interceptions to go with them.

“Our front four was just absolutely eating,” S Jordan Poyer said during the postgame press conference. He wasn’t alone in recognizing the defensive effort.

“I’m not on the defensive side, but I can see that energy,” WR Stefon Diggs said added during his own media availability.

The play by the pass rushers caught their head coach’s eye as well.

“Yeah, I loved it,” HC Sean McDermott said during his press session. “Gotta be able to get there with four. And we were able to do that tonight. So, I thought it was a great, great first game for those guys.”