Von Miller, T.J. Ward thrilled about Broncos' switch to 3-4 defense
The Denver Broncos will be switching their base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' tutelage.
Von Miller and T.J. Ward couldn't be more thrilled.
Denver boasted the fourth-best defense in the league last year, according to Football Outsiders Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA) rankings, but appear poised to improve.
Miller was particularly emphatic about the new formation, believing that it will give him a larger role on the team.
"I'm hoping I can do a little bit more of what I've been doing: sacking the quarterback, and I guess I need to work on my dances and stuff, now," Miller said Thursday to DenverBroncos.com's Ben Swanson. "It's always good when you've got a defense that’s kind of surrounded around you and that’s put more emphasis on yourself to get the job done."
The Broncos' star linebacker excelled last season, recording 14 sacks and evolved into an outstanding run-stopper. Miller was far and away the best pass-rushing 4-3 outside linebacker according to Pro Football Focus, grading out as the second-best player at his position per the scouting service.
Ward was also excited about the switch to a 3-4 and outlined how the new alignment allows the Broncos to be more creative.
"First off, we're transitioning from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, and that's a lot different in itself," Ward said. "You have four backers and three D-linemen, but sometimes it can look like you have a five-man defensive line and only two linebackers so there's a lot of things that can be done within a 3-4: disguising, blitzing and things like that.
"So I’m looking forward to what Wade Phillips has and his creativity with it."
Denver appears to have moved on from its playoff elimination, a 24-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the divisional round.
Miller reiterated his desire to work under Phillips and new head coach Gary Kubiak. The future appears to be promising for the Broncos.
"It's going to be exciting," Miller said. "I was up at the facility today. I met with Coach Kubiak and Wade Phillips and all those guys. I'm excited, I was pumped. I was wanting to get into this and that but all that will come in time."