Von Miller lauds Brady, Gronk as toughest opponents

The Denver Broncos renew their rivalry with the New England Patriots this Sunday and Von Miller is already doing his best to soften up his opponents.

The league's premier pass-rusher heaped praise on his rivals in a piece published Wednesday on "The Players' Tribune" listing the five toughest players he's ever faced.

The top quarterback on Miller's list was Patriots pivot Tom Brady. Miller commended Tom Terrific's accuracy and pre-snap reads.

"Let's be honest, he hasn't always had the best talent in the world around him. But no matter who his receivers are, his pre-snap adjustments set them up to excel," Miller wrote.

He also noted that Brady's tendency to extend drives hurts his ability to use his advantages, notably his first step.

Brady's favorite target, Rob Gronkowski, is the toughest tight end Miller has ever faced. The Super Bowl MVP saw first-hand how Gronkowski can affect a game when they met in the AFC Championship.

Miller called Gronk the most dominant tight end in the game right now.

"He's almost like LeBron James in that his body type and skill set has never been seen before at his position. The NFL has never seen anything like his combination of size, speed and hands," Miller wrote.

Bill Belichick also earned the distinction as the toughest head coach Miller has ever had to face head-to-head.

Gronkowski won't be in uniform when the two teams meet Sunday, but the Broncos will have to top Brady and Belichick if they want to hold on to the sixth and final playoff spot.