For years, Von Miller has kept the Denver Broncos alive late in games.
In the dying minutes of Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, however, Miller made a critical error. The pass-rusher faked helping Tyrod Taylor up after he delivered a big hit and the Broncos forced the Bills to punt while down seven points with just under eight minutes to play.
Related - Watch: Miller fakes helping Taylor up after hit, gets flagged
The officials threw a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct, handing the Bills a new set of downs. And ten plays later, Buffalo sealed the win with a field goal.
"I can't put my team in a situation like that," Miller said of the penalty, according to Aric DiLalla of the team's official site. "I've brought us home 50 million times. I've closed games 50 million times. I've got to be smarter than that. I'm always on the rookies and all the young guys on being smart and doing this and doing that, and I go out there and do something like that in a crucial situation in the game. I've just got to be better than that.
"I haven't been in (these) situations since my rookie season, but one thing about it (is) I'm always able to bounce back. I always learn from my mistakes. I just can't kill us. I killed the game today with that penalty. I just have to be better than that, and I will be better than that."
Miller and Taylor laughed immediately following the fake, but the linebacker is struggling to see the funny side now after helping his team drop to 2-1 with a tough game against the Oakland Raiders upcoming.
"I know Tyrod ... I don't even talk to quarterbacks. I don't do anything with quarterbacks," Miller said. "But Tyrod, we were laughing and joking the whole game, and on that play I just made a very, very crucial mistake at a vital point in the game ... I've got to be a better sportsman, and I just can't put my team in that situation."
