ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Asked to rate his individual campaign in 2012, linebacker Von Miller didn't have much to say.
He called it a "pretty good" year that "could be a lot better."
Then, he was asked about what it would be like to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. He said it would be a special thing to be able to pull off, but again reiterated that individual honors aren't his focus.
"Of course, I want to accomplish something as great as that," Miller said. "It's a big deal but it's not as big a deal as the type of team that we have and the type of things we can accomplish as a team this year. You don't get teams like this, period."
Miller's 24 tackles for loss rank second in the NFL and his 16 sacks rank third. He has sacked the quarterback at least once in six straight games, piling up 10 during that streak as well as five forced fumbles.
While Miller might not be paying attention to his own stat line, his teammates have noticed.
Quarterback Peyton Manning said Miller has been "simply awesome," and defensive end Elvis Dumervil shared his opinion on the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
"In my eyes, I think he's been the all-around defensive player of the year," Dumervil said. "He's been really working at all phases of the game. He's a big part of what we've got accomplished so far so it's been great."
Miller said cutting down on mental mistakes was his main goal during the offseason, as he worked to improve on his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign.
Dumervil, a seventh-year veteran and mentor to Miller, believes that mission has been accomplished.
"He doesn't have many mental errors," Dumervil said. "He's making the plays that come to him."
Currently in line for his second Pro Bowl trip in as many years in the league, Miller is the No. 2 overall defensive vote-getter in the NFL, behind Houston's J.J. Watt.
As the Ravens prepare for Sunday's contest at M&T Bank Stadium, the second-year linebacker is already causing some distress on the coaching staff, and the game is still days away.
Ravens Head Coach Jim Harbaugh said he is "absolutely" one of the rare players you must alter your scheme for to keep him from taking over. "He is a game-changer," Harbaugh said. "We call him a game-wrecker." B
altimore isn't short on playmaking linebackers, either.
After studying the Ravens defense, Head Coach John Fox was able to draw a comparison between Miller and one of the Ravens backers.
"Very Suggs-like, really," Fox said, alluding to Baltimore's Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs. "Watching the two on tape, they can change direction, they can convert speed to power. As far as growth, I think Von is probably more of a complete player. He plays multiple spots and sometimes in coverage. I think he has improved in that area."
