Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas didn’t think much of Von Miller missing practice on Wednesday, assuming the veteran edge rusher was just taking a rest day, which often happens for the 35-year-old.
“What?” Douglas asked, looking surprised when told about Miller’s absence against a strong Texans passing attack on Sunday. “He’s not playing or something?”
Douglas seemed so focused on facing players like Nico Collins, who has 489 receiving yards this season, along with former Bills star Stefon Diggs and possibly Tank Dell, that he missed the news of Miller’s four-game suspension for breaking the NFL’s personal conduct rules.
“Damn. Four games,” Douglas said. “Well, we’ve been next man up since I got here, so hopefully it gives somebody else a chance to go get some more snaps and make some more plays.”
This has been the case for the Bills during their 3-1 start. The defense has relied on backups to step in for injured starters like linebackers Matt Milano (torn left biceps) and Terrel Bernard (partially torn pectoral), as well as nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (broken right forearm).
The timing of Miller’s suspension is concerning, especially after the Bills suffered a 35-10 defeat to the Ravens on Sunday, marking their biggest loss in almost three years. The defense might also be missing another starter with safety Taylor Rapp currently in the concussion protocol.
Even though Miller, known for his pass-rushing, didn’t contribute to the Bills giving up 272 rushing yards to the Ravens, he was expected to play a bigger role against C.J. Stroud and the Texans.
Miller is the active leader in sacks in the NFL with 126 1/2, which puts him in a tie for 17th place on the all-time list with Derrick Thomas. After not getting a sack in 14 games last season, including the playoffs, while recovering from knee surgery, Miller has tied for the Bills’ lead with three sacks this year.
“The job is to move forward, right?” coach Sean McDermott said. “I’ve really been proud of the way the guys have stepped up. They’ve had to deal with quite a few situations, injuries, and now this suspension with Von.
So I expect the same, quite honestly. … Somebody needs to step up and they have to this point.”
McDermott referred to Miller’s suspension as “an unfortunate situation,” adding, “We respect the decision made by the league, and really it’s out of our control.”
He mentioned that the Bills were notified by the league before the suspension was announced, but he couldn’t discuss the reasons behind the decision. “You can assume what you can assume. That’s where we’re at on it,” he said.
The NFL only mentioned its personal conduct policy when announcing the suspension, which will keep Miller away from the Bills’ facility until the week before Buffalo’s home game against Miami on November 3.
Miller faced allegations in November of assaulting his pregnant girlfriend at their home near Dallas during the Bills’ bye week. He turned himself in to police after being charged with third-degree felony assault of a pregnant woman, which can result in two to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
The woman and Miller had been together for seven years and have two other children. No charges have been filed, and Miller stated in July that he considered the case closed based on feedback from his lawyers.
The NFL was carrying out its own investigation into the situation and had the right to discipline Miller for actions considered harmful to the sport.
A person familiar with the NFL’s decision said the suspension was directly connected to the allegations from November. This person spoke on Wednesday under the condition of anonymity since the league hasn’t publicly explained its reasoning.
A police affidavit regarding the alleged assault on November 29 stated that Miller placed his hands on his girlfriend’s neck, pulled her hair, and threw her onto the couch. The woman received treatment for minor injuries, including bruising on her neck, according to the officers.
In December, Miller denied the allegations, calling them false and “blown out of proportion.” He acknowledged that something occurred between him and his girlfriend but insisted it was not as serious as what he was accused of doing.
The Bills are now focusing on Sunday’s game, with Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa set to start, along with veteran backup Dawuane Smoot and rookie Javon Solomon, who has only played in two games this season.
“Nobody knows any details, so I’m sure my reaction is probably the same as yours. You know, I’m confused,” Epenesa said. “But from a football standpoint, everybody knows what they’re supposed to do or what the job is. So it’ll be easy from there just to execute.”
