Watch the Broncos @ Cardinals, live on Sky Sports Action from 12.30am on Friday
Wednesday 17 October 2018 15:05, UK
Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has promised an improved defensive performance in their Thursday night game against the Arizona Cardinals, after suffering four-straight losses.
The Broncos (2-4) have suffered at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams in consecutive weeks, giving up 200 yards rushing in each of the last two defeats.
Unsurprisingly, All-Pro linebacker Miller is not happy.
"I wouldn't say [this week] is a must-win," Miller said, ahead of the Thursday night meeting with the Cardinals - live on Sky Sports Action from 12.30am, Friday. "We're going to kick their a**, though. Make sure you put that up there: We're going to kick their a**.
"I'm not irritated, I'm just confident. This week is totally different. They're going to get our whole team's best, and that starts with me.
"And if we're playing our best, I don't think there's anybody in the league that can block me and Bradley [Chubb]. Especially not the Cardinals.
"They're going to get our best on Thursday, so they've got to come with their best."
The Cardinals (1-5) also enter Thursday night's game in rough shape. They followed up a Week Five win, their first, over the San Francisco 49ers with defeat to the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Their offense ranks either last or second to last in a number of categories: points per game, yards per game and per play, passing and rushing yards per game and per play, first downs, third-down conversions and time of possession.
But, like Miller, Arizona's rookie quarterback Josh Rosen appears optimistic his team can turn things around.
"I think that the positive of this whole situation is the fact that we are a really good football team not playing very well, as opposed to a not very good football team playing to its absolute potential," Rosen said. "Hopefully, we're at our floor and there's only up to go from here, as opposed to having a low ceiling and being right at it."
Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald also took a broader view, saying the group as a whole must be better.
"It's a team game," Fitzgerald added. "Everybody's got to be held accountable. None of us has done a good enough job to this point to be successful. To try to blame one person is not fair or right."
Watch the Denver Broncos @ Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Action and Main Event from 12.30am on Friday morning.
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