Life is good for Von Miller. The 27-year-old linebacker is the reigning Super Bowl MVP, a 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Award candidate and one of the NFL's most marketable players. One of the good guys of the league, Miller recently sent every other player in his division a bottle of custom wine as a holiday gift.
But Miller is never satisfied. The Broncos are 8-5 with a strong chance to make the postseason, but the Texas A&M grad wishes his team were 13-0. With the Patriots, Chiefs and Raiders left on the Broncos' schedule -- the three teams with the best records in the AFC -- Denver has its hands full. But Miller believes if the Broncos are the team they expected to be, as reigning Super Bowl champs, they should handle business in all three games.
Miller took some time this week to chat with ThePostGame about Trevor Siemian's progress, Johnny Manziel's NFL future and sacking Tom Brady.
ThePostGame: I went to Northwestern University and crossed over with a certain Trevor Siemian. What do you say to all the media that is critical of Trevor Siemian and start saying players such as Tony Romo should play quarterback in Denver next season?
VON MILLER: They have a job. They have to come up with content and information. We're just focusing right now on the Patriots. It's as simple as that. There's a lot of stuff going on in the outside world. We just keep it simple.
TPG: Earlier this year, you called Trevor a legend after a game. What do you mean by that?
MILLER: He's just ice cold. Every single game, every ounce of exposure he gets, he just becomes better and better. The game in Tennessee was incredible. He made all the plays for us to win the game. We just couldn't seal the deal from a team standpoint, but Trevor has been incredible. Absolutely incredible. I think he'll continue to grow and I think he'll continue to be incredible.
TPG: Was there a point, maybe in training camp or the beginning of the season, when you started to feel confident with him?
MILLER: I'm a team guy, so when Coach Kube (Gary Kubiak) told us Trevor was gonna be our guy, I was ready and I was comfortable with it. You just got to go out there and do our job. We've been in all types of situation as a team, and when Coach Kube told us not to worry about our quarterback, we didn't worry about it.
TPG: Had you heard of Northwestern before meeting Trevor?
MILLER: Oh yeah. We played Northwestern in the Texas Bowl in college.
During Miller's rookie NFL season, Texas A&M defeated Northwestern, 33-22, in the 2011 Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas.
TPG: You mention Texas A&M. Johnny Manziel resurfaced this weekend at the Heisman Trophy presentation. You were with him in the offseason. You said you were rooting for him, you were helping him out. Have you guys been in contact this season?
MILLER: I've talked to him a couple of times. I talked to him about three weeks ago. We'll have a conversation coming up pretty soon.
TPG: What do you guys talk about?
MILLER: We just talk about whatever. Life is bigger than football for us. We just talk about whatever is going on. Keep it positive. I'm his friend at the end of the day.
TPG: Do you think he plans on playing football in the future?
MILLER: Yeah, he's been working. When the opportunity presents itself, I think he'll be ready. He's still training. The most important part for me is that he's happy. If he's happy, I'm happy for him.
TPG: What does Patriots week mean for you?
MILLER: We've got another opportunity to go out there and prove what kind of team we can be. We're going against one of the best teams in football. We've got to take care of our opportunity to show them what we can do in the playoffs.
TPG: Is there any quarterback you enjoy sacking more than Tom Brady?
MILLER: I just like to go out there and get the job done. It doesn't matter who it is. They have one of the best teams in football, so whenever you can make a play against a franchise or organization like that, it's always great.
TPG: Does 8-5 feel good right now?
MILLER: I would like to be undefeated. That's where I want to be. But we've got three opportunities to improve our record and be the team we set out at the start of the season to be.
TPG: There was recently a report you gave everyone in the AFC West a bottle of wine. Is that all true?
MILLER: It's 100 percent right.
TPG: Did you get for your teammates too?
MILLER: No, not my teammates, just the rest of the AFC West. I really wanted to do something for the guys in the AFC West. I've been in the National Football League, this is my sixth year now. I have really good relationships with everyone in the AFC West and I just wanted to show it as a token of appreciation for all the individual players who make our league great.
TPG: If you could have a glass of wine with any player in the AFC West, who would it be?
MILLER: Probably Melvin Ingram. That's my buddy. He's pretty cool. We've done it before, so I know what I'd get out of it.
TPG: What are some of the thank-yous you've gotten so far?
MILLER: It wasn't really about the thank-yous. It was just about me wanting to show the guys in the AFC West I really appreciate them and we have a very good division right now.
TPG: Are you the best defensive player in football right now?
MILLER: I definitely think I try to work toward being that. The National Football League is about consistency. We all, as humans, struggle with that.
TPG: Who are some other defensive players you admire?
MILLER: I admire all the elite guys: Justin Houston, Khalil Mack, Marcus Peters, all these guys are great.
TPG: People always say it's hardest to repeat. Is it true? How does that feel this year?
MILLER: It's always difficult to win games, period. We just got to have opportunities and a shot at it.
TPG: What's the toughest place in the NFL play?
MILLER: Probably Oakland. It's just really fun and exciting and tough environment to play in.
Miller spoke to ThePostGame on behalf of DiGiorno Pizza. He stars in a new ad for the brand with LMFAO's Redfoo. On Jan. 5, DiGiorno will release a pizza party anthem featuring Miller, Redfoo, Devvon Terrell, Diamond White, Marcus Perez, Madilyn Bailey and O-Fresh.
-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.
