Von Miller is as competitive as he can be sentimental, which is why the Buffalo Bills edge rusher won’t utter a negative word about the Denver Broncos.

The memories are too fond, and the 10-plus seasons he spent in Colorado too meaningful. Denver is where the three-time All-Pro established himself as one of his generation’s top pass-rushers, earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2011 and won his first of two Super Bowl rings nine years ago.

And it makes no difference to Miller that the Broncos — a team much different from the one he left via trade to win a second Super Bowl with the Rams in the 2021 season — are standing in the way of what could well be the 35-year-old’s best, last chance to win a third title.

“It’s all love. I can’t even start to play that delusion of hatred,” Miller said Wednesday, with Buffalo (13-4) preparing to host Denver (10-7) in a wild-card playoff game today.

Don’t confuse Miller’s nostalgia for weakness. He’ll be amped up once the ball is snapped.

“Those small three- to four-second bursts, when I’m playing the game, that 60 minutes when I’m out there, I want to win. I want to beat the Denver Broncos,” he said. “I’ve got to go through these guys to get to where I want to go.”

The past meets the present and potentially the future in a matchup between teams that reached the playoffs by taking altogether different paths.

Led by NFL MVP candidate Josh Allen, Buffalo overcame the challenges of a major offseason roster purge to run away from the division to clinch a fifth consecutive AFC East title. The Bills are making their sixth consecutive postseason appearance and are eager to change the narrative of being second fiddle to Kansas City in the playoffs after being eliminated by the Chiefs in three of the past four years.

The Broncos overcame lowered expectations, and a major hole in their salary cap by releasing quarterback Russell Wilson, to clinch the AFC’s seventh and final playoff spot — and their first since winning it all in 2015 — on the last day of the season. The promise in Denver is the fast-tracked development of rookie Bo Nix solidifying an unsettled QB position and an attacking defense that led the NFL with 63 sacks.

The fascination is how much further Denver can go with nothing to lose and well ahead of schedule in its second season under Sean Payton.

“It sounds cheesy, but most people, they literally didn’t expect us to be here, so we might as well continue to not worry about those things,” said Nix.

In Buffalo, there’s belief this might be the Bills’ chance to finally make a statement.

Despite several new additions, the Bills have enough veterans to feed off past playoff collapses. And even though their defense has dealt with inconsistencies, the Bills have a do-it-all quarterback in Allen and a more balanced offense featuring the added threat of a James Cook-led running attack.

And there’s optimism that the Bills enter the playoffs on an upward trajectory as opposed to past seasons. Two years ago, the Bills’ psyche was irreparably altered following safety Damar Hamlin’s near-death experience two weeks before the postseason. Last year, Buffalo’s offensive identity was in flux with a midseason change at coordinator and receiver Stefon Diggs questioning his diminished role.

“This year, we’re kind of just playing ball and we ... haven’t played our best game,” cornerback Rasul Douglas said. “We just got to put it together and find a way to all be on the same page at the same time and peak.”

Lions OC gets Bears interview >> The Chicago Bears have interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for their head coaching position, the team said on social media Saturday.

The Lions earned the top seed in the NFC playoffs after leading the league in points per game and finishing second in yards passing and total yards per game.

Johnson was promoted in 2022 after spending three seasons with Detroit in various roles. He helped lead the Lions to the NFC championship game last season.

The Bears interviewed former Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka on Thursday. They interviewed former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday.

The Bears seek a replacement for Matt Eberflus, who was fired during the season after the team struggled to a 4-8 start. The team finished with a 5-12 record, last in the NFC North.

FALCONS FIRE COACHES >> The Atlanta Falcons fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers following first-year coach Raheem Morris’ sharp criticism of his defense’s disappointing finish.

The Falcons (8-9) missed the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season following a 44-38 overtime loss to Carolina on Sunday.

CBS’ Nantz to call 500th game today >> Jim Nantz, in his 40th year at CBS Sports, will call his 500th NFL game today when the Bills host the Broncos in a wild-card game.

Nantz will be the eighth NFL TV play-by-play announcer to reach 500 games, but only the second with all of his games at one network. Fox’s Kenny Albert reached the milestone earlier this season.

According to research from the 506 Sports Archive, Al Michaels, Dick Stockton, Don Criqui, Pat Summerall, Kevin Harlan and Charlie Jones are also part of The 500 Club.