That's what separated last year's Defensive Player of the Year, Raiders pass-rusher Khalil Mack, from Broncos whirlwind Von Miller, the ill-fated runner-up.
The MVP of Super Bowl 50 made it clear on Tuesday that he views that loss as tangible motivation heading into this season.
"I pretty much didn't have an offseason last year with so much stuff," Miller said of last year's holdout that kept him away from the team until mid-July. "I wasn't gonna use that as an excuse, but I lost by one vote. The year before, I don't know how many votes it was that I lost by. I got close this year. ... This is part of life, I'm not just gonna stay stuck in the past."
Miller, 28, then previewed what Broncos fans -- and opposing passers -- can expect come September.
"I feel like this Von coming up is going to be my best Von that I put forward. It's gonna be my best year, that's what I'm going for," Miller said. "I have a full offseason, full OTAs, I'm gonna be here every single day training. It's not all luck. ... Now it's just all football. I'm here, I'm settled in. It's time to go play."
In a landscape still crowded by Mack, J.J. Watt and Aaron Donald, Miller has his work cut out for him if he plans to run away with next year's Defensive Player of the Year award.
That said, Miller operating at peak capacity is as much in the conversation for MVP as he is for one of the league's lesser trophies. The sky is the limit.
