Von Miller
 

For opposing AFC West offenses, No. 58 in a Broncos jersey is a scary sight. Von Miller, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, is among the division and the NFL's top defensive players.

And he is using a new tactic this season: kindness. According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post, Miller provided a gift -- a bottle of custom wine -- to every player in the AFC West, including those on the practice squad and injured reserve. Miller sent over 200 bottles of 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, called "The Setting," to players in Kansas City, Oakland and San Diego, coming with an orange outline of eyeglasses (Miller's personal logo) and his signature on the label.

An accompanying thank you note reads:

It is an honor and a privilege to take the field and compete with you twice a year. We are so fortunate to have this opportunity to fulfill our childhood dreams of playing in the NFL. The blood, sweat, aches and pains, and endless hours spent watching film are a testament to the love and dedication we have for this game. So take a moment, reflect on all your successes, and enjoy your accomplishment. Appreciate those who have helped you get this far, and start working towards your next childhood dream.

Thank you for helping to make our game great!

–Von Miller


If you are an offensive tackle on the Chiefs, Raiders or Chargers, how do you have the heart to block this guy moving forward? Philip Rivers, Alex Smith and Derek Carr, how do you not let this dude sack you? LOOK HOW SWEET HE IS.

"The AFC West has been good to all of us," Miller says. "It has been a great division in football for these last four years. I was just thinking of stuff that I could do for those guys on others teams. And I got guys on every team. So I just kind of organized it and, boom, sent every guy on the team a bottle of wine.

"I thought about all types of stuff, from cars, trips to Vegas, vacations. The wine sounded about right."

Miller, a Dallas native, has provided his teammates with Christmas gifts in the past, but his heart went full Texas-size this year. The Broncos are 8-4, with three of their four losses coming against each of the other three teams in the division (the Broncos also have a win against the Chargers). Denver goes to Kansas City in Week 16 and closes out the season at home against the Raiders. Both teams, the Chiefs at 9-3 and the Raiders at 10-2, are ahead of the Broncos, the five-time reigning division champs.

"The Setting" was created by Jesse Katz, a Boulder native and founder of Devil Proof Vineyards and Aperture Cellars in California. The gifted arrived in the players' mailboxes before Week 13.

-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.