The Denver Broncos began the season without strongside linebacker Von Miller, and theyll end it without him, too.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. Jeremiah Attaochu Jersey . -- The Denver Broncos began the season without strongside linebacker Von Miller, and theyll end it without him, too. Miller is done for the year after tests Monday revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, which he injured in the first quarter of Denvers 37-13 win at Houston over the weekend. "Its definitely going to be a blow," executive vice-president John Elway said on his weekly podcast on the teams website. "But I think that weve done a good job of handling adversity throughout the year. This is another bump in the road for us." The Broncos (12-3) have hit so many potholes this season its a wonder theyre not broken down on the side of the Super Bowl Expressway. Instead, they can wrap up the AFCs top seed with a win at Oakland (4-11) on Sunday. Millers injury ended a rough third season for the Broncos star, which began with a six-game drug suspension and included just five sacks and 33 tackles in 10 games. With 30 sacks in his first two NFL seasons, Miller won the NFLs Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2011 and was runner-up for the leagues Defensive Player of the Year honour last season. He set a team record in 2012 with 18 1/2 sacks to go with 28 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. In the off-season, Elway called Miller the best football player on the planet. But Miller ran afoul of the NFLs drug program, was suspended for the first month and a half of the season and never really returned to form in 2013. Miller worked out at the teams Dove Valley complex during his banishment, and he bulked up to 270 pounds -- 24 pounds more than when he was selected second overall in the 2011 draft out of Texas A&M. Miller was rusty upon his return. Although his bulkier body enhanced his bull rush, it seemed to sap some of his athleticism that made him such a special pass rusher. He had moments where hed flash his old form, and last week he spoke about peaking for the playoffs. Although the Broncos went 6-0 during his suspension, that was before they also lost safety Rahim Moore (leg) and linemen Kevin Vickerson (hip) and Derek Wolfe (illness). The Broncos find themselves once again scrambling to make up for the loss of a dynamic playmaker teams had to account for even though he wasnt having his typically disruptive season. "Its like losing a guy like Ryan Clady earlier in the season or (wide receiver Wes) Welker," coach John Fox said via a teleconference with reporters after being sent home Monday because of the flu. "Any time you take away those calibre of players, its a blow." The Broncos will look to replace Miller on the roster with another pass-rusher. Miller was rushing Matt Schaub when he was blocked cleanly by tight end Ryan Griffin. His right knee buckled and he crumpled to the ground. Miller walked off the field and into the locker room with a team doctor and trainer. Because he didnt need to be carted off, there was hope his injury wasnt season-ending and that he might return in the playoffs. "It wasnt anything that was a late hit. It wasnt even a hit," Elway said. "It was just sometimes you tear those ACLs. Its unfortunately a fact of where you step and when you get hit at the same time and that was really what happened to Von. It was really just the ACL, so it should make for a quick recovery." The best case is that hes back for training camp after surgery sometime next month. ACL recoveries generally take six to nine months. The Broncos will once again rely on Nate Irving at strongside linebacker in the base defence and on Shaun Phillips, Robert Ayers and newcomer Jeremy Mincey on passing downs -- along with dialing up creative blitzes. "Hes a special player, no question, one of the best guys Ive seen on the edge in my career," Broncos tight end Julius Thomas said. "What hes able to do on the field, what he can bring, it will be missed, but most importantly we wish him the best, we wish him a fast recovery. "Were going to be there for him and we know hell be there rooting us on." Jonathan Cooper Jersey .Y. - Peyton Manning made his fifth MVP award a family affair. Cassius Marsh Jersey . He is nigh unstoppable against the leagues worst. The 31-year-old dangerman set up two goals and scored two himself as Toronto FC rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the slumping Houston Dynamo 4-2 on Saturday night. http://www.thesf49ersshoponline.com/Youth-Kentavius-Street-49ers-Jersey/ . -- Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone above his left eye but has no other serious injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive in a spring training game.PITTSBURGH -- Billy Hamilton remains perfect on the basepaths. The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rookie outfielder in the starting lineup. The combination could prove potent during the final week of the regular season, and maybe beyond. Hamilton got three hits and stole two more bases and the Reds routed Pittsburgh 11-3 Sunday to tie the Pirates for the NL wild-card lead. Batting right behind Hamilton, Chris Heisey had three hits and two RBIs as the Reds won two of three to pull even with the scuffling Pirates. "Those guys set up some big innings," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "You need guys in your lineup to drive in runs but its just as important to have guys to get on base so they can be driven in." The Reds and Pirates each have magic numbers of two to close out Washington and clinch a playoff spot. Cincinnati and Pittsburgh trail NL Central leader St. Louis by 2 1-2 games, pending the Cardinals night game at Milwaukee. Jay Bruce hit a three-run double and Todd Frazier followed with a homer that capped a five-run burst in the first inning. Bronson Arroyo (14-11) made it stand up, lasting five innings to win for the first time in nearly a month. The Reds won for the fifth time in six games to head home for a season-ending six-game homestand with some serious momentum. "We knew it was an important series, they knew it was an important and our guys responded and jumped them early in this one," Baker said. "It was a good win for us, an important win." Neil Walker hit his 13th homer of the season, but Pittsburgh stumbled in its home finale. The Pirates have lost five of seven and will have to clinch its first post-season berth in 21 years on the road. Pittsburgh begins a six-game road trip on Monday in Chicago against the Cubs. "Today we dug ourselves a little bit of a hole early and they never let up, kept their foot on the gas pedal," Walker said. "We have to continue to play good baseball and things will go our way." Theyre certainly going Hamiltons way at the moment. His presence has given the Reds a needed late-season jolt. He was at it again on Sunday, easily taking second base in the second inning and doing it again in the sixth. Hamilton is 12 for 12 on swipe tries since his late-season promotion from Triple-A and is 6 for 14 and has scored nine times as a major leaguer. Bruce had four RBIs and Chris Heisey added three hits while drivinng in two runs. San Francisco 49ers Jerseys. Jeff Locke (10-7) was tagged in the first inning and didnt come out for the second. After morphing from fifth starter to improbable All-Star, Locke fell to 2-5 with a 6.12 ERA in the second half of the season. Lockes next turn in the rotation is scheduled for Saturday in Cincinnati, but an off-day on Thursday gives the Pirates some flexibility with their rotation for a series that could have serious playoff implications. After Bruce doubled to the gap in left-centre field, Frazier followed with his 18th homer, a two-run shot to the deepest part of PNC Park. "Everything happened pretty fast," Locke said. "A hit a few walks, a big hit by Bruce, and the homer by Frazier and before you know it Arroyo was my last hitter. I think you try to avoid the big inning and unfortunately the big inning was the first inning." Cincinnati pushed its advantage to 7-0 in the second on an RBI double by Heisey and a sacrifice fly from Brandon Phillips off reliever Jeanmar Gomez. Staked to such a huge cushion, Arroyo worked quickly if not exactly effectively. Walker hit his third homer in four games leading off the third and pinch-hitter Travis Snider did the same in the fifth. Pittsburghs best chance to make it close came later in that inning when Walkers double put runners in scoring position with no outs. Arroyo surrendered only a sacrifice fly by Justin Morneau that made it 7-3. The veteran right-hander gave up three runs on five hits in five innings, walking two and striking out three. NOTES: Pirates C Russell Martin left the game in the fifth with soreness in his left knee ... Cincinnati pitchers struck out six to lift their season total to 1,249, a club record ... Baker said RHP Johnny Cueto will have a 100-pitch limit when he starts on Monday against the Mets. Cueto missed more than two months with a strained right lat before returning to pitch five scoreless innings last week against Houston ... Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said Jason Grilli is back as the full-time closer. Grilli picked up his first save since July 21 when he recorded the final three outs of a 4-2 win over the Reds on Saturday night. Grilli missed more than six weeks with a strained right forearm ... A sellout crowd of 38,699 showed up for the final regular season game at PNC Park. The 23 sellouts this season are the second-highest total in the teams 126-year history, as is the total attendance of 2.26 million. 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