ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- In a defense with the likes of linebacker Von Miller grabbing headlines and sacking quarterbacks at almost every prime-time turn, some things might get caught and pushed aside in the jet wash of all that.

One of those things is that Denver Broncos safety T.J. Ward might be closing in on a slice of franchise history if he continues at his current, rather furious pace. He at least will put himself in some high-quality company with what he has done this season.

Eleven games into the season, Ward leads the Broncos with 69 credited tackles. The last safety to lead the Broncos in tackles for a season was Steve Atwater -- in 1995, or Mike Shanahan’s first year as the Broncos’ coach, and Atwater finished with 185 tackles, 38 more than the runner-up.

“Those kind of guys make plays no matter what,’’ said Broncos defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who coached Atwater both as Broncos head coach and defensive coordinator. Phillips was in that position in 1993, when Atwater also led the team in tackles.

“You try to get them, put them in position to utilize them in any way you can,’’ Phillips said. “We blitz T.J. a lot more than we did Steve because he’s a tremendous blitzer, he can make plays and pressure quarterbacks. So not only can you play T.J. against the run, put him in the box, but you can rush him, play him in coverage, put him anywhere you want.’’

Ward was one of the Broncos’ acquisitions in their 2014 free agency flurry after he had played four seasons in Cleveland. He made one Pro Bowl appearance when he was with the Browns.

Unlike the Browns, the Broncos provided Ward an opportunity to play games in January, in addition to this past February’s Super Bowl win, and Phillips has set Ward loose on opposing offenses in a variety of roles. The Broncos' defense finished at or close to No. 1 in most major statistical categories last season and are the league's top team in pass defense as well as sacks this season.

“I feel like I’m playing my best ball right now,’’ Ward said. “This scheme, the guys we have on defense, the way we study and prepare, the whole situation has allowed me to play my best. I still think there’s more I can do, more plays I can make, but I’m playing better now than I have I think.’’

Phillips lines Ward up all over the formation, even using him as a weak-side linebacker at times when the Broncos go with six defensive backs in longer-yardage situations. Phillips said after he was hired by Gary Kubiak last year, it didn’t take a lot of game video to convince him that Ward could have a significant impact on the team’s defense.

“I didn’t know much about him,’’ Phillips said. “We didn’t see Cleveland that much when I was with the Texans, so I didn’t notice him that much. But when I got here and started looking at what we would do, I sure noticed him.’’

How quickly?

“Pretty quickly,’’ Phillips said. “You could say I noticed right away. And I don't think I looked at that much to decide.’’

Ward has earned one second-team All-Pro selection -- in 2013, his final year with the Browns -- but has never cracked the first team, a more coveted and difficult honor to earn than a Pro Bowl selection, which has one team for each conference.

But some of Ward’s teammates believe if a national media panel that selects the All-Pro team each year is paying attention, Ward is more than deserving of a first-team nod.

“T.J.? Oh yeah, T.J.’s an All-Pro player,’’ Miller said. “We have a lot of guys on our defense who should be, Chris [Harris Jr.], [Aqib Talib], but no question with T.J. T.J. plays everywhere for us. Every time I look up, T.J. is around the ball doing something that makes things happen.’’