OLB Nik Bonitto: Broncos Saw What 'People Were Saying' Before the Season

Nik Bonitto confirmed the Denver Broncos heard all the preseason negativity and media doubts.

Dec 2, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14), linebacker Nik Bonitto (15), and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The 8-5 Denver Broncos beat the 3-9 Cleveland Browns in a 41-32 Monday Night Football showdown that concluded Week 13 in the Mile High City. The Broncos' fourth home win of the season sends them into their Week 14 bye, riding a three-game winning streak with a defense that continues its reign at No. 1 in total sacks (47). 

Third-year outside linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the Broncos with 11 sacks this season, becoming the first pass rusher to land double-digit sacks in a single season since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018.

Against the Browns, Bonitto added another sack, tackle, and his first-career defensive scored on a 71-yard pick-six that introduced his defensive talents to the rest of the world in a primetime barnburner that consisted of 73 total points and 169 total yards from five total turnovers.

On Tuesday, Bonitto, who’s now the second leading defender in total sacks, joined The Pat McAfee Show where he spoke about the position that Denver finds itself in amid the AFC Wildcard hunt and how Bo Nix has influenced the team.

“I just feel like we’ve got a gritty team,” Bonitto told McAfee. “Obviously, we’ve seen the stuff that people were saying about us before the season, and we looked internally. We knew we had everything that we needed in the building. Bo, with the pro that he is even though he’s a rookie, he doesn’t really seem like it, just the way he approaches the game and all the hungry players that we’ve got on the roster. I definitely think that we’ve got that chip on our shoulder, and we play like it.” 

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Nix has gone 8-5 as a starter, passing for 2,842 yards and 17 touchdowns, with eight interceptions. He's also rushed for 304 yards and four additional touchdowns, and a receiving score. His 22 total touchdowns leads all NFL rookie quarterbacks.

Bonitto, 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, constantly harassed and pressured Browns quarterback Jameis Winston for most of the game. The Broncos defense recorded three sacks and three interceptions on the veteran signal-caller, who set a franchise record for passing. 

Originally drafted out of Oklahoma in the second round back in 2022, Bonitto has enjoyed a stellar season, boasting career numbers with 19 QB hits, 13 tackles for a loss, 11 sacks, three passes defended, one forced fumble, and one interception for a score in 13 games.

So, what’s clicked in year three for Bonitto in the Broncos top tier defense?

“Watching more film, knowing more concepts whether it’s in the run or the pass game, just being more comfortable out there,” Bonitto revealed. “Just going out there playing ball, not thinking too much. Obviously, the coaches are coming up with a great game plan for us every week. With the DL that we have as long as we’re rushing well, we’re always going to get the results that we want.”

Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s defense averages approximately four sacks per game, setting them on pace for what could potentially become a 68-sack season which would shatter the team’s single-season record of 57 sacks set in 1984.

Remember, it was Broncos head coach Sean Payton who opted to hang in there with Joseph after Denver was drum-rolled in historic fashion, by the Miami Dolphins in 2023. A 70-20 humiliating loss

So far, Payton’s patience and belief in Joseph has paid off with a Denver defense that continues to keep the league buzzing.

“Coach P’s a dog, bro, people just don’t understand,” Bonitto said. “There’s a lot of misconceptions about him in the media. He can be a real dog on the field, and he’s obviously been in this game for so long. But off the field he’s one of the coolest guys too. At the end of the day, he just wants to win so he’s going to get whatever he needs to out of the players and coaches to help do what he has to do to win.”

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