Bo Nix, Sean Payton and the Broncos offense stole the headlines following Sunday's shellacking of the Atlanta Falcons, but the Denver defense deserves flowers for keeping the club afloat while they found their stride.
Entering Week 12, the Broncos are the only team ranked in the top five in points per game allowed and yards per game allowed. Vance Joseph's crew sits third in both categories, allowing 16.5 PPG and 289.4 total YPG.
If they can continue to perform, it's a great sign for their chances of breaking an eight-year streak of missing the postseason. According to NFL Research, in the last 30 years, 44 teams have finished top-three in both PPG and YPG allowed. All 44 teams made the playoffs, and 19 advanced to at least the Conference Championship Game.
Joining NFL Network's The Insiders on Tuesday, Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto credited Joseph with the team's turnaround since the struggles early last season.
"Yeah, I mean that game, it happened (Miami scoring 70 vs. Denver in 2023), and obviously we looked at it as players that we got to do more for V.J. at that point," Bonitto said. "He was putting us in great positions, and we just had to play better effort and integrity and stuff like that. So, hats off to him, he kept going and coaching and blocked out the outside noise. Obviously, we are having a lot of success right now so he's just a great coach to be around. He's a great coach to have a positive mindset."
The Broncos defense has been a menace, with Bonitto, Zach Allen and Jonathon Cooper causing havoc up front and the corner duo of Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss locking down receivers. Denver's 39 team sacks are the most in the NFL, putting it on pace to break the franchise record (57) set in 1984.
Bonitto is currently tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks through 11 games. The third-year pro credited his teammates for helping open opportunities.
"Yeah, it's a collection of things," he said of the sacks. "Obviously, it starts with the coaching staff, they're always giving us good game plans every week. Making sure that we have the best success to go out there and make plays. Then, on top of that, the guys that I'm rushing with, whether it's Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, Jonathon Cooper, and even the guys that come off the bench that just do a good job of rushing well together. Obviously, the back end that we have makes it easy, too. So, it's just a collective effort."
Denver's success puts Joseph on a path potentially to get a second shot at a head coaching gig. Given the turnaround he's spurred, it would be a deserved opportunity.
"I would be pretty sad, but knowing that he can go out there and have more for himself would definitely make me happy," Bonitto said of his DC getting a head gig. "I know for a lot of guys too. Just knowing that he could have those type of opportunities and his name coming up in conversations like that, I would be really happy for him."
The Broncos' eight-season playoff drought following the Super Bowl 50 win is the longest all-time immediately following a Super Bowl win. With the defense stifling opponents and the offense starting to really click for the first time under Payton, that streak could finally end.
