Tag: Denver Broncos

Broncos’ defensive dominance is a good omen for NFL playoffs

The Denver Broncos are on pace to finish in the top three in yards allowed and points allowed, which is a good sign for the playoffs.

Eleven games into the 2024 NFL season, the Denver Broncos rank third in yards allowed (289.4) and third in points allowed per game (16.6).

As NFL.com’s Kevin Patra pointed out on Twitter/X earlier this week, 44 teams have finished in the top three of both yards allowed and points allowed over the last 30 seasons. Of those teams, all 44 made the NFL playoffs and 19 of them made it at least to the conference championship game.

Vance Joseph’s unit certainly has the team on track to make some noise down the stretch.

“They’re playing great,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said of Denver’s defense. “They’re having a great year. They get us the ball back in a timely manner. They stop the offense. They keep it relatively low scoring. We have been good at certain points, and we haven’t at times on offense to parallel that. At the same time, they’re going to continue to play that way. We just have to continue to rely on them and know that they’re going to make plays. Then we kind of have to pick it up and match it when they do. We have to help them out and be there for them. They’ve done a spectacular job all year.”

After sacking Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins three times on Sunday, the Broncos now rank first in the NFL with 39 sacks this season. Perhaps even more impressive was the team holding Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson to just 35 rushing yards on 12 carries.

“He’s explosive,” coach Sean Payton said of Robinson. “Their wide-zone scheme, they do a great job with him. If that gets going, then everything else falls in place for the quarterback. We felt like the primary key to winning this game was when the game ended, who won the rushing battle. We know that they were a good rushing team, but they’re a hard team to beat if you don’t have an answer for him. He’s an extremely talented player. They do a great job by design. That was really important.”

Denver remains on pace to make the NFL playoffs, and if the defense continues playing at this level, the Broncos could make some noise in the postseason.

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Former Oklahoma Sooner among the NFL leaders in sacks

The Denver Broncos uncovered a pass-rushing gem in the 2022 draft from Oklahoma.

Former Oklahoma Sooners linebacker [autotag]Nik Bonitto[/autotag] is in the midst of an excellent 2024 season for the Denver Broncos. The third-year pro has been on a tear lately, and people are beginning to take notice.

Bonitto is currently tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks. He’s just 2.5 sacks behind Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson for the lead league. He had a bit of a slow start to his professional career, but things have definitely clicked for him this year, as he’s getting after opposing passers like few others in the league.

Bonitto was selected by the Broncos in the second round (64th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft after four seasons in Norman.

He started for Oklahoma over his final two and a half years, registering 14.5 sacks over the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Bonitto made the game-sealing play of Oklahoma’s comeback win over the Baylor Bears in Waco in 2019. Trailing 28-3, the Sooners stormed back to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a 34-31 win. Bonitto’s interception of Baylor QB Charlie Brewer on the Bears’ final drive ensured that OU would walk away with a victory.

Under former outside linebackers coach Jamar Cain, Bonitto developed into a game-changing pass rusher that’s developed into one of the NFL’s best. He’s recorded 17 sacks over the last two seasons, breaking his mark from a year ago in just 11 games.

Bo Nix responds to John Elway’s comments about Broncos’ rookie QB

“I’m in a really good spot,” Bo Nix said of being coached by Sean Payton while getting input from Peyton Manning and John Elway.

Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has been a hot topic this week after his impressive performance against the Atlanta Falcons last week.

Even Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway said “the sky’s a limit for him” when asked about Nix during an interview with Broncos Wire earlier this week.

“It looks like they found their guy … [who will] continue to grow and bring back that excitement and start to compete for those world championships again,” Elway told Broncos Wire’s Brandon Walker on Wednesday.

After Wednesday’s practice, Nix was asked about receiving praise from Elway and if he’d like to meet the former QB and GM.

“Yes, he’s a legend,” Nix said. “He’s a legend not only here for this organization, but for the entire NFL. So you do want to listen when a guy like that is talking, and you want to pay attention to it. It’s an honor to be in this spot to where people like that can speak about it. I think obviously like most guys, they would love to have a chat with John Elway, just pick his brain and see what it’s like. Guys like that just have a lot of knowledge that they can share.

“It’s just awesome that I’m even in that situation. Like you mentioned, I think Davis [Webb] and Coach [Sean Payton] done a great job of just every week teaching me and moving on, going to the next play. Learn from the good and learn from the bad. I just feel like I’m in a really good spot.”

Nix is getting daily feedback from Payton and Webb, and he’s spoken with Peyton Manning as well. Elway hasn’t met with the young QB yet, but he has endorsed him from afar. Denver’s QB is in good hands.

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Bo Nix explains how Sean Payton has helped QB make strides this season

“I think at the beginning, you kind of make the NFL bigger than what it actually is,” Bo Nix said. Sean Payton has helped him adjust.

After struggling early in the season, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix has made huge strides in recent weeks and he has received several accolades along the way.

During his weekly media availability after Wednesday’s practice, Nix was asked about how he’s been able to take such a big leap in recent weeks.

“To be honest, I think at the beginning, you kind of make the NFL bigger than what it actually is,” Nix said. “These players are really good, but at the same time, you have really good players on your level. I think simplifying the game, trying to play as fast as possible and finding a completion, which is what we’ve been able to do here recently.

“I think as we’ve gone on, Coach [Sean Payton] and I have found a good rhythm of what we both like, what we can kind of put out there on the field and what we can execute. Then the guys have kind of adapted to it, found our roles within the offense and executed at a high level. It’s just all about slowing the game down, and processing things in a manner that you can handle. Just kind of see one or two things, and let those guys take you to where the ball is supposed to be.”

Payton has tailored the offense to Nix’s strengths, and the coach and quarterback have become more familiar with each other with each game. Now entering his 12th week playing in the NFL, Nix will look to take another step forward when the Broncos face the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in Week 12.

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Broncos are giving trial runs to a pair of linebackers

Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham are expected to both use up their three practice squad elevations before the Broncos make a decision.

After losing inside linebacker Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury in September, the Denver Broncos signed veterans Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham to their practice squad.

It took the players a few weeks to get up to speed and Justin Strnad started in Singleton’s place from Weeks 4-6. Denver then elevated Alexander from the practice squad to the game-day roster in Week 7.

Practice squad players can be elevated to the game-day rost three times during a season. Alexander’s three elevations were used from Weeks 7-9. After that, the Broncos elevated Cunningham in Weeks 10 and 11. He will likely be elevated a third and final time in Week 12.

Denver seems to be giving the two linebackers a trial run before potentially deciding who ends up on the 53-man roster. Alexander got three games and Cunningham is on the verge of making his third appearance this weekend. After that, one of them could end up on the active roster for the final stretch of the season.

Cunningham did not play in his first game. He totaled three tackles on 11 snaps last week. Alexander recorded eight tackles on 65 snaps in his three appearances, including two starts.

Right now, Alexander seems like the favorite to eventually end up on the 53-man roster, but Cunningham will (presumably) get one more opportunity to impress in Week 12.

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John Elway says Bo Nix can help Broncos compete for world championships again

“The sky’s the limit for him,” John Elway said of Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway likes what he’s seen from Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix this season.

“I’m happy for him,” Elway said during a recent interview with Broncos Wire about Dupuytren’s contracture and his treatment. “I’m happy for the Broncos and the Broncos fans out there. It’s kind of been a long dry spell and I think that everybody’s excited about what’s going on there. Obviously, the new ownership group is tremendous, with Sean Payton as a head coach and then obviously we draft Bo Nix, who I think Sean really likes and obviously, everybody likes now because we’ve seen him grow through the first 11 weeks of the season.

“It’s exciting to watch. But I think there’s a combination of both in the fact that Bo Nix has great talent. He’s very mature. He’s got 60 starts in college, which I think has really helped him.

“But I think even more importantly is the way that Sean and (quarterbacks coach) Davis Webb handle him, they’re not putting them in situations he can’t handle. They’re bringing him on slowly, getting him to understand the NFL game, which is a big jump from the college game, and so I think the whole combination of what is going on there is showing up in Bo’s play.

“He’s got the ability; Sean and Davis are putting him in situations that he can handle and those situations keep getting more and more week in and week out. And so, you know, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s just going to continue to get better and better.

“And as long as Vance Joseph keeps that defense going and keeps (Nix) in games week in and week out, then that allows the quarterback to grow at his own speed too and also win football games.”

Nix has broken multiple franchise (and NFL) records this season, passing several former marks set by Elway in his rookie year. Does Elway feel bad about seeing his records fall?

“I don’t,” Elway said with a laugh. “You know what? I’m glad he’s breaking them because it was my rookie year, we weren’t very good, so it’s nice to see that he’s got out to a better start than I had. And I think that’s a good sign for all the Bronco fans out here to be able to watch that knowing that they’ve really got somebody they can build around right now. Because, you know that quarterback position is so important in the NFL and it looks like they found their guy and [he will] continue to grow and bring back that excitement and start to compete for those world championships again.”

John Elway spoke with Broncos Wire in a three-part interview this week. Elway dicsussed Dupuytren’s contracture in Part 1. Stay tuned for Part 3, featuring Elway’s take on Denver’s playoff chances this season.

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Craig Carton apologizes to Broncos for harsh preseason prediction

“Broncos Country, I apologize,” Craig Carton said. “I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong.”

Before the 2024 NFL season began, Craig Carton of Fox Sports shared a harsh prediction for the Denver Broncos.

“The Broncos are going to stink,” Carton said in August. “There’s no talent on that team … I’m looking at the Denver Broncos going, that over/under should be 2.5! Where are the wins coming from?”

Denver’s actual over/under line was 5.5 wins, and the Broncos beat that when they secured their sixth win of the season in Week 11. After the team hit the over, Carton apologized for his pre-season prediction.

“I would like to take this moment to apologize to Denver Broncos fans,” Cartons said on Breakfast Ball earlier this week. “About two months ago, we were giving our preseason predictions and I may have uttered the phrase, ‘The Broncos stink, the over/under should be 2.5.’ So to Broncos Country, I apologize. I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Denver Broncos are a very well-coached team … I’ll eat this one, I got it wrong.”

If the season ended today, the Broncos would make the NFL playoffs as the sixth and final seed. Denver has six games remaining this season.

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Peyton and Eli Manning release funny statements about 2025 Pro Bowl

Peyton and Eli Manning announced a return to the Pro Bowl with their signature sense of humor.

The Pro Bowl Games are returning this season and the NFL’s favorite brothers will once again serve as the head coaches.

Peyton Manning (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) will face off in the 2025 Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 2.

After the league announced the Mannings as returning coaches, the brothers released a pair of funny statements ahead of the Pro Bowl.

“The Pro Bowl Games are all about having fun,” Peyton said. “It’s always unpredictable, and we got to bring fans into the action and see the NFL’s biggest names compete. And the best part about this year’s games is knowing that my AFC team is going to end Eli’s two-year run of luck with the NFC.”

The NFL’s statement included a fitting retort from Eli.

“I love everything about the Pro Bowl Games,” Eli said. “And getting to hear Peyton complain about losing every year makes it even better.”

Fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl will open on Nov. 25. The list of Denver Broncos players worthy of consideration this season includes guard Quinn Meinerz, left tackle Garett Bolles, defensive end Zach Allen, pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, and cornerbacks Pat Surtain, Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMillian.

Since switching to a flag football format, Eli’s NFC is 2-0 against Peyton’s AFC in the revamped Pro Bowl Games.

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Former Broncos TEs coach takes over as UNC-Charlotte’s interim coach

Tim Brewster, who coached Broncos tight ends from 2005-2006, has been named interim head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

A former Denver Broncos assistant coach is getting a head coach job at the college level, at least on an interim basis.

After parting ways with Biff Poggi halfway through their season, the Charlotte 49ers have named Tim Brewster their interim head coach.

Brewster, 64, is a veteran coach who served as Denver’s tight ends coach from 2005-2006. The Broncos’ top tight ends in those two seasons Jeb Putzier, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler.

Brewster left Denver in 2007 to become the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After going 15-30 over four seasons, Brewster was let go in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with eight other colleges, each time as an assistant coach.

Before joining UNC-Charlotte as an associate head coach and tight ends coach earlier this year, Brewster served as Colorado’s tight ends coach under Deion Sanders in 2023. He also coached with Sanders at Jackson State in 2022. Before that, Brewster spent time at Florida, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State and Mississippi State.

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Jamie Erdahl ranks Broncos as a top-5 team in the AFC

NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl ranked the Bills, Steelers, Chiefs, Ravens and Broncos as the top-five teams in the AFC.

The Denver Broncos have been hot in recent weeks and NFL Network’s Jamie Erdahl is buying into the hype.

Erdahl recently ranked the Broncos as the fifth-best team in the AFC.

“I like Sean Payton, I’m getting on the Peter Schrager Sean Payton bandwagon,” Erdahl said on Good Morning Football earlier this week. “I think it’s very dangerous when you have a coach come in, the second year into the system, he has created a culture and a dynamic … he got his quarterback, [and they have a] really good defense.”

Erdahl has the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens and Broncos ranked as the top teams in the conference.

Erdahl ranked Denver above teams including the Los Angeles Chargers (7-3) and Houston Texans (7-4). Right now, both those teams sit above the Broncos in the AFC’s playoff picture.

Fans in Denver will hope that Erdahl’s rankings prove to be accurate at the end of the season.

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