Tag: Nik Bonitto

5 takeaways from the Broncos 31-13 win over the Colts on Sunday

The Broncos got an important 31-13 win over the Colts on Sunday afternoon. Here are five quick takeaways from the victory.

The Denver Broncos improved to 9-5 on Sunday with a 31-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Here are five quick takeaways from the win.

1. The ground game continues to struggle: Before exiting the game with a quad injury, Broncos running back Jaleel McLaughlin rushed seven times for 21 yards. Javonte Williams was even worse, rushing six times for 15 yards. Denver quarterback Bo Nix ended up leading the team with 23 rushing yards despite losing two yards on kneel-downs to secure the win. The Broncos have to get more from their backfield down the stretch.

2. Injuries are piling up: The two most notable injuries for Denver are those to cornerbacks Pat Surtain (ankle) and Riley Moss (knee), but those aren’t the injuries to monitor this week. McLaughlin (quad) and defensive lineman D.J. Jones (finger) are also ailing, and guard Quinn Meinerz (shoulder) also left Sunday’s game before later returning. Playing on a short week, the Broncos’ medical staff will do its best to get the team’s banged-up players ready to go by Thursday.

3. Nik Bonitto for Defensive Player of the Year: Surtain has a case as well, but voters have demonstrated in the past that they love sacks. Bonitto now has 11.5 sacks on the year plus a 71-yard pick-six and a 50-yard fumble-six. Bonitto is now the first player to record at least 10 sacks and two defensive touchdowns in the same season since J.J. Watt in 2014. Watt won DPOY that season.

4. Bo Nix was resilient: The rookie certainly didn’t have a great game, throwing three interceptions. Nix, as usual, never hung his head. The quarterback bounced back and ended the day with three touchdown passes and four scoring drives. There will be plenty to learn from following Sunday’s game, but winning an ugly game is nothing to scoff at. Nix is working through his rookie growing pains and the QB is still trending in the right direction despite the turnovers against Indy.

5. The Broncos are legit: Denver has clinched its first winning season since 2016 and with a win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, the Broncos can clinch a playoff berth in Week 16. Sean Payton has the club just one victory away from their first postseason appearance since Denver won Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season. With a play-making defense, the Broncos are the kind of team that could make some unexpected noise in the playoffs.

After facing the Chargers in Week 16, the Broncos will go on the road to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17 before closing out the regular season at home against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18.

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Broncos inch closer to playoffs with 31-13 win over Colts

Following Sunday’s win over the Colts, the Broncos are now just one win away from clinching a spot in the NFL playoffs.

With Peyton Manning in attendance, Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix bounced back from three turnovers in a 31-13 comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

The Broncos improved to 9-5 with the victory and Denver now has a 91% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. The Colts dropped to 6-8 and Indy now has a 6% chance of reaching the postseason.

Denver has now clinched its first winning season since 2016.

Indianapolis took an early 7-0 lead on Sunday after quarterback Anthony Richardson rushed for a 23-yard score on the game’s opening drive. Nix then threw an interception on the Broncos’ opening drive, giving the Colts the ball back at their own 30-yard line. Indy capitalized off that takeaway by later kicking a 37-yard field goal to make it 10-0 early in the second quarter.

Later in the second quarter, Nix threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Adam Trautman to cut the deficit to 10-7.

Denver then got the ball back when safety Brandon Jones intercepted an Anthony pass, but the Broncos failed to capitalize on the takeaway and punted the ball back to Indy. The Colts later kicked a field goal to take a 13-7 lead into halftime.

Nix threw a second interception on Denver’s opening drive of the second half and Indy appeared to capitalize with a 41-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown run, but the running back dropped the ball before the end zone and it rolled out of the endzone for a touchback to give the ball back to the Broncos.

Following the Taylor turnover, Nix threw a third interception, but the Colts gave it back one play later when P.J. Locke forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive lineman D.J. Jones. After that takeaway, Denver settled for a 44-yard Wil Lutz field goal to cut the deficit to 13-10.

The Broncos pulled ahead in the fourth quarter when Nix threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end/fullback Nate Adkins to make it 17-13.

The score was set up by a 60-yard punt return by wide receiver Marvin Mims:

Later, Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto blew the game open with a 50-yard fumble-six to give the Broncos a commanding 24-13 lead.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Denver cornerback Pat Surtain intercepted a Richardson pass to set the Broncos up at Indy’s 35-yard line. The team initially settled for a 47-yard field goal but a Colts penalty gave Denver a first down, extending the drive. Nix then threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to make it 31-13, which ended up being the final score.

The Broncos came out of the game banged up — running back Jaleel McLaughlin left the game in the third quarter with a quad injury and guard Quinn Meinerz left with a shoulder injury. Meinerz returned in the fourth quarter. Defensive lineman D.J. Jones left in the fourth quarter with a finger injury and cornerback Pat Surtain suffered an ankle injury in the fourth quarter.

Up next for the Broncos is a road game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 16 on Dec. 19. Following a Miami Dolphins loss on Sunday, Denver needs to win just one more game to clinch a playoff spot. The Broncos have not returned to the postseason since winning Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

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WATCH: Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto grabs fumble-6 vs. Colts

Nik Bonitto does it AGAIN!

Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto grabbed a 50-yard fumble-six against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s video of the play, courtesy of the team’s official Twitter/X page:

Following the score, the Broncos now lead the Colts 24-13.

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Pro Bowl fan voting update is good news for several Broncos players

Pat Surtain and Nik Bonitto are on pace to make the Pro Bowl, but other Broncos players need your vote.

Fan voting for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games opened two weeks and we have received our second round of voting updates. The Denver Broncos have 11 players in the top ten at their respective positions after the second wave of voting.

  • Pat Surtain: 2nd-most votes at cornerback (2nd in AFC)
  • Nik Bonitto: 2nd-most votes at outside linebacker (2nd in AFC)
  • Brandon Jones: 6th-most votes at strong safety (4th in AFC)
  • Wil Lutz: 6th-most votes at kicker (4th in AFC)
  • Michael Burton: 6th-most votes at fullback (4th in AFC)
  • Riley Dixon: 6th-most votes at punter (4th in AFC)
  • Zach Allen: 8th-most votes at defensive tackle (4th-most in the AFC)
  • Bo Nix: 9th-most votes at quarterback (5th in AFC)
  • Marvin Mims: 10th-most votes at returner (4th in AFC)
  • Mitchel Frabroni: 10th-most votes at long snapper (5th in AFC)
  • Tremon Smith: 10th-most votes on special teams (5th in AFC)

Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers dropped out of the top 10 this week after ranking 10th last week (6th in the AFC). Denver guard Quinn Meinerz has been a massive snub in fan voting, but he should make up ground when players and coaches vote later this month.

Right now, Surtain and Bonitto seem like locks to make it and several players — including Allen — are on track for at least an alternate nod. With double-digit players in the top ten in fan voting, the Broncos should have multiple players in Orlando.

Fans can vote for the Pro Bowl through Dec. 23. The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Feb. 2.

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Kay Adams gives her take on ‘huge statement win for the Broncos’

“This was a huge statement win for the Broncos, not that they even needed it, they were already crushing it,” Kay Adams said.

Following their big 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, the Denver Broncos were praised by FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams.

“This was a huge statement win for the Broncos, not that they even needed it, they were already crushing it,” Adams said. “But they’ve been looked over, I think, and it was nice to get things in order and sort of get a beautiful, beautiful high-scoring win against a tough team.”

Adams also spoke about Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto, who had a sack and pick-six against the Browns.

“He was all over the place,” Adams said of Bonitto’s performance. “He’s got 11 sacks on the year, why don’t we talk about him? He’s a half-sack behind Trey Hendrickson for the league lead. Do we not care about this stat anymore? Come on!

“He’s so explosive off the line. He’s emerged as one of the best pure pass rushers in the league this season. … this win, this season, doesn’t happen without him.”

The Broncos are now on a bye this week before returning in Week 15 to host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Dec. 15.

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Brian Baldinger breaks down Broncos’ best players vs. Browns

Brian Baldinger broke down film of the Broncos’ top performers against the Browns on Monday.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Cleveland Browns 41-32 in a complete team effort on Monday Night Football earlier this week.

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger recently took to Twitter/X to review the film of some of the team’s biggest contributors in Monday’s win. Up first is Baldinger’s review of quarterback Bo Nix’s 93-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Mims:

Up next is Baldinger reacting to Nix going right back to Courtland Sutton after the receiver dropped a pass:

Baldinger then reviewed Jaleel McLaughlin’s impressive performance:

Up next is praise for guard Quinn Meinerz, tackle Mike McGlinchey and tight end Adam Trautman on Javonte Williams’ touchdown run:

Baldinger also praised cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian, who has been one of his favorite players all season:

And last but certainly not least, Baldinger broke down Nik Bonitto’s big game:

Denver now has a bye this week before hosting the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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Surprisingly, neither Jerry Jeudy nor Nik Bonitto won Player of the Week honors

Jerry Jeudy set an NFL record for the most receiving yards (235) against his former team and Nik Bonitto had a sack and 71-yard pick-six.

The Denver Broncos played a thrilling Monday Night Football game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 13 with the Broncos hanging on to win, 41-32. Denver pass rusher Nik Bonitto and Cleveland wide receiver Jerry Jeudy stood out with a pair of big performances.

Jeudy hauled in nine receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown, setting a new NFL record for the most receiving yards by a player facing their former team. Jeudy now has the fifth-most receiving yards in the league this season (880).

Bonitto made a big impact on the other side of the ball, recording two pass breakups, one sack and a 71-yard pick-six. Surprisingly, neither Jeudy (offense) nor Bonitto (defense) won Player of the Week awards.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after becoming the first QB in NFL history to record a passing, rushing and receiving touchdown in a single game (although the “catch” was a technicality after he scored off a lateral).

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after he grabbed two interceptions on Sunday, including a 61-yard pick-six.

Jeudy and Bonitto were among the NFL’s top performers in Week 13, but apparently not the very top.

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Broncos’ defense still ranks high even after mishaps vs. Browns

The Broncos allowed 552 yards to the Browns in Week 13, but Denver’s defense also had three takeaways.

Going into last week’s Monday Night Football showdown with the Cleveland Browns, the Denver Broncos‘ defense ranked third in total yards allowed (296.0) and second in points allowed (16.8) per game.

Then the unit allowed 552 yards and 32 points to Cleveland’s offense.

Denver’s defense has now dropped down to ninth in total yards allowed (315.7) and third in points allowed (18.0) per game. Still good numbers.

While the yards were allowed freely on Monday, the Broncos also grabbed three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Those takeaways ended up being the difference in a 41-32 win.

“I saw three turnovers in key parts of the game,” quarterback Bo Nix said after the game. “Not only are turnovers hard to get, but to return it for touchdowns, that’s even harder. The fact that they did it twice, it was crazy. It was kind of nice. I was over there sitting. The bench has the heaters over there, and I don’t even have to move. So it’s pretty nice for the offense when they bail us out like that.

“It was a complete team win. We made our plays. [We] have a lot to grow from. And then they made their plays. They have a lot to grow from. It’s good to have a bye week this week, and then we’re going to come back and grow from it.”

Denver now ranks eighth with 18 takeaways this season and first with 47 sacks. Individually, pass rusher Nik Bonitto ranks second in the league with 11 sacks, only a half-sack behind Trey Hendrickson (11.5).

After the bye, the Broncos will face an Indianapolis Colts offense that ranks 23rd in total yards (311.5) and 22nd in points (20.5) per game. Indy quarterback Anthony Richardson has averaged one interception and just over one sack per game in the nine contests he has started this fall, so Denver’s defense will look to build on its takeaways and sack totals in Week 15.

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Nik Bonitto has matched an impressive Von Miller stat

Nik Bonitto and Von Miller are the only players in Broncos history to record 10+ sacks and grab a pick-six in the same season.

Denver Broncos pass rusher Nik Bonitto had another huge performance in a 41-32 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13.

Bonitto recorded a sack and grabbed a 71-yard pick-six in the win. Following that impressive play, Bonitto became just the second player in franchise history to record at least ten sacks and a pick-six in the same season, joining Broncos legend Von Miller.

Nix’s 71-yard return was the third-longest by a linebacker in franchise history, only trailing Randy Gradishar (93 yards in 1980) and Tom Jackson (73 yards in 1977).

Bonitto reached a top speed of 19.88 mph on his return, the second-fastest among linebackers carrying the ball this season, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

Following the play, the father of Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain called for Bonitto to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Surtain Sr. certainly isn’t alone in his stance.

Bonitto still has another year on his contract after this season, but after giving Jonathon Cooper a big extension, Bonitto’s deal should be the team’s next priority.

“I’ve been trying to tell people I used to play safety back in the day and people are surprised,” Bonitto said after the game. “Just trying to do my job. When I saw a chance to break on the ball, I kind of just went and did that.”

Bonitto’s 11 sacks this season rank second in the NFL, only trailing Trey Hendrickson (11.5). He’ll look to build on that total after the bye when the Broncos host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15.

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Pro Bowl fan voting update is good news for several Broncos players

The Broncos have 12 players in the top ten at their respective positions in fan voting for the 2025 Pro Bowl.

Fan voting for the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games opened last week and we received our first update this week. The Denver Broncos have 12 players in the top ten at their respective positions after the first wave of voting.

  • Pat Surtain: 2nd-most votes at cornerback (2nd in AFC)
  • Nik Bonitto: 3rd-most votes at outside linebacker (2nd in AFC)
  • Zach Allen: 6th-most votes at defensive tackle (3rd-most in the AFC)
  • Brandon Jones: 6th-most votes at strong safety (3rd in AFC)
  • Wil Lutz: 6th-most votes at kicker (4th in AFC)
  • Michael Burton: 7th-most votes at fullback (4th in AFC)
  • Riley Dixon: 7th-most votes at punter (5th in AFC)
  • Bo Nix: 9th-most votes at quarterback (5th in AFC)
  • Mitchel Frabroni: 9th-most votes at long snapper (5th in AFC)
  • Marvin Mims: 10th-most votes at returner (4th in AFC)
  • Tremon Smith: 10th-most votes on special teams (5th in AFC)
  • John Franklin-Myers: 10th-most votes at defensive tackle (6th in AFC)

Strangely, Quinn Meinerz is not among the top ten guards in fan votes. He should make up a lot of ground when players and coaches vote later this month.

Right now, Surtain and Bonitto seem like locks to make it and Allen appears to be on pace to at least get an alternate nod. With so many players in the top ten in fan voting, the Broncos should be well-represented in Orlando.

Fans can vote for the Pro Bowl through Dec. 23. The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will be held at Camping World Stadium in Orlando on Feb. 2.

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