Nik Bonitto warned people that he could play in coverage. Denver’s edge rusher played safety during his senior season at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. And even though his experience at defensive back was minimal, Bonitto was certain he could cover if called upon.
An opportunity to showcase those skills came about in the second quarter against the Browns on Monday night.
Browns quarterback Jameis Winston thought he had a wide-open Jordan Akins for a check-down throw in the flat. Instead, Bonitto anticipated the pass perfectly, snatching the ball and sprinting the other way for a 71-yard touchdown to give Denver a 21-10 lead with less than two minutes to go in the second quarter.
“I’ve been trying to tell people I used to play safety back in the day and people are surprised,” Bonitto said. “… When I saw a chance to break on the ball, I kind of just went and did that.”
Last week against the Raiders, Bonitto inserted himself in the Pro Bowl conversation, becoming the first Bronco since 2018 to record double-digit sacks in a single season. In Denver’s 41-32 win over the Browns, Bonitto made a case for being an All-Pro by shining in the national spotlight.
Denver’s defense wasn’t great. The Broncos had busted coverages and communication issues, resulting in a back-and-forth game against the three-win Browns. However, Bonitto managed to step up despite Denver’s defensive struggles, recording a sack and a season-high six pressures on 28 pass rushes, according to Next Gen Stats.
Postgame, Bonitto had cameras and microphones pressed to his face while being showered with questions. Still, the large crowd of reporters surrounding Bonitto couldn’t drown out outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper’s praise for his teammate.
The Broncos had always known Bonitto could be an elite defender. But in prime time, the entire nation witnessed a star in the making.
“That (boy) cold. … Fifteen is crazy,” Cooper said, with his voice echoing throughout the locker room.
The former Oklahoma standout has 11 sacks and 43 pressures with four games left this season. He has recorded at least four pressures on four different occasions. In three seasons, Bonitto has 20.5 career sacks, tying outside linebacker Bradley Chubb for the seventh-most sacks by a Bronco in a three-year span.
The Broncos were quick to say that Monday wasn’t their best defensive effort. Denver allowed 552 yards of total offense while wide receiver Jerry Jeudy picked apart his former team’s secondary, exploding for 235 yards and a touchdown on nine catches.
But even amid a lackluster performance, the Broncos defense once again found a way to win.
Bonitto had one of Denver’s three interceptions against Winston, who also threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns. On his pick-six, Bonitto reached a max speed of 19.88 seconds — the 2nd-fastest speed by a linebacker as a ball carrier this season, according to NFL’s Next Gen Stats.
“I thought I ran faster but I’ll take it,” said Bonitto, who recorded the third-longest interception return for a touchdown by a Broncos linebacker and the longest since Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar in 1980.
With the game on the line late in the fourth quarter, Ja’Quan McMillian made a play of his own. The nickel cornerback leaped and intercepted Winston’s throw to wide receiver Elijah Moore along the sideline. The nickel cornerback fell on his back but immediately bounced back up and burst down the sideline for a 44-yard score, extending Denver’s lead to nine points and essentially putting the game away for good.
The two pick-6s marked the fifth time in Broncos history the team recorded multiple interception returns for a touchdown in a game. The last time Denver did so was in 2018 against Arizona.
“I just kept telling the guys, ‘I’m going to make a play.’ I just felt it all game,” McMillian said. “When you see your teammate make another play, you want to make a play as well.”
When Cleveland threatened to score in the closing seconds, inside linebacker Cody Barton picked off Winston in the end zone, giving Denver’s eighth victory of the season one final exclamation point.
“No matter what the situation is, we’re going to find a way to win and that’s what we did,” Bonitto said.
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