The Denver Broncos shocked the entire NFL in Week 5. Denver pulled off a miraculous fourth-quarter comeback, beating an undefeated Philadelphia team 21-17. The Broncos needed everybody to beat the Eagles, but one defensive player deserves some extra praise.
Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto put together another excellent performance against the Eagles on Sunday.
“He's a super pass rusher. You guys have seen the confidence grow and grow with him,” Broncos head coach Sean Payton said, per The Athletic's Nick Kosmider. “…I'm glad he's on our team.”
Bonitto had two total tackles and two-and-a-half sacks, getting after Jalen Hurts multiple times. And he ended up putting himself up there with another all-time Broncos great.
Bonitto became the first Broncos player since Von Miller in 2014 to have three consecutive games with multiple sacks, per Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports.
He came into Sunday's game after putting up a two-sack game against the Chargers and one-and-a-half sacks against the Bengals.
Bonitto already has seven sacks through five games, which has him on pace to surpass last season's 13.5 sacks.
Denver appears to have something special in Nik Bonitto.
Bo Nix praises Broncos defense after late stop against Eagles
Denver's defense was by far the most impressive unit on the field on Sunday.
The Broncos recorded six sacks as a team, consistently pressure Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. They also played incredibly well against the run, limiting superstar Saquon Barkley to six carries for 30 yards.
And they showed up to play when Denver needed them the most in the fourth quarter. The Broncos forced multiple three-and-outs in the fourth quarter and prevented the Eagles from pulling off a Hail Mary in the closing seconds.
Broncos QB Bo Nix could not have been more thrilled with how his defense responded during the comeback win.
“With our defense, give them a lead like that, you expect them to go and get the win,” Nix said after the game, per Zac Stevens.
Denver is suddenly 3-2 and tied with Los Angeles atop the AFC West. If their defense continues to play well, the Broncos could challenge the Chargers for the division crown.
Next up for the Broncos is a Week 6 game against the Jets in London.
