The Denver Broncos have won eight straight games on the back of an elite defense. The team finds success because they get after the quarterback often. Their 49 sacks are the most in the league, 15 more than the second-place team. At this rate, the team is on pace to break the single-season sack record held by the 1984 Chicago Bears. The succeeding '85 Bears team, which won the championship, became more renowned and is considered by many to be the best defensive unit in NFL history. However, regardless, the mid-'80s Bears laid out a blueprint for how to win a Super Bowl through elite defensive play. How do the Broncos stack up against them?
The '84 Bears don't get the credit they deserve
Buddy Ryan's 46 defense revolutionized football. In 1985, it culminated in a championship victory. That unit ranked first in the NFL in points against (12.4). They played a physically imposing and aggressive brand of football in which opposing quarterbacks had to fear for their football health when they played Chicago.
The team was first in turnovers per game, rushing yards allowed per game, and total yards allowed per game. Dan Hampton, Mike Singletary, Dave Duerson, Otis Wilson, and Richard Dent were the Pro Bowl leaders of that defense. Singletary was the Defensive Player of the Year, and Dent led the NFL with 17 sacks. They joined Steve McMichael on the First-Team All-Pro list.
The Bears' defense the year before was nearly as good, and that unit isn't talked about enough when discussing all-time great defenses. Dent had even more sacks, as he brought the quarterback down 17.5 times. Hampton and McMichael also surpassed double-digit sack totals.
All in all, 13 different players sacked the quarterback for the Bears in 1984. With looser rules around the physical nature of football, the Bears were so dominant that teams had to be prepared to play multiple quarterbacks. The 46 defense was an eight-man front that aggressively sent the blitz. It was hard to run against, and opposing quarterbacks needed to make quick decisions in the passing game.
More often than not, the Bears' defense applied the pressure before the opposing offense could make anything happen. The Bears even shut out the Broncos in a 27-0 Week 2 blowout that was one of the highlights of the season.
The 2025 Broncos are becoming an all-time great defense
The Broncos have had some iconic defensive units in their own right over the years. In the late '70s and early '80s, Denver was known for the “Orange Crush” defense. The “No Fly Zone” led them to a Super Bowl 50 victory, too. Now, fans are calling the Broncos the “Orange Rush.”
Patrick Surtain is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. He is a huge cornerback and the best player at his position in the NFL. The fact that Denver has found success without him in recent weeks while he has been recovering from a pectoral injury shows just how deep the Broncos' defense is, though. Riley Moss, Ja'Quan McMillian, Kris Abrams-Draine, and Jahdae Barron are the other cornerbacks on the team.
Moss' aggressive nature leads to him giving up some big plays and being called for too many pass interferences, but he has become somewhat underrated. Going into the Broncos' Week 11 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, Moss was the most targeted cornerback in football because teams don't want to throw near Surtain. He had responded by allowing the lowest completion percentage against (45.6%) among qualified players. McMillian thrives in the slot and always seems to come up with big plays when needed. Abrams-Draine has filled in admirably for the injured Surtain, and Barron was the team's first-round pick. He can play all over the defensive secondary, and he looks like a future star.
The DB group is rounded out by safeties Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga, the latter of whom is a magnet for the ball. Hufanga hits hard, and he can either neutralize opposing tight ends in the passing game or help in the running game. Denver locks up receivers down the field, and their prowess in coverage allows the pass rushers to get after the quarterback.
Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper form one of the best edge rushing duos in football. The two already have 9.5 and 7.5 sacks, respectively. Backups Jonah Ellis, Que Robinson, and Dondrea Tillman can rotate in, and the defense doesn't take a step back when they do so. Tillman actually has two interceptions on the season, illustrating the team's versatile attack.
There is plenty of rush from places besides off the edge, too. Defensive linemen Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and D.J. Jones all create pressure from the defensive interior. The team will only get scarier when their middle linebacker group is finally at full health. Dre Greenlaw missed a lot of time due to injury and suspension early on in the year, but he was looking like a future star before tearing his Achilles tendon with the San Francisco 49ers. Alex Singleton is a tackling machine and arguably the leader of the defense, and he should be back after the bye week gives him a little more time to recover from testicular cancer.
So far, the Broncos are averaging 4.45 sacks per game. With six games left, they need to average just 3.83 sacks to break the record. Even without the luxury of a 17th game, the Broncos would need just 4.6 sacks per game to break Chicago's record during a 16-game season. It is unclear how the Broncos' season will finish out. They proved with a win over the Chiefs that they can beat anybody, and they particularly thrive in clutch situations. The offense has been streaky throughout the season, though. Regardless, the Broncos' defense is becoming an iconic one, and they seem poised to break a record that was once viewed as unbreakable.
