The Denver Broncos defense’s greatness was on display on Sunday.
Not only did they hold the Kansas City Chiefs under 20 points—as they have in every game in the Sean Payton Era—but they made Patrick Mahomes look human. Again.
Let’s break down the biggest stats that define the Broncos defense.
Denver Broncos defense’s greatness by the numbers
11 games into the 2025 NFL season and the Denver Broncos defense leads the league in sacks (49), pressures (126), 3rd down percentage (28.9%), and red zone percentage (35.7%).
Denver’s allowing a 3rd-best 17.5 points per game and they’re 3rd in yards allowed, too.
Just stating those only scratches the surface. Let’s get into the numbers even further.
NFL-leading 49 sacks
The Broncos are so far in the lead in quarterback sacks, there’s virtually no way they won’t finish first this year. Denver has totaled 49.0 through 11 weeks, while the Atlanta Falcons’ 34.0 are second-most.
If the Broncos continue on their current pace, they’ll set a new NFL record by four sacks. That’s stellar, even if you do consider they’re playing an extra game vs. the 1984 Bears, who hold the mark with 72 sacks. That means Denver’s on pace for 76 sacks this year.
To put that in perspective, the Broncos had 63.0 sacks, which is the current team-record.
Nik Bonitto leads the team with 9.5, and he’s followed by Johnathon Cooper (7.5), Zach Allen (6.0), Johnathan Franklin-Myers (4.5), and Ja’Quan McMillian (4.0). Each of them are on pace to meet or exceed their previous career-high.
Pressures and QB Knockdowns
When they’re not taking the QB down with the ball in his hands, as they did three times on Sunday to Mahomes, they’re pressuring and knocking them down, too.
Denver’s 126 pressures are 14 more than the next-best team (Seattle, 112). On Sunday, they “only” sacked Mahomes three times, but they pressured him 12 total plays. One of which turned into a McMillian interception in the third quarter.
The Broncos 45 QB knockdowns are also an NFL-best, with the Steelers (42) in second.
Zach Allen’s 30 QB hits are an NFL-best, with Nik Bonitto (21) tied for second with two other players. And Denver puts pressure on the opposing QB 28.8% of the time, which is second-best in the league.
3rd down and red zone percentages
The Broncos remain the hardest team in the NFL to gain a first down against. And it’s not close.
They give let the opponents move the chain a mere 28.9% of the time. The next-best team is the Chicago Bears, at 33.7%.
This chart by Ben Baldwin shows the defense is toughest in the league to gain a first down against:
Series conversion rates on offense and defense
When the whole goal is to move the chains and continue a drive, the Broncos are really setting themselves up for success.
Well, it’s the whole goal outside of, you know, scoring.
That’s where Denver again shines.
The Broncos allow opponents to score a mere 35.7% of the time they reach the red zone (20 yard line). Next-best are the Rams (43.8%). The Orange Crush 3.0 is excelling by disallowing opposing teams to even make it into the red zone. Only the Eagles (27) have fewer drives allowed in the red zone than Denver (28).
Numbers are just stats until they affect the game
Anyone can look at these numbers to justify the Denver Broncos defense’s greatness. But, the timing matters, too.
In the 22-19 win over the Chiefs, the aforementioned McMillian sacked Mahomes on 3rd and 10 to force a punt. So, that sack statistic and the 3rd down percentages both play in, but the timing was perfect for them to do so. That was a crucial moment in the game, not just a first quarter drive.
Trailing 17-3 late in the Eagles game, Denver’s D forced three straight 3-and-outs while the offense responded with two touchdowns and a field goal. It was the biggest win since Super Bowl 50, before this massive Chiefs win.
They also stepped up with an interception and forced punt in the comeback against the Giants, and forced four punts vs. the Texans in the fourth quarter.
Thanks to the defense—and Sean Payton’s coaching—these Denver Broncos are true contenders this year. Now, it’s time to use the bye week to get healthy and earn more wins down the stretch.