No one gets after the quarterback like Nik Bonitto and Co; the Denver Broncos lead the NFL in sacks.

Through only three games, the Broncos have already racked up 12 sacks, putting them on pace to shatter their team-record which was established only last year.

While Denver is only 1-2 on the season, there are certainly some bright spots, specifically on the defense.

Denver Broncos lead NFL in sacks, could set new team-record

Denver is deadly when it comes to attacking the quarterback, with 12 QB sacks on the season already. They’re currently tied with the Los Angeles Rams through three games.

Maybe most-impressive for the Broncos is the fact that it’s not just one guy carrying the team. There are currently eight players who have at least one sack, with Nik Bonitto leading the way (3.0). Right behind him are Jonathan Cooper and Justin Strnad, each with 2.0 of their own.

Bonitto is a brilliant pass rusher on the outside, and Cooper is a great compliment to him. Together, they’re a young and formidable duo when it comes to attacking the quarterback.

In fact, both of them are on pace for setting personal records for sacks, just like the defense is. Bonitto is on track to rack up 17 sacks–last year’s 13.5 is his current high–while Cooper is on pace for 11.5 of his own. And we can’t forget about backup EDGE Jonah Elliss, who’s on track for 5.5 sacks this year.

They harassed rookie Cam Ward with a 6-sack day, only got to Daniel Jones once, but then sacked Justin Herbert five times last Sunday.

And while we’re at it, let’s quickly talk about each of their tackles for a loss. Each of the three are on pace for new career-highs in that department as well: Bonitto has 4 (23 TFL pace), Cooper has 3 (17 TFL pace) and Elliss has 3 (17 TFL pace).

So, how do the Denver Broncos lead the NFL in sacks? Multiple players have started out on fire.

Zach Allen quietly leads the NFL in QB hits

Zach Allen has only been able to earn one sack so far, but he leads the NFL in QB hits with 10.

Last year, Allen was one of the biggest pleasant surprises on Denver’s defense. The veteran interior defensive lineman set new career highs in basically every metric. He had 8.5 sacks, 61 combined tackles, and an astounding 40 QB hits. Right now, he’s on pace for an otherworldly 56.5 QB hits. If he stays on that pace, it would set a new NFL record per Al Karsten, who says J.J. Watt’s 50 QB hits in 2014 are the high mark.

Allen even recorded a safety, and he played well enough to earn AP Second-Team All-Pro. He admitted this preseason he almost quit the NFL to go into finance. Luckily for the Broncos he didn’t, because Allen is a crucial member of Denver’s dominant defense.

Speaking of critical players, the aforementioned Nik Bonitto is second in the league with 9 QB hits. The next closest to the Broncos teammates are three players all tied at 7 QB hits each.

In fact, Bonitto is on pace (51) to set that same NFL record for QB hits, so keep an eye on both of them the rest of the season. While there are many great pass rushers on the Broncos today, Bonitto is arguably the best defender on the team, and that’s no slight to Pat Surtain II.

Last December, I wrote how Bonitto is playing like Von Miller used to for the Broncos. He’s definitely the team’s best pass rusher since Miller left in 2021. He’s a sack artist, yes, but his incredible athleticism helped Bonitto take two turnovers to the end zone last year.

Overall Defensive Positive Numbers

  • Passing TDs Allowed: The Broncos not only lead the NFL in sacks, they also have allowed the league-lowest touchdown passes with 2. They’re tied with three other teams.
  • Forced Fumbles: Denver’s defense also has forced 3 fumbles, which is third-most in the league. Both Minnesota and Pittsburgh have forced 5 fumbles so far.
  • Red Zone Scoring: The Broncos defense has allowed only 3 red zone touchdowns. Their 27.3% is the 2nd-lowest red zone scoring percentage in the NFL.
  • 4th Down Percentage: Denver hasn’t allowed a single 4th down conversion this year. They’ve only faced three through three games.