ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When Denver needed a big play, Nik Bonitto answered the call.
With a four-point advantage in the fourth quarter and the Colts offense driving up the field with an opportunity to take the lead, the outside linebacker saw a trick play developing and decided to take matters into his own hands.
As wide receiver Adonai Mitchell attempted to lateral the ball back across the field to quarterback Anthony Richardson, Bonitto plucked the ball out of the air and raced 50 yards for a touchdown.
"It was kind of a slow-developing play, so I knew something was weird," Bonitto said. "The receiver usually doesn't go catch screens like that. Once I saw Richardson drifting back a little bit, I decided to go try and break on it and ended up getting it."
The impressive play marked Bonitto's second defensive touchdown of the season, and he became just the second defender in franchise history to record defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games — joining Ring of Famer Billy Thompson.
Head Coach Sean Payton later described the play as the major turning point of the game.
"It was a heck of a play," Payton said following Sunday's 31-13 win. "It was kind of happening right in front of me. ... He is athletic. That is two games in a row. It was a real good play, and the timing of it. There was like a 10-minute period in the game where it went from being close to not out of reach, but certainly in our favor."
The highlight was just one of many in an afternoon filled with impressive takeaways, as Denver recorded its third consecutive game in which the defense has generated multiple turnovers. The five turnovers — including a fumble by Colts running back Jonathan Taylor at the goal line — marked a season high for a Denver defense that has consistently made big plays in critical moments.
Safety Brandon Jones got things started in the first half when he intercepted an Anthony Richardson pass during the second quarter, pushing his season total to a career-high three interceptions. The play came on the Colts' first possession following Denver's first score of the day and allowed the Broncos to keep the game close as the team trailed heading into halftime.
"We never really folded or had any doubts on the defensive side," Jones said. "In this instance, there were points where we had to kind of pick up the offense, and they've done the same for us in multiple games this year. That just shows you how close we are as a team overall and how much we love each other."
Jones — who showed his athleticism as he fought to keep the ball from hitting the ground on the interception — credited the entire defensive unit with continuing to show up in critical moments, and he was especially impressed by the play of Bonitto as he continues to show different ways to make an impact this season.
"Nik's insane," Jones said. "... Seeing him run, seeing how fast he is for a guy that size, he is just playing phenomenal football. Outstanding football. So, I'm super happy for him [and] glad he's one of my teammates."
Four of Denver's five turnovers came in the second half, as safety P.J. Locke made a key play to force a fumble recovered by D.J. Jones and Pat Surtain II recorded an interception to match his career high in picks for a season. The Broncos are now 9-1 in games when the defense has recorded a takeaway.
For outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper, though, these impressive stats are reflective of a defensive unit that has just begun to scratch the surface of its potential.
"[I'm] super proud of our guys," Cooper said. "I feel like even with that, we can still keep going, still keep getting better. Just go back to the film and keep getting better. We still gave up a couple of things in the first half that we didn't want to, leaky yardage, and that play that Jonathan Taylor had. [We] just have to go back and clean up some things, but all in all, I'm proud of our defense. Proud of everybody, and just have to keep going and keep making plays."
Payton noted that while it wasn't the team's best performance — and that there will be plenty of things to improve upon as Denver looks to earn its first playoff berth since 2015 — the second-half takeaways were one of the major difference-makers in a game where Denver found a way to get the job done.
"That's just finding different ways to win," Bonitto said of the defense making key plays. "That's how this team is. We're tough. We're going to keep fighting to the end, even if it doesn't go our way. We're going to keep trying to find ways to win, and that's what we did today."
