LAS VEGAS — With a divisional matchup on the line, Nik Bonitto took advantage of the moment.
The Broncos held a seven-point lead as the Raiders offense took the field late in the fourth quarter. With Las Vegas facing a third-and-12 on their own 22-yard line, the outside linebacker had one thing on his mind: find a way to get his offense the ball back.
Bonitto not only found quarterback Desmond Ridder, but he forced a fumble that was recovered by defensive tackle Malcom Roach. The turnover ultimately led to a Wil Lutz field goal that gave the Broncos back a double-digit lead and helped seal the victory.
"That was pretty crazy, just knowing the situation and then being able to help the team," Bonitto said following Sunday's win. "Definitely something you dream about."
The strip-sack — which allowed Bonitto to reach double-digit sacks for the first time in his career — marked just one of several key plays made by Denver's defense in the 29-19 victory that gave the Broncos their first series sweep of the Raiders since 2014.
Early in the third quarter, the Broncos trailed by four and were at risk of falling behind by even more when safety Brandon Jones intercepted Gardner Minshew and returned the ball 37 yards. The game-changing play led to Denver's first touchdown of the day and gave the team a lead it would never relinquish.
Quarterback Bo Nix, who said the pick is what "sparked" the offense, was proud of the team for capitalizing on the opportunity.
"When you don't have to drive the length of the field already, you're placed in the red zone, it makes it much easier," Nix said. "Momentum is a real thing in this game. It's very important. After that, we score, [and] it was kind of like, 'OK, this is our time to take it over.' We did after that."
Head Coach Sean Payton, who has stressed the importance of winning the turnover battle throughout the season, noted that while Sunday's performance wasn't the team's best, it was "good enough" to get the job done. According to Payton, Denver's two takeaways played a huge role in allowing the team to do so.
"Turnovers came," Payton said. "Those really proved to be the difference. They will in most games."
Denver has seen this pattern throughout the season, as the team is now 7-1 in games in which its defense forces a turnover.
Along with the two key turnovers, Denver's defense was able to make key stops in critical moments. Seven different players combined for five sacks, all five of which came in the second half of the game. The Broncos also found success defensively in the red zone, as the team held the Raiders to just one-of-five, including a goal-line stand as the final seconds ran off the clock.
And while several players — including wide receiver Courtland Sutton, who recorded two touchdowns in Sunday's victory — noted that the team was able to find success in all three phases of the game, Nix said it was these crucial defensive plays that allowed the team to earn its first victory at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
"[The] defense, they always play really well and get turnovers and sacks," Nix said. "You can almost say they carried us later in the game. They got us to the finish line. But again, it's just a team win. We all feed off that momentum."
For Bonitto — who is now the first Broncos player since 2018 to reach double-digit sacks — the performance was a testament to the unit's commitment to improvement that can carry the team to even greater heights this season.
"[We're] just building off of last year, knowing how we started and just finding ways to keep continuing to get better," Bonitto said. "Finding ways to now win these games with the group that we've had now for two years, it's really special. So, [we've] just got to keep going."
