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Broncos DC Dishes on How OLB Nik Bonitto Gets ‘His Share’ of Sacks

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Broncos DC Dishes on How OLB Nik Bonitto Gets ‘His Share’ of Sacks


Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has played an enormous part in the team’s success throughout the 2024 season. One of the most impactful pieces of the third-ranked Denver defense is third-year rush linebacker Nik Bonitto — the Broncos’ first double-digit sack artist since Von Miller and Bradley Chubb in 2018. 

On Friday, Joseph spoke highly of Bonitto’s growth in all aspects of being an edge defender. 

“Obviously, Nik was drafted to be a pash rusher,” Joseph said. “He was a great pash rusher in college and he is a great one right now. He’s playing well. His improvement really came through the run game. The more you can play, the more chance you can rush.”

Coming out of Oklahoma in the 2022 draft, Bonitto was seen as a pass-rush specialist with great speed and explosiveness off the edge but needed to improve his run defense. While not perfect, he’s proven to be much more capable of stopping the run thus far, making him a more complete edge rusher, which keeps him on the field.

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“If you’re only a DPR [Defensive Pass Rusher]—just a rusher—we can’t play you every down,” Joseph said. “As Nik improves, he’s gotten strong in the run game. He’s playing the run very well. That’s allowed him to have more rushes. Being a firmer player on the edge has allowed him to rush more often. Now his special trait has showed, and that’s pass rushing.”

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The team was so impressed by Bonitto’s vast improvements that it felt comfortable trading away fellow pass rusher Baron Browning so he could see more snaps as a starter. Joseph has seen a lot of growth from Bonitto since he re-joined the team in 2023.

“Obviously again—through the draft process—we saw the special ability,” Joseph said. “You’re always chasing pass rushers in a 3-4 defense. This kid was a natural rusher in college. Coming here his rookie year, you could see the traits. Again, he wasn’t playing all the time because he wasn’t a great run defender. Him being a run defender and getting stronger on the edge has allowed him to have more rushes.”

Joseph also touched on how having great complementary pieces around him in the front seven has created some great one-on-one opportunities for Bonitto, with fellow rush linebacker Jonathon Cooper and interior rusher Zach Allen commanding attention from opponents.

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“Obviously with multiple rushes, he is going to win his share. Having leads, having third downs be longer—those things—having ‘Coop’ opposite [of him] having Zach inside, it’s really a lot of things [that] allows him to get one-on-ones. Once he gets that, he’s going to win his share.”

Bonitto’s natural ability as a pass rusher caught the Broncos’ eye, and he worked through his deficiencies in the ground game to become undeniable as a starter. He’s a crucial piece of Denver’s defensive dominance, and with five games to go, he’ll have a shot at the sack title as he currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL with 10 quarterback takedowns.

Bonitto is in for a considerable payday if he continues on his current trajectory, and Denver would be wise to pay up sooner rather than later. 

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Denver, CO

Denver weather: Nearing record highs again

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Denver weather: Nearing record highs again


DENVER (KDVR) – Denver and the Plains will see extra clouds Thursday with isolated storm out east and warm highs along the Front Range.

Weather today: Partly cloudy and warm

Clouds kept temperatures mild this morning and pockets of sunshine through the afternoon help us warm to the middle 80s.

We will be very close to tying a daily record high, but a light northerly breeze should stop us from hitting 87. The Eastern Plains can also see some isolated storms in the afternoon. There are also some Red Flag Warnings in the state, winds will be at 10-20 mph with gusts to 40 mph, avoid any burning or open flames in these areas.

Weather tonight: Lingering clouds

Partly cloudy skies through the day will stick with us tonight. Overnight lows will dip into the low 50s with a lighter wind.

Looking ahead: Cooler weekend with shower chances

Friday rounds out the workweek with partly to mainly sunny skies and comfy highs in the lower 80s. Saturday looks comfy as well with partly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 70s and afternoon storm chances. Sundayis still mild as highs hit the middle 70s, but clouds increase through the day with showers and storms in the evening hours. That rain can linger overnight and into Monday.

Monday has showers through the day and maybe a few flakes in the high country. Highs on Monday will be in the lower 60s with a breeze and cloudy skies. Shower chances linger into Tuesday with below average highs in the lower 60s with cloudy skies. Wednesday has smaller storm chances and a bit more sunshine as seasonal highs make it to the lower 70s.

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Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop

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Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop


DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.

On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.

The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.

One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.

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Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.



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Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week

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Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week


Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.

All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.

People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.

“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”

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