The Broncos defense has been a menace, with Bonitto, Zach Allen and Jonathon Cooper causing havoc up front and the corner duo of Patrick Surtain II and Riley Moss locking down receivers. Denver’s 39 team sacks are the most in the NFL, putting it on pace to break the franchise record (57) set in 1984.

Bonitto is currently tied for second in the NFL with nine sacks through 11 games. The third-year pro credited his teammates for helping open opportunities.

“Yeah, it’s a collection of things,” he said of the sacks. “Obviously, it starts with the coaching staff, they’re always giving us good game plans every week. Making sure that we have the best success to go out there and make plays. Then, on top of that, the guys that I’m rushing with, whether it’s Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, Jonathon Cooper, and even the guys that come off the bench that just do a good job of rushing well together. Obviously, the back end that we have makes it easy, too. So, it’s just a collective effort.”

Denver’s success puts Joseph on a path potentially to get a second shot at a head coaching gig. Given the turnaround he’s spurred, it would be a deserved opportunity.

“I would be pretty sad, but knowing that he can go out there and have more for himself would definitely make me happy,” Bonitto said of his DC getting a head gig. “I know for a lot of guys too. Just knowing that he could have those type of opportunities and his name coming up in conversations like that, I would be really happy for him.”

The Broncos’ eight-season playoff drought following the Super Bowl 50 win is the longest all-time immediately following a Super Bowl win. With the defense stifling opponents and the offense starting to really click for the first time under Payton, that streak could finally end.