Broncos OLB Nik Bonitto extends sack streak to six games in win over Panthers

Nik Bonitto’s name is starting to get mentioned with Von Miller — and for good reason.

In Denver’s 28-14 win over the Panthers on Sunday, the third-year edge rusher recorded a sack for the sixth straight game, tying for the third-longest sack streak in club history dating back to 1982. It’s the longest since 2018 when Miller accomplished the same feat.

“Coaches have a good rush plan every week for us,” Bonitto told The Denver Post. “(I’m) just following the rush plan and knowing that I have other good rushers to run with. We are always gonna have time (to get at the quarterback).”

Bonitto’s sack came at the start of the fourth quarter when he wrapped around Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and brought him down for a 6-yard loss to force the Panthers to punt.

When Broncos star cornerback Pat Surtain II learned Bonitto had a sack in six straight weeks, his initial reaction was “whew.”

“Nik is one of those guys who come in and work every day,” Surtain added. “He’s just looking to get better. I’m very proud of him (and) he’s been a great asset to the team.”

Bonitto has been inspired by an in-house competition with outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper. Both players have been going back and forth as the team’s sack leader. Cooper, who has 5.5 sacks, took the lead when he took down Young in the third quarter. However, Bonitto responded immediately with his sixth in the fourth quarter.

“(Cooper) always talking about he gonna lead the (outside linebackers) room in sacks. I ain’t going for none of that,” Bonitto told The Post. “We definitely got a little competition going on.”

100 Club: In a Week 7 win against New Orleans, Courtland Sutton notched a career first. Just not the type he was looking for. The veteran receiver went without a target for the first time in the NFL.

No way the Broncos were letting that happen Sunday against Carolina. Bo Nix looked Sutton’s way early and often and Sutton finished with eight catches on 11 targets for 100 yards, all three game-highs.

“We really wanted to get him involved and I thought it was really good,” Nix said. “I feel bad for the people that sat him in fantasy this week.”

It marked Sutton’s first 100-yard receiving outing since Week 2 in 2022 against Houston and just his fourth since he missed nearly all of the 2020 season with a torn ACL.

“It was nice,” Sutton said. “At the end of the day we got the win and I’m just glad we were able to get the dub.”

Sutton, though, had a bittersweet finish to the outing. His final catch, which put him right at 100 yards, finished in a lost fumble on Carolina’s goal line. The outing marked Denver’s first 100-yard rusher or receiver since Marvin Mims Jr. had two catches for 113 yards in a Week 2 loss to Washington last year. Sutton also completed a 28-yard pass to fullback Michael Burton on a trick play in the fourth quarter. He’s now 3 of 3 for 82 yards throwing the ball in his career.

Third-down machine. The Broncos converted 9 of their first 10 third-down tries on the afternoon and finished a blistering 11 of 17 overall.  That was a major turnaround from the first seven weeks. Denver hadn’t been better than 36.6% in any single game and hadn’t converted more than five in an outing before Sunday. They entered play 31st out of 32 teams in the NFL at 26.4% conversions on the season.

Locke out: The Broncos, as expected, played without safety P.J. Locke against the Panthers. Locke dropped out of practice Wednesday with a thumb injury and was seen before the game wearing a cast on his left hand.

In his place, Devon Key started next to Brandon Jones at safety. Reserve offensive lineman Alex Palczewski was also inactive for a third straight game with a high-ankle sprain. The rest of Denver’s inactives: Zach Wilson (emergency third quarterback), tight end Greg Dulcich, defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike, edge rusher Dondrea Tillman and cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine.

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