Nik Bonitto’s strip-sack wasn’t a fluke, Broncos say, it was set up all game vs. Panthers

The Broncos’ game-sealing moment came late when OLB Nik Bonitto attacked Panthers quarterback Bryce Young and jarred the ball free with a strip-sack. Denver’s official next-day notebook framed it as the culmination of how Bonitto repeatedly tested Carolina’s left tackle, Rasheed Walker, with the same matchup over and over until the final play.

Against Walker, Bonitto’s approach began with power rushes and inside moves. According to Denver’s account, Walker expected speed and a bend-the-edge style, but instead saw Bonitto bull-rush and use a physical template that forced him to adjust.

With Carolina trailing by five and Denver at its 36-yard line with 1:24 left, the Broncos said Bonitto went back to his wheelhouse. The plan included setting up a jab inside, countering, then racing off the edge to reach Young and hit his arm as Walker kept contact on him.

The play was reviewed, but Bonitto said he was not concerned about the call because, in his words, he knew the ball was out. Denver’s coaches and teammates also pointed to the takeaway as a defining pressure moment in a one-score game that helped extend the Broncos’ streak of wins in tight situations.

Denver’s offense backed up the defensive finish with key conversions. The Broncos recorded a 60% third-down rate and converted their final third down, a third-and-1 near midfield, to run out the clock.

On the offensive side, wide receiver Pat Bryant returned to action after missing time with an ankle injury, and Denver listed him as its leading receiver with 56 yards. The team said Bryant’s output included a 26-yard fourth-quarter touchdown that put the Broncos up by two scores.