Vance Joseph Has a Curious Take on Broncos Boasting Back-to-Back DPoW Awards

Vance Joseph explained how the Denver Broncos have greater goals than raking in individual accolades.

Denver Broncos outside linebackers Nik Bonitto (15) and Jonathon Cooper (10). | David Smith / Derek Regensburger / Imago

In back-to-back weeks, two Denver Broncos were named AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Rush linebacker Nik Bonitto garnered the DPoW honor for his contributions in the Broncos' Week 6 upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles, while Jonathon Cooper got it this past week for the team's victory over the New York Jets in London.

Meanwhile, the Broncos lead the NFL in sacks (30), while Bonitto paces the NFL with eight. For the season, Cooper has 4.5 sacks.

Suffice it to say, Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. Joseph reacted to having two players win DPoW honors in consecutive weeks, focusing on how the Broncos are harboring much greater goals.

“I think it’s cool. Once we all found out, it’s cool. I think ‘Coop’ didn’t know until that next morning, but that speaks to our group," Joseph said on Thursday. "We don’t talk about that stuff. It’s so early. It’s Week 7, and we kind of just go on with our business every week and have great plans, have great practices, and go win games."

Individual accolades aren't something the Broncos focus on internally. It's about the unit and the team. That's part of what makes the Broncos' defense special, in Joseph's opinion.

"We don’t talk about the numbers and who’s getting Player of the Week. It’s not important to this group," Joseph said. "That’s why they’re so special in my opinion. It’s a humble group, it’s a team-first group. We have big aspirations, not just weekly ones. We just kind of proceed that way.”

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Bonitto & Cooper's Path to Denver

RECORD DATE NOT STATED 12th October 2025; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England; NFL, American Football Herren, USA UK Football, Denver Broncos versus New York Jets; Denver Broncos Linebacker Jonathon Cooper sacks New York Jets Quarterback Justin Fields, ripping his helmet off in the process. | Ian Stephen / IMAGO / Action Plus

Bonitto was a 2022 second-round pick out of Oklahoma, while Cooper was a seventh-rounder in 2021 from Ohio State. Cooper fell in the draft because of a heart condition that was disclosed at the NFL Combine, which tanked his stock.

Cooper had the issue corrected shortly after the Broncos drafted him, and has never looked back. Without the heart condition, though, Cooper likely wouldn't have made it beyond Day 2 of the draft, like Bonitto.

As a former seventh-rounder, though, Cooper is making a lot of hay and setting new marks for his brethren who were also taken in the final round of the draft. He relishes being the underdog and appreciates the benefits of being overlooked at times because of his draft pedigree.

“I’ll have faith in myself. I definitely bet on myself, and I definitely didn’t doubt my capabilities. Anything you need to go get requires hard work, dedication, discipline, and determination," Cooper said on Wednesday. "You have to believe, too. As long as you have those things, you just do what you need to and you go get the job done."

Cooper and Bonitto have become one heck of a dynamic duo. As productive as Cooper has been in his career, garnering a lucrative second contract from the Broncos, like Bonitto, he can't help but admire his pass-rushing partner.

“We’ve been doing this together for a long time, and we push each other. We all know Nik is an extreme talent, and he’s showing that week-in, week-out," Cooper said. "I’m just happy to be out here with him, honestly. I’m happy to be out here with him. We’re just going to keep pushing each other [and] getting better. That’s my brother.”

Beware the Giants

Joseph's defense faces a unique challenge this week in the visiting New York Giants, a team that's undergoing a resurgence of sorts thanks to the emergence of two rookies: quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo. With the exception of rushing (ranked ninth), the Giants' offense isn't going to scare anyone on paper, but the unit's fortunes have improved since Dart took over the starting quarterback responsibilities from Russell Wilson.

The Broncos' defense easily handled rookie quarterback Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans in Week 1, but the Giants are a different animal altogether with Dart under center. The first-rounder out of Ole Miss is playing with tremendous swagger and confidence, which has been contagious among his veteran teammates in New York.

Still, I can't help but wonder if Dart realizes the buzzsaw he's about to walk into in Denver. He said all the right things this week, but facing an insatiable defense like Denver's is the epitome of walking the walk.

"Obviously, the sacks stand out as the first thing and their ability to rush the passer at every down, not just third downs," Dart said of the Broncos. "First of all, they're just coached really well and they play really well together. They play really hard. So, it's going to be a really good test for us, one that I think that we're all excited for just because, in my mind, I see them as one of the best defenses in the entire league. So, being able to just go out and compete, yeah, they do a lot of really good things and they're coached really well."