Nik Bonitto Addresses the Elephant in the Room Ahead of Broncos-Rams

Football statistics can lie, or, at the very least, give a misleading picture of performance.

For example, Denver Broncos Pro Bowl outside linebacker Nik Bonitto has been held without a sack through the opening two weeks. From the box score, he appears to have been ineffectual, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Bonitto has tallied multiple pressures, including one on Trevor Lawrence last week that led to a Riley Moss interception. That takeaway served as the turning-point moment in the Broncos' 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bonitto knows he's rushing the passer well, and he isn't letting his lack of sacks in the box score bring him down by adding undue pressure on his shoulders. He knows he's making a difference.

"It's no pressure," Bonitto said on Friday via Chris Tomasson of The Denver Gazette. "I know I'm winning a lot of my rushes."

Robbed by a Penalty

Nik Bonitto. — Nik Bonitto hits Trevor Lawrence from behind, stripping the ball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On the Jaguars' opening possession, Bonitto strip-sacked Lawrence, hitting him from behind and forcing a fumble that was picked up by Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton and returned deep into Jacksonville territory. Alas, an illegal contact penalty on Moss, far away from the action, negated Bonitto's would-be game-changing play.

It's another example of Bonitto's impact not being reflected in the box score because you can believe that he lived in the mind of Lawrence and the Jaguars' offensive line from that moment until the end of the game.

That being said, the NFL's elite pass rushers are paid and recognized during award season based largely on their sack production, and Bonitto would be forgiven if his shutout in the sack department thus far took some wind out of his sails.

But much like a batter who's swinging well but getting caught on the warning track, Bonitto is convinced that it's only a matter of time before the cookie starts crumbling his way.

"The one last week was taken away and there are some where the ball is thrown away just as I hit the quarterback," Bonitto told Tomasson. "I'm not really stressing on numbers right now. I know I'm doing a good job rushing and we're rushing well together. We pressured the quarterback a lot last week. It'll come eventually."

Pressure is Still a Strong Suit

Sustaining consistent pressure on the quarterback has been a Broncos strong suit for the past two years. After all, this group led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons, and the Broncos aim to pull off a three-peat.

With the Los Angeles Rams in town for a Sunday Night Football tilt, Bonitto will be well aware of the stationary target 38-year-old quarterback Matthew Stafford presents these days, despite his NFL MVP award last season. If Bonitto can win off the snap against Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, who has been nursing a knee injury, Stafford could find himself in trouble early and often, much like Lawrence last week.

We'll see how much attention Bonitto garners in the Rams' game plan. The 27.5 sacks he tallied over the past two seasons reflect his status as one of the NFL's premier pass rushers, which means L.A. must have a plan for slowing him down.

The Rams could try to double-team Bonitto with a tight end, and chip him at the very least. The Broncos can't let the continued absence of his long-time rush linebacker partner, Jonathon Cooper, work against Bonitto by allowing teams to focus so much more attention on Denver's Pro Bowl pass rusher.

To balance the scales, Jonah Elliss has to step up. He's had spurts of pressure this season, but he's also been held sack-less, only because a Patrick Surtain II defensive holding penalty erased one of his.

Thankfully, the Broncos' interior pressure has carried the day while Bonitto keeps chipping away on the edge. Defensive lineman Zach Allen leads the team with two sacks thus far, providing the type of interior pressure that prevents quarterbacks from escaping Bonitto's edge presence by stepping up in the pocket.

The Takeaway

In the NFL, sacks often come in bunches, and Bonitto is just too fast off the line of scrimmage to be shut out for long. Just remember, good things come to those who wait.

Bonitto is due for a big game.

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