Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton emphasized managing the reps of rush linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper this past summer.
Fast forward to early November, and Payton has stayed true to his approach. Bonitto and Cooper have racked up a combined 15 sacks between them.
Considering just how fast Bonitto started off this season in terms of sacks, Payton may have been tempted to rein in his All-Pro pass rusher’s snap share. However, while Bonitto played 61% percent of the defensive snaps in the first seven games, the last two games have seen that percentage drop to the noticeably lower figure of 55%.
Some could argue that Bonitto has been held sackless over the past three games due to fewer pass-rushing opportunities, but Payton is clearly sticking to a plan that still has his unit on pace to break the NFL single-season sack record.
Honestly, chasing NFL history isn’t Payton’s primary motivation; it’s having his key players healthy down the stretch and into the playoffs.
“We’re going to hit a stretch here, obviously, where the health of those players are important,” Payton said on Monday. “I think we’ve done a good job keeping them fresh.”
Staying Healthy for the Stretch Run
Bonitto has eight sacks and 39 quarterback pressures this season. He still ranks in the top 10, thanks mainly to how furious his first five games were.
Bonitto’s still impacting the game without being the guy to take down the quarterback, though. Many of the pressures he’s created have seen the opposing quarterback run directly into the arms of one of his teammates, who benefit with the official sack.
Without doubt, the oncoming challenge of playing Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes twice dictates a longer-term approach on Payton’s own part. Payton is also applying the lighter touch on the other side of the Broncos’ defensive line, where Cooper has also seen his defensive snaps drop from 65% to 46% over the last three contests.
The Broncos getting out to a 7-2 start helps facilitate this rotational approach, as does having the solid production of both rush linebacker backups Dondrea Tillman and Jonah Elliss waiting in the wings.
Furthermore, Payton has been around for long enough in this league to know that if Bonitto or Cooper were to get overly fatigued or even badly injured, the current successful defensive dynamic would dramatically alter.
When it comes to keeping players healthy, the Broncos recently dodged a bullet regarding cornerback Patrick Surtain II, who narrowly avoided being put on injured reserve for four weeks with a pectoral strain.
“Up to today, we have been fairly fortunate, and when you’re turning in the Defensive Player of the Year, it’s hard to hit send,” Payton said. “You know they’re inactive, but it’s still hard to hit that button anyway.”
Positioning the Broncos to attack the stretch run was always at the forefront of Payton’s mind, but sticking to the plan takes internal fortitude on his part, as well as for the guys who could be intent on chasing individual records.
With many challenges still to come, it will be interesting to see whether keeping more fuel in Bonitto and Cooper’s pass-rushing tanks bears fruit for the rest of the way. With the bigger picture firmly in mind, Payton’s approach for the longer haul might be more progressive, but the short week with the Las Vegas Raiders coming in will also see him using some old-school methods.
“Like it always does,” Payton said on Monday of preparing for the short week. “Recovery tomorrow. Everything about tomorrow is recovery. Walk through. We’ve learned a little bit more over the years… I think we’ve learned a little bit more about the time from this game and how we get these guys mentally and physically recovered from it, and then fortunately we’re playing at home.”
The Broncos’ unflinching Super Bowl aspirations have seen them shift gears and take even more care of their players’ well-being, and it’s filtering down from the very top.
