Broncos Could Rewrite History Books During Week 11’s Chiefs Game

The Denver Broncos are four sacks away from setting an NFL record.

Broncos Could Rewrite History Books During Week 11’s Chiefs Game

Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (Image via IMAGO)

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Bear Bryant’s famous quote, “offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships,” remains relevant even in the modern era of football. This is especially true for the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton’s team has dominated every NFL offense it faced in 2025.

The Broncos are 8-2 after ten games. Second-year quarterback Bo Nix deserves a lot of praise for the record, but the true architect of the historical campaign is the defense. According to FOX Sports, the Broncos defense conceded the third fewest yards (270.7), 15 total touchdowns (leads the league), the best red zone, and the best third down defense.

The defense is performing at an exceptional level, amassing an impressive total of sacks. In 2025, the Broncos have led the league with 46 sacks—14 more than their nearest competitors, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.

Linebacker Nik Bonitto tallied 9.5 sacks (placing him third overall behind Myles Garrett and Brian Burns, who each have 11.5). Right behind him is Jonathan Cooper with 7.5 sacks, followed by defensive lineman Zach Allen with 6.0, rounding out Denver’s top sack leaders.

With four more sacks, they will equal the franchise record of 50 sacks set in 1977, en route to finishing 12-2 and an appearance in the Super Bowl. However, they achieved those numbers in 14 games. Payton’s Broncos have a chance to record 50 sacks in 11 games. For that, the defense needs to sack the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, four times on Sunday. NBC Sports research revealed:

The Broncos can join the 1967 [Las Vegas] Raiders (61), the 1989 [Minnesota] Vikings (53), and the 1987 [Chicago] Bears (51) as the only teams with 50 or more sacks in the first eleven games of a season.

Even though the Chiefs’ offensive line makes questionable decisions, Mahomes is elusive enough to slither his way past the pass rush. He is giving up less than two sacks per game and has taken a total of 17 sacks. For context, Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward leads the league in sacks taken (38) in 2025.

Defense will do its job, but Sean Payton knows the offense must step up as well, in order to defeat the Chiefs

The Broncos may boast one of the best records in the AFC and top the AFC West, but Vegas still believes the Chiefs are the favorites to win in week 11. That’s primarily down to the misfiring Broncos offense.

Broncos Could Rewrite History Books During Week 11's Chiefs Game
Bo Nix (Image via IMAGO)

Six of their nine games ended in a one-score win. For example, the Broncos put up 10 offensive points against the struggling Raiders on Prime Time. Nix capped off the game with 2 interceptions and a 57.2% pass completion, all while the Broncos’ defense sacked Raiders QB Geno Smith six times.

In response, Nix was heavily booed by his own fans. He even deleted his social media accounts after angry fans to save himself from them.

Nix knows a performance like that will prove to be suicidal against the Chiefs. Although they recorded a shutout win last year, Mahomes rested in that game. He also boasts a 13-1 record against the Broncos since entering the league. Bonitto said while attending a charity event for his foundation on November 10:

This division’s [AFC West] been run by the Chiefs for so many years now. If we’re going to want to be the team to win the vision and reach the goals that we said we want, we’re going to have to go through them and beat them. So, we’re excited for the opportunity.

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