The Denver Broncos' 26-21 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday was full of heroes. From safety Devon Key's wild interception to wide receiver Pat Bryant's wide-open touchdown catch in the fourth quarter, Denver continues to have a contingent of big players step up at crucial times in wins.
During the final Panthers drive of the contest, with the score within five, Denver needed a stop when they had trouble stopping Bryce Young and the Carolina offense for much of the second half. However, it was pass-rusher Nik Bonitto who stepped up once more to force a Young fumble and seal the game for the Broncos.
Coach Sean Payton spoke of Bonitto's turnover, calling it a "huge play." "That was big," Payton said postgame. "They converted two long third
downs, and we talked about the ball security, and it finally came and it was a huge play, obviously. It was a huge play.”
Bonitto's strip-sack and recovery brought back fond memories of Super Bowl 50, when eventual MVP Von Miller had two strip sacks of Carolina quarterback Cam Newton. Maybe it was Bonitto flashing around the edge; maybe it was Denver wearing white and Carolina wearing black, but a lot of fans saw flashbacks of Miller in the final defensive stop. It also helps that Bonitto has long looked up to Miller as a mentor, trying to emulate his disruptive ways.
Broncos Country Twitter reacted to the moment, seeing the similarities between the two plays. You can see their reactions below.
NIK BONITTO STRIP SACK!
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 8, 2026
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/it7jIUXHba
SHADES OF VON MILLER
— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) November 8, 2026
A strip sack vs. the Panthers? We have seen that before 😏
— MileHighReport (@MileHighReport) November 8, 2026
#Broncos Bonitto delivers his Von Miller Super Bowl 50 impersonation. Strip sacked as he was being choked by tackle. Denver takes over pic.twitter.com/Hcb7Rmnd3s
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) November 8, 2026
NIK BONITTO IS VON MILLER 2.0
— DNVR Broncos (@DNVR_Broncos) November 8, 2026
STRIPPED THE BALL AND RECOVERED
I LOVE NIK BONITTO 🐶 pic.twitter.com/bMsuN3nvAc
The kind of deja vu that will feed families https://t.co/Hx3uhYcVrW pic.twitter.com/xmQiImQ0Zd
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) November 8, 2026
That was the Super Bowl Von Miller play
— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) November 8, 2026
SUPER BOWL 50
— Zack🦈 (@NixForSix) November 8, 2026
VON MILLER CALLED GAME
WEEK 9
NIK BONITTO CALLS GAME
IT BEAUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/HaGrWheTqX
Nik Bonitto pulled a Von Miller! #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/CC0ZKrxBBX
— Keith Banks (@KeithBanks85) November 8, 2026
Tag a Panthers fan pic.twitter.com/gXYk8dRNDr
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) November 8, 2026
Got it done in Charlotte! pic.twitter.com/GNzDFzYLCn
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 8, 2026
While Bonitto's turn at a Super Bowl may be coming, this moment will surely bring back treasured memories for any Broncos fan lucky enough to remember the awesome Super Bowl 50 memory.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Nik Bonitto’s strip-sack reminded Broncos fans of Super Bowl 50
