Von was him.
From the moment he juked with his right shoulder and ran around helpless right tackle Mike Remmers in the first quarter, it was destined.
When he slipped under a block and stripped the ball from Cam Newton in the fourth quarter, it happened.
The Broncos won Super Bowl 50, their Orange Rush punctuating one of the most impressive defensive seasons in NFL history. As the players performed snow angels in the confetti on the Levi’s Stadium field, the prevailing thought was there would never be another Von or a Denver D like this.
Well …
“(Nik) Bonitto and (Jonathon) Cooper are doing an amazing job. Zach Allen is the catalyst inside. V.J. (Vance Joseph) has been incredible. And it’s not just up front. They are rushing well from all over the place,” Von Miller said at his locker this week as a member of the Washington Commanders. “Rush and coverage go together. Patrick Surtain (II), everybody knows how I feel about him. Riley Moss on the other side. (Brandon) Jones and (Talanoa) Hufanga — their secondary is the reincarnation of the defense we had in 2015.”
The answer required several rewinds and replays to make sure it was heard correctly. Did the centerpiece of the greatest Broncos’ defense suggest that a replica has formed a decade later?
“They have been so good,” Miller said. “They are not hard to pay attention to.”
As the Broncos attempt to secure the top record in the AFC West this weekend, they are wandering closer to their past. They will host the New York Giants with a personality and team strength that gives off 2015 vibes. Through six games, the current Broncos have given up fewer points, yards and red zone touchdowns than their Super Bowl-winning predecessors. And they have four more sacks — 30 to 26.
“It kind of gives a great feel of what we did in Super Bowl 50, right? You have to win the tough ones, you have to win the ugly ones,” said David Bruton Jr., a safety on the 2015 team. “And more times than not, the defense is the one doing it.”
The similarities are striking, especially for Broncos Country, a fanbase longing for the franchise’s first playoff victory since Super Bowl 50. That team will be honored at halftime, a few hours after Demaryius Thomas goes into the Ring of Fame.
“They were the standard for a long time,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said. “I told our defense, ‘Let’s put our best foot forward for these guys.’”
The comparisons are flattering and understandable. But they are not accurate.
What could be better than the 2015 defense? Nothing. Who could possibly top the diary of havoc written in Santa Clara? Not a thing.
At least not yet.
Do not confuse this as a lack of appreciation for what the current defenders have done. Just understand, more is required to be mentioned in the same breath as the 2015 unit.
Two things, specifically. Even if they break the single-season sack total — they are on pace for an NFL-record 85 — the Broncos need a playoff win to make it resonate for decades. And the defense has to do it against better quarterbacks.
It is not the Broncos’ fault they have yet to face a string of All-Pros, but history is not moved by mauling Cam Ward, Jake Browning, Justin Fields and Jalen Hurts, a former Super Bowl MVP who has lost his way this season.
Consider those pop quizzes. The test is coming against Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Jayden Daniels and Justin Herbert, who beat them earlier this season with some late-game magic. Want to be discussed in the same vein as 2015, then you have to ace this exam.
“They are supposed to dominate Ward, Fields, guys like that. They have done a great job and boosted their stats,” said Chris Harris Jr., a former Pro Bowl cornerback on the Super Bowl team. “And they have another game like that this week against the Giants. But eventually, when you look at everything, it matters who you beat.”
The 2015 defense pales to no one. They posted victories against Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers, all first-ballot Hall of Famers. Philip Rivers, who has a case for Canton, and Newton, who won MVP honors that season, were also victims of that defense. What they did to Rodgers remains illegal in most states.
In a matchup of 6-0 teams on Sunday Night Football, the Broncos held him to 77 yards passing and sacked him three times.
“I knew we were really good, but you never know what they can do until you do it. We had so much confidence going in,” defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said earlier this week. “It was a reminder of how great players and great teams get up for big games.”
The edge rushers and secondary made the 2015 defense special, and the current group has no one like linebacker Danny Trevathan until Dre Greenlaw returns from injury completely healthy. Von will be a Hall of Famer. DeMarcus Ware already is. The pressure blended well with sticky man coverage from corners Harris, Aqib Talib and Bradley Roby, and the violent nature of safeties T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart.
“Normally, you only rush one of the edge guys, and the other drops. We could rush them both to cause problems,” Phillips said. “The talent was there. And the togetherness and intelligence made them different. They were as smart a group as I have ever been around.”
They hung out off the field. They ate together. Set up early morning film sessions. The 2025 group shares some of those same traits. They are unselfish. They know if they do their jobs, everyone will eat. Phillips is enjoying the Broncos’ success, following closely as Joseph, a former young assistant under him, continues to dial up eye-opening blitzes and confusing coverages.
“Because of Vance, I watch the games. I see what they are doing. It’s impressive,” Phillips said. “I didn’t know who some of those guys were, like Bonitto and Cooper. But I do now.”
What makes the current defense different is that pressure comes from everywhere. Bonitto leads the league with eight sacks. Cooper boasts 4.5. But inside linebacker Justin Strnad has 3.5. And cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian has two.
This greatness is following a path carved by the 2015 defense, but has yet to add the element of havoc. The elder Broncos did not just steal the souls of opposing quarterbacks. They swiped the ball. Through six games, Denver had 17 takeaways. The current Broncos have four.
It was a testament to the technique of Miller and Ware. And a secondary that realistically believed it could score every game.
“Oh yeah, that was always on our mind,” Harris said. “We turned turnovers into points. And that’s the next step for them to be that on that high level.”
Ten years later, the Broncos have a group worthy of the conversation. They have ground to cover. But it speaks to the fantastic start that they have raised the eyebrows of Miller.
“Wouldn’t it be something if Surtain and Nik won defensive player of year honors in back-to-back seasons? They are off to an incredible start,” Miller said. “I love seeing it. I still have a beautiful place in my heart for the Denver Broncos. This weekend is going to be special. I wish there was a way I could be there.”
2015 vs. 2025
This year’s Broncos defense is off to an incredible start. But how does it stack up to the defense that led Denver’s last Super Bowl run? Here’s a look at each defense’s statistics through six games.
| Team | Pts Allowed | Sacks | Opp. pass yards | Opp. passer rating | Opp. rush yards | Opp. yards/att. | Takeaways |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 102 | 26 | 1153 | 69.6 | 535 | 3.6 | 17 |
| 2025 | 95 | 30 | 991 | 81.0 | 534 | 3.9 | 4 |
Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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