On Sunday afternoon when Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields put on a throwing clinic, Denver needed a disruptor in the pass rush, and second-year outside linebacker Nik Bonitto stepped up to the challenge.

In the fourth quarter, with the Broncos on the brink of overcoming a 21-point deficit, Bonitto burst into the backfield. When Fields turned to his right, preparing to throw the ball, the Oklahoma product forced a fumble. Fellow outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper recovered the ball and scored a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game at 28 with 6:55 remaining.

In the Broncos’ 31-28 victory over the Bears, Bonitto’s strip sack was game-changing. According to Next Gen Stats, Denver’s win probability was 3.5% when it trailed 28-7 with 4:18 to go in the third quarter. The Broncos’ chances jumped to 37.2% after Bonitto’s big play.

“(Bonitto and Cooper) deserve a lot more credit than they’re going to get,” Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones said. “They’ll get it when it comes time for a paycheck. Love both of them.”

Bonitto’s forced fumble was one of the biggest plays of the game, but his overall performance created more value for himself. Bonitto, who earned his second career start, finished with four tackles (two for loss) and 2 ½ sacks in a season-high 48 defensive snaps.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said he decided to start Bonitto over outside linebacker Randy Gregory because the team wanted to look at a different rotation.

“It’s somewhat deceiving,” Payton said. “The starting offense depends on what play we’re going to run. Defensively, we’re in a rotation. We’re trying to do what’s best for our team.”

Bonitto certainly took advantage of the opportunity. On the Bears’ first drive, they tried to execute a designed run with Fields, but Bonitto read it and tackled him for a 1-yard loss. On the following play, Bonitto sped past Chicago offensive lineman Nate Davis before wrapping up Fields for a sack.

Denver’s defense has struggled through four games. The secondary has been middling, while the Broncos have struggled to generate consistent pressure, ranking 24th in sacks (8) and last in quarterback pressures (15). Even though the Broncos held Chicago to seven points in the second half, they allowed 21 points in the first two quarters as Fields completed 15 straight passes.

Despite Denver’s struggles, Bonitto has shown flashes of his potential. This season, he has 13 tackles (six for loss), a team-best 3 ½ sacks and six quarterback pressures.

Broncos defensive end Zach Allen called Bonitto a big-time player with “all the athletic ability in the world.”

“I haven’t played with someone like that since (Eagles and former Cardinals outside linebacker) Haason Reddick. He’s still growing, and it’s exciting to see where he’ll be,” Allen said.

Gregory, who was signed as a free agent in 2022 to add another dimension to Denver’s pass rush, has yet to live up to his large contract. He has nine tackles and a sack, prompting Payton to try a different look Sunday. How the team’s outside linebacker rotation might change after Frank Clark (hip) and Baron Browning (knee) are fully healthy remains to be seen.

Either way, Bonitto has proven that he could develop into an impact player.

“(Bonitto is) getting more reps,” Payton said. “He’s got (to) continue to stay at the level of the quarterback, not behind the quarterback.”

Extra Points

• In addition to Bonitto getting the starting nod, Denver had cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian play more time in the nickel spot over Essang Bassey. McMillian played 43 defensive snaps, while Bassey was in for only seven.

• By leading Denver to a 21-point comeback win, quarterback Russell Wilson has 32 career fourth-quarter comebacks — postseason included — as he moved up to 10th in NFL history in that category. Wilson has nine touchdown passes through four games. Last season, the nine-time Pro Bowler didn’t reach that total until Week 14. He is currently ninth in passing yards (1,014) and has the third-best passer rating (106.7).

“He’s a lot like (former Saints quarterback) Drew (Brees) in this way,” Payton said. “They kind of see the game as a glass half full. At a time when you’re down 21 points, that momentum can swing very quickly. He was certainly feeling that confidence that, ‘Hey just get us the ball and here we go.’ I think that’s somewhat contagious.”

• Running back Jaleel McLaughlin’s 18-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter marked the third time in four games that the Broncos scored on their opening drive. Payton said the team puts together 12-15 plays for the opening drives based on the opponent.

“Yesterday, it was apparent right away (that) we were going to get a lot more Cover 2 (with two safeties deep),” Payton said. “We thought that might be the case with some of the injuries they’ve had. Then, it was just making enough plays. The screen pass on third down was a big play by Jaleel and Russ. It was well-blocked.”

• Denver’s offensive line had its fair share of discipline issues Sunday, committing five false starts. But when it came to pass protection, left tackle Garett Bolles was solid. He allowed no sacks or quarterback hits in 31 pass block snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

“I thought our offensive line did a tremendous job,” Wilson said. “They didn’t blink the whole day.”