The Denver Broncos are listing cornerback Patrick Surtain II as out for Thursday night’s game against the New Orleans Saints due to the concussion that took him out of Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Patrick Surtain II was injured on the first play from scrimmage in the Broncos’ 23-16 loss to the Chargers on Sunday. He was eventually ruled out of that game with a concussion, and he will not clear protocol in time to play on Thursday against the Saints.
Given that the Saints will be without quarterback Derek Carr and wide receivers Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, Denver’s defense still should have a chance to perform well. It is still rough to lose Surtain, who was playing like one of, if not the best cornerbacks in the NFL before his concussion.
In the absence of Surtain, players like Riley Moss, Levi Wallace and Tremon Smith will have to step up. Due to the Saints’ wide receiver depth being decimated, it will be an easier task, especially considering they will be facing Spencer Rattler in his second NFL start on a short week. It will be interesting to see how Vance Joseph offsets the loss of Surtain with his defensive schemes. The Broncos will look to move to 4-3 with a win over a Saints team that is seemingly reeling.
Broncos look to bounce back from rough loss to Chargers
The Broncos put up a poor performance against the Chargers on Sunday, as the offense led by Bo Nix struggled to put up enough points to win. Despite being on the road against the Saints, Denver should feel optimistic heading into this game, given the injuries that New Orleans is dealing with. Bo Nix has had his fair share of struggles, but he has a chance to lead his team to a 4-3 record with a win on Thursday.
The good news for the Broncos is that Surtain will have time to get ready for the ensuing game at home against the Carolina Panthers. That is another opponent that the Broncos should feel they can beat. 5-3 feels very possible despite the disappointing loss to the Chargers. That would be a very successful start for a Broncos team that is starting a rookie quarterback. It would provide some margin for error to account for more potential rookie struggles down the stretch, while still keeping the possibility for a trip to the playoffs alive.
