When the Denver Broncos lost cornerback Patrick Surtain II on the first defensive play against the Los Angeles Chargers, there were concerns about how the secondary would hold up. Fortunately, the Broncos' secondary stepped up and held its own, for the most part, over two games without the star corner.
In the Broncos' loss to the Chargers, the defense gave up the most yards of the season and its second-highest point total. The Broncos offense unable to do anything for three-quarters of the game, giving the Chargers the ball for over 37 minutes. When a defense is on the field that much, there will be breaks and issues.
Even without Surtain, the Broncos still had their highest pressure rate of the season, but unfortunately, the secondary had some issues adapting without its top player. Riley Moss took over as the top boundary corner, allowing 71 yards on four catches on eight targets. With Moss answering the bell, Ja’Quan McMillian also stepped up and played on the boundary before sliding into the slot when Levi Wallace took the field.
McMillian struggled and was called for his third pass interference penalty on the season and a defensive holding. The penalty gave the Chargers a first down on a third down play that saw the pass fall incomplete.
That drive ended with a field goal for the Chargers. McMillian's defensive holding penalty erased a fumble recovery by the Broncos defense late in the game, which would’ve been tremendous as they worked to orchestrate a successful comeback.
Against the Saints, the Broncos faced a significantly easier matchup due to the injuries they were dealing with, including starting quarterback Derek Carr, all three first-team interior offensive linemen, and three of their top weapons. The Broncos can only play who lines up across from them, and the defense still needed to step up and pay attention to the Saints, even if it was mainly filled with backups.
The Broncos kept the Saints to three points until a garbage-time touchdown after some defensive starters had been pulled from the game. Without Surtain, the Broncos did exactly what they needed to do, making things easier on Bo Nix and the offense. Not only did the Broncos shut down the Saints offense, but they forced turnovers and even scored a touchdown.
Bottom Line
Without Surtain, the Broncos walked away with a 1-1 record, allowing 33 points between two games. The defense did a fine job.
That said, the Broncos need Surtain back as soon as possible. He's the straw that stirs the drink on defense, and when the Broncos face more formidable offenses that aren’t banged up, they'll have a significantly more challenging time without their No. 1 corner.
Hopefully, Surtain will be back for Week 8's tilt vs. the Carolina Panthers, and he stays healthy for the remainder of the season. But if he's going to miss one more game, it would be this one.
