The Broncos racked up seven sacks and two takeaways in a 24-7 win on Sunday. Perhaps most glaringly, though, they held Mike Evans to just two catches for 17 yards – none over the game’s final 38 minutes — in one of the Pro Bowler’s worst days in 11 NFL seasons.
It was nothing new for Pat Surtain. As James Palmer from Underdog Fantasy noted, the Denver cornerback held DK Metcalf to three catches for 29 yards in Week 1 and George Pickens to a single reception for 16 yards in Week 2. The difference on Sunday was the Broncos’ coverage finally helping the pass rush affect the quarterback.
“It’s a great feeling knowing they’re getting back there,” Surtain said after Sunday’s win, “knowing there’s a short amount of time for him to get a read off. It just makes your job much easier, and it makes us more aggressive on the back end. So, when the pass rush is there, it kind of correlates to the secondary. So, it’s a good thing that they got pressure and were getting sacks.”
One of those getting sacks was Denver linebacker Dondrea Tillman, who became only the fourth undrafted NFL player to record two sacks in his first game since 1990. The Broncos’ pressure-coverage combination also produced a first-quarter Brandon Jones interception – on a Baker Mayfield pass intended for Evans – setting up a touchdown that gave Denver a commanding, 14-0 lead.
Surtain, who signed a four-year, $96 million contract extension earlier this month, now leads the Broncos against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets on Sunday. Surtain figures to cover Garrett Wilson but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph may not want to use Mel Kiper’s worst nightmare.
Denver became the NFL’s first 0-2 team to beat a 2-0 opponent in a road game since 2020, and just the eighth to do it this century (Elias Sports Bureau).