Broncos CB Patrick Surtain II has had a rough couple of weeks
Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II has been mostly a lockdown guy from the time when his NFL team took him with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft. The Alabama alum and son of longtime Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Patrick Surtain allowed 49 catches on 85 targets for 560 yards, 201 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, four interceptions, eight pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 69.7 in his rookie season.
2022 has been a bit tougher for the younger Surtain, especially over the Broncos’ last two games. In last Sunday’s 22-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, Surtain gave up the 35-yard game-winning touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Davante Adams with 8:24 left in overtime.
“I was driving on the cross end,” Surtain said after the game. “He went on a double move. [I] should have kept my leverage, but [I] have to correct that.”
There’s no shame in giving up a touchdown to one of the NFL’s best receivers, and it’s not like it happens all the time. Per Next Gen Stats, while Adams had 11.9 yards of separation when the pass arrived, it was just the third deep reception Surtain had allowed in his NFL career.
So, onto the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, and Sam Darnold at quarterback. Hardly an imposing proposition, but Surtain allowed his third touchdown pass of the season when Darnold hit receiver D.J. Moore on this five-yard crosser with 20 seconds left in the first quarter.
Slinging Sam Darnold?
D.J. Moore touchdowns are always a good thing. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/nzdRMngrTX
— PlayerProfiler (@rotounderworld) November 27, 2022
Not a good thing for Surtain. And this is not to malign Surtain at all; it’s more to point out that of all the hard things to do in sports, being a top-level cornerback on a play-to-play basis is one of the hardest.
