The Denver Broncos are going to be without their best player for the next few weeks, as Pat Surtain II suffered a pectoral strain in last week’s win over the Dallas Cowboys. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is expected to be out for 4-6 weeks as he nurses the injury.
Being without a guy who can shut down an entire side of the gridiron is a tough blow for a defense that currently ranks in the top five in total yards per game allowed across the league. He’s held opposing star receivers in check throughout his entire career, and with Nico Collins on track to play for the Texans this week, someone is going to have to step up in Surtain’s place and make a statement.
WHO NEEDS TO STEP UP IN PLACE OF PAT SURTAIN II?
Is it going to be the rookie, Jahdae Barron? Or is it going to be Kris Abrams-Draine, the second-year player from Missouri who Sean Payton said has the best hands on the team? No matter who gets the nod, Broncos Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph isn’t worried about how his defense will perform.
“We have a good plan to kind of pull Pat’s weight with multiple guys. It won’t just be one guy. It’s going to be all of us. It’s me calling the game clean, it’s our defensive line providing pass rush for our young defensive backs and it’s our defensive backs just doing it right and playing to the system,” Joseph said after Broncos practice Thursday. “It can’t be a drop off when you lose only one player, as great as Pat is. We get that, but we have a game to go win. I expect us to play well. And the guys that are playing in place of Pat, I expect them to play well. That’s why they’re here.”
The defense held strong in the second half last week without their star and their leader, as the Cowboys scored just one touchdown that wasn’t in garbage time with Surtain off the field. The other two drives that Dallas’ starters played in that second half ended in a punt and an interception.
Even with the success, there’s still room for improvement. Abrams-Draine was fairly relaxed in coverage and let George Pickens have some catches underneath, and there were times when it was evident that he’s still just a second-year player who was selected in the fifth round of the draft.
DOES PAT SURTAIN’S ABSENCE CHANGE VANCE JOSEPH’S SCHEME?
Surtain is a guy who can do it all. He’s talented in zone coverage, but he shines in one-on-one spotlights when in man coverage, which allows the defense to bring more pressure in the box. With guys who don’t have as much experience as Surtain stepping into his place, will the scheme look any different against a Texans team with a solid young quarterback in C.J. Stroud?
“You can be aggressive and you can play certain coverages with Pat that you can’t play with other guys. But we do have a system that fits all our players. It’s always players first and system second. We can adjust quickly. That’s part of being an NFL coach, adjusting quickly to your personnel and moving forward. Not having Pat is going to be huge for us, but I expect no drop-off. The standard doesn’t change,” Joseph said.
Surtain was thought to be a candidate to go on the injured reserve list, but he hasn’t landed that designation yet. With the reports saying 4-6 weeks, that would slate his return to happen right after Thanksgiving against the Washington Commanders, or the week after against the Green Bay Packers.
Surtain will be missed out on the field, but Joseph was confident that the other guys can still go out and get the job done.