ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When it comes to covering the best receivers in the league, cornerback Pat Surtain II believes he's the right man for the job.
Through Week 2 of the 2024 season, Surtain has already been tasked with covering some of the best. In Week 2, Surtain covered Pittsburgh's star receiver George Pickens, who led NFL with three touchdown receptions of at least 65 yards in 2023, on 50 percent of Denver's defensive snaps. The week before, he trailed Seattle's Pro Bowler DK Metcalf for nearly 90 percent of the defensive plays.
And as the team looks ahead to a Week 3 matchup with Tampa Bay, Surtain could once again face a significant challenge as Tampa Bay boasts two Pro Bowl receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
A two-time Pro Bowler himself, Surtain said he does not shy away from the challenge. Rather, he allows it to serve as motivation to consistently be at the top of his game.
"I always love the challenge," Surtain said of shadowing a top receiver on Sept. 11. "It brings the best out of me going into the week. Throughout the week, it makes me prepare the right way. Knowing the matchup heading into the week, I look forward to those for sure."
Surtain has showed his ability to embrace the challenge, as he limited Metcalf to just 29 receiving yards in Week 1 and made a key play in the first quarter to prevent the receiver from making a deep-ball catch. In Week 2, Surtain limited Pickens to just one reception for 16 yards.
Still, guarding some of the top players in the league is no easy task, and Surtain has committed three defensive penalties over the course of the two weeks. Against Pittsburgh, Surtain was whistled for a 37-yard pass interference call that set up the Steelers' lone field goal — and points — of the second half. Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph, however, expressed that he is encouraged by the physicality Surtain is bringing to his assignments and believes this will only benefit him moving forward.
"I think when corners are battling the best receivers in the league, battling big guys, trying to find the ball [and] both guys are hand fighting, those things are going to happen," Joseph said Thursday. "I'd rather a corner be close and compete vs. letting guys catch the football."
Joseph said his message to Surtain has been to "keep being aggressive" and "find the football," and that the rest will fall into place.
"I have no problem with Patrick competing," Joseph said. "Obviously, you want him to play cleaner all the time and you're always talking about 'hands off, win with your feet, win with your eyes [and] attack the ball.' That's always being coached and talked about, but you want guys to be close. And corners that are close will make more plays than corners who are not. So, I'm okay with Patrick being aggressive. He's covering the best guys in football and doing a good job on those guys. So, some of that stuff we'll live with. We don't want that, but I'll live with some of it."
As Surtain now looks ahead to this week's matchup, he is confident that this aggression and physicality will allow Denver's defense to be successful as they take on the duo of Evans and Godwin in what could be one of their biggest defensive challenges yet.
"They're both dynamic in their own right," Surtain said Wednesday. "Mike, he's a great player. He's done it … consistently over the years, and Godwin does it at a high level as well, too. We definitely have [an] eye out for those two, and I think we have a great plan moving forward towards the week."
