Don’t let the early postseason loss fool you: this season was a massive success for the Denver Broncos.
In Denver’s first playoff game since 2015, the Broncos suffered an ugly 31-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, but the fact Denver was even in the playoffs feels like nothing short of a miracle. Their preseason win total was listed at 5.5 on betting sites like VegasInsider, making the Broncos one of the biggest overachievers this year.
While rookie quarterback Bo Nix thrived in his debut campaign, the Denver defense — including cornerback Patrick Surtain — is responsible for the turnaround. Last year, the Broncos had one of the worst defenses in the league, with the sixth-worst mark in points allowed per game and the fourth-worst in yards allowed.
While it wasn’t the only reason Denver struggled, Surtain didn’t perform as effectively last season as in 2022. Surtain still earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, but he didn’t look anything like the player who earned a 2022 first-team All-Pro selection.
The absolute low point was a Week 3 drubbing at the hands of the Miami Dolphins, who racked up 70 points and 10 touchdowns against a helpless Broncos defense— the most points scored in an NFL game since 1966.
This season, teams had a tough time scoring even 30 points against Denver, who held their opponents to a league-best 44% conversion rate in the red zone. Much of that is thanks to Surtain. To give an idea of the cornerback’s dominance, opposing quarterbacks had a miserable 39.1 passer rating when targeting him, and those who were bold enough to target him would have had a higher passer rating of 39.6 if they had thrown those passes into the ground.
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Simply put, he was the anchor of Denver’s defense all year, earning his second first-team All-Pro nomination. With his dominance, Surtain currently stands as the betting favorite on SportsBettingDime to take home the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t win it after an excellent season.
Surtain recorded a career-high four interceptions, recovered a fumble for the first time since coming into the league, and broke up 10+ passes for the fourth straight season. He also passed the eye test, locking down some of the league’s best receivers.
Seattle’s DK Metcalf, Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, Cleveland’s Jerry Jeudy, Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers, and Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins ran 136 total routes against Surtain this year, combining for 11 catches and 100 receiving yards. That’s a successful catch rate of only 8% (!).
For those who think the DPOY has to improve their team to win the award, Surtain did that as well. Opposing quarterbacks struggled to break through Denver’s secondary, helping the Broncos rack up a league-leading 63 sacks this season. That helped Denver hold their opponents to just 18.3 points per game, the third-best mark in the NFL.
If that wasn’t enough, he provided plenty of highlight-reel moments, like his 100-yard pick-six off Las Vegas quarterback Gardner Minshew. Thanks to plays like that, Surtain led the league in interception yards returned, with 132.
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If Patrick Surtain wins the award, he will become the sixth cornerback to win the league’s highest honor for a defensive player, putting him in an elite group.
Despite Denver’s early postseason exit, he has earned that rare company.
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