The Denver Broncos are coming off a tough loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and while they're still in strong positioning to win the AFC West and also secure the AFC's number 1 seed, there is some concern going forward.
But one area that Broncos fans won't have to worry about is their number one cornerback, Patrick Surtain II. He's a shutdown corner, and still playing at a very high level.
However, for ESPN analyst Ben Solak, there's one major problem with Surtain that revolves around the Broncos' cornerback being too good.
What is the Broncos' Patrick Surtain II problem?
"1: That's how many times Pat Surtain II was targeted in coverage against the Jaguars out of 43 coverage snaps." Solak writes.
On the surface, there might not seem to be anything wrong with this. He's locking down an opposing wide receiver or a side of the field. That's a good thing. Or at least, it should be.
"Conversely, out of 42 coverage snaps, Riley Moss was targeted 12 times (eight catches for 92 yards)." Solak writes. "Safety P.J. Locke was targeted seven times in 42 coverage snaps (four catches for 33 yards and a score). And in 24 coverage snaps, nickel Ja'Quan McMillan was targeted another four times (four catches for 41 yards and a score)."
The summary here for the Broncos, and the problem with Surtain, is that while he's shutting down a part of the field, opposing quarterbacks, like Trevor Lawrence, can just decide to target the other defenders on the field.
Surtain is essentially funneling targets to the other defensive backs, and in turn, making the struggling DB's susceptible to big plays.
Moss has struggled at times this season, and as Solak points out, the other cornerbacks and safeties struggled when getting targeted as much as they were in Week 16.
More: How Broncos' Week 16 loss to Jaguars can be turned into a positive
The book on how to beat the Broncos is clear: avoid Surtain, and the offense has a decent chance to function at a high level.
While Surtain is shutting down a wide receiver or a part of the field, the rest of the defensive backfield is struggling to contain their assignments.
This is a "Patrick Surtain II" problem, but it's not the fault of the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year. While the Broncos' defense is still good overall, the dominance of Surtain is forcing Moss, McMillan, Locke, and other defensive backs to be heavily targeted.
As seen in Week 16, when a team has multiple wide receivers and a solid scheme, the Broncos' defense can be beaten through the air.
Come the playoffs, the Broncos will need to figure this out. While they might be able to get by teams with one elite receiver, teams that spread the ball around a lot, or have multiple strong options, will pose an issue for the Denver defense.
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