Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton was Bo Nix’s go-to option on third down in 2024, and NFL defenses adjusted in 2025 to try to take him away as a key passing down option in third-down situations.
Denver Broncos Film Room: Courtland Sutton vs. NFL defenses on third down
In 2025, Courtland Sutton had 51 of his 124 total targets come on third down, according to TruMedia. Out of the 51 total targets, Sutton had 28 catches, with 24 of his catches moving the chains for a first down. He also had three receiving touchdowns come on third down last season.
His production there was impressive, but what’s even more impressive is how he produced despite how defenses tried to play him.
Sutton saw a lot of bracket coverage last season on first down, but primarily saw more attention on third down. Defenses played a combination of man coverage with a safety over the top, and sometimes they’d play the cornerback outside leverage with a safety over the top, and sometimes they’d drop a linebacker deep underneath.
He saw zone, man, and match coverage. Let’s take a look at some plays from last season in the AFC Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills and AFC Championship against the New England Patriots.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Court-1.mp4The Broncos come out in a trips look to their right side and get a corner, nickel, and safety over the top look. Post-snap, the Bills’ corner plays deep over the top, maintaining the apex of a deep 1/3 and 1/2, while the safety drops down to play underneath, and the nickel plays the curl to flat.
Sutton has a vertical release and breaks it inside at the 50-yard line past the first-down marker on a dagger concept and settles in space between two underneath defenders and the corner who was playing over the top for a big gain.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-2.mp4The Bills on this play align initially with a corner playing outside leverage with a safety inside and over the top. Before the snap, they bring the linebacker over to press Sutton off the line of scrimmage where he’ll play underneath after the jam, while the corner plays a deep third and the safety maintains coverage over the deep 1/2, while their other linebacker who is mugged up drops to a deep hook, essentially allocating four players to take away Sutton in a zone, daring the Broncos offense to throw it short so they can rally and tackle.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-3.mp4On Frank Crum’s touchdown, Sutton gets a cornerback playing outside leverage, with a safety playing inside and over the top of him in the goal line. The corner is going to play underneath unless/until something comes out to the flat, while the safety ends up matching Sutton, who extends vertically and inside.
The backside safety is peeking his eyes across in case Sutton comes across, but he has to bail his coverage to cover Adam Trautman, who is climbing vertically, while the other corner is playing underneath against Denver’s jumbo package. Nobody ends up accounting for Crum, who scores.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-4.mp4In the AFC Championship, on this play, Sutton draws Christian Gonzalez, who plays him in press-man-to-man. Sutton has an outside vertical release before breaking his route inside at the top of it, where Gonzalez has a safety playing off, high and inside.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-5.mp4Sutton aligns as the No. 2 receiver in Denver’s trips look, drawing what the Bills appear to show as a man-alignment look presnap. Post-snap, the outside corner drops to play underneath, while the nickel defender drops to the hook to curl, and the safety climbs over the top.
As Sutton runs his route, the Bills’ zone coverage turns into a triangle with inside, outside, and over the top of Sutton being covered.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-6.mp4Another look against the Patriots, Sutton lines up, up top as the No. 2 receiver, before the Broncos motion him across to a Trey formation on 3rd and 10. The corner to Sutton’s side is playing outside of him against the condensed formation, while the safety aligns in between the hashes presnap.
Sutton releases vertically before breaking it in on another dagger concept, which allows the corner to play in trail technique outside, with a safety over the top, the Patriots linebacker gains a deep drop to the middle hook, and the backside safety peeks on Sutton and Pat Bryant, losing Marvin Mims in the process, who beats Christian Gonzalez for an explosive play that eventually set up Denver’s only touchdown in the AFC championship.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-7.mp4Gonzalez aligns on Sutton once again, playing outside leverage with a safety over the top and inside. Sutton works an inside release, while Gonzalez plays the hip in outside leverage. He initially gains some separation on Gonzalez at the top of his route but Jarrett Stidham’s throw falls inside of Sutton inside of in stride and it falls incomplete.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-8.mp4Sutton is motioned from right to left with the corner playing a deep 1/3, safety playing deep 1/2 over the top, and nickel defender playing the curl to flat. Lil’Jordan Humphrey runs the out route, while Sutton runs a corner route. The Patriots linebacker climbs to play the hook in front of the safety, which places four defenders back in coverage.
The linebacker drops to take away Sutton if he runs an in-breaking route underneath, while the safety maintains his depth, climbing over the top. Humphrey gets freed up on the out and moves the chains.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-9.mp4Sutton aligns as the No. 2 receiver and runs a slot fade, while the cornerback bails to cover a deep 1/3, safety climbs over the deep 1/2 and the nickel defender drops underneath to the flat, creating a delta alignment look in zone coverge. Ultimately, Nix’s pass underneath to Evan Engram is intercepted by a defensive lineman who dropped back into coverage.
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-10.mp4On this play, Sutton is lined up as the No. 1 receiver with a safety over the top, and the cornerback walked up playing outside leverage.
Sutton climbs vertically before breaking his route inside, while the corner plays outside and essentially matches him. The Bills drop Matt Milano to climb to No. 2 (Lil’Jordan Humphrey) to play underneath while the safety climbs over the top, allowing him to keep Sutton and LJH in front of him.
This coverage allocation allows Bo Nix to scramble for a first-down.S
milehighsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/COURT-11.mp4Sutton lines up as the No. 1 receiver on this play. The Broncos motion out Evan Engram to get a coverage indicator read. Because the defender doesn’t rush out with the motion, it gives off a zone coverage indication presnap.
Post-snap, the Bills’ cornerback plays underneath while the nickel defender also drops back to the deep hook, and the safety climbs over the top to the deep 1/2, once again creating a triangle look out of zone coverage to play Sutton outside, vertical, and inside.
Sutton breaks inside perfectly on this play, but is unable to maintain possession on the catch.
Going through and watching how defenses played Denver in key passing down situations showcased that Courtland Sutton was the most-dangerous target.
Now that Jaylen Waddle has arrived and can be a creator inside of this offense against man and zone, it will be interesting to see how or if. defenses change the way they play Denver in 2026.
Film Room: How NFL defenses play Courtland Sutton on third down Mile High Sports.
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