If Patrick Surtain returns this week for the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs, it gives Denver an advantage.
But not in the way he usually would.
He will give others the flexibility to blitz Patrick Mahomes.
Patrick Surtain could return this week
All signs are pointing to Patrick Surtain returning to the field this week.
In fact, it was possible he could have played against the Arizona Cardinals last week. He returned to practice and was limited, listed as questionable and then held out.
It seemed likely the Broncos plan all along was to have him back for this pivotal matchup against the Chiefs that could end up deciding the AFC West when we look back at it in two months.
Rewind to the loss to the 49ers in San Francisco and Surtain was injured on a non-contact play. It looked bad, but was luckily just an ankle sprain. He’s been out since then, missing the last three games, but all signs point to him playing this week.
He was a full participant on Wednesday and Thursday, and the Broncos know how valuable he will be this week.
Not because the Chiefs have a ton of deadly receivers. They don’t. That’s the biggest weakness for Kansas City this season.
It’s because Surtain being back opens up others to blitz.
Vance Joseph loves to send pressures on Patrick Mahomes
How ever you want to slice it, Vance Joseph either has Andy Reid’s number, or Patrick Mahomes’ number.
He knows how to play defense against them like basically no one else.
In the five games Mahomes has played against the Broncos since 2023, Joseph’s defense has forced five interceptions and sacked the superstar quarterback 14 times. Compared to only five passing touchdowns in those games.
Broncos Country will remember how last year’s game finished.
With the game tied 19-19 and Kansas City taking over with 4:11 to play, all they had to do was run out the clock and let Harrison Butker kick the game-winning field goal.
Instead, they could never get the drive started. Mahomes was in-com-plete to Travis Kelce on first and second down, leading to a 3rd-and-10 masterpiece call by Joseph.
He sent Ja’Quan McMillian on a cornerback blitz on that third down. McMillian was unblocked. And Mahomes reacted too slowly.
McMillian sacked Mahomes, giving the ball back to Denver and they took care of business to win on a Wil Lutz kick.
[Highlight] MicMillian gets to Mahomes for the 11-yd sack on 3rd and 10 byu/Large_banana_hammock innfl
That’s why getting Surtain back is huge.
Not only will the former Defensive Player of the Year likely be covering Rashee Rice, if Rice plays, but it opens up McMillian to blitz if need be.
Surtain is also a great tackler for a cornerback.
The Chiefs game plan will almost certainly be to lean on Kenneth Walker III to run the ball and they’re going to hope the Broncos miss a ton of tackles like they did in Week 1. All around the defense Denver has to tackle better.
“Absolutely, he’s going to make guys miss,” Joseph said of Walker. “No different than a scrambling quarterback, you can contain a guy for 20-30 plays, but it’s going to be two players where he gets out. So we need hats to the ball. That’s where the effort part comes in. He’s going to make guys miss. It’s going to be some mis-fits, but the effort to the ball to limit the big plays is key playing this back.”
Chiefs (5-1) vs. Broncos (5-2) for the AFC West lead kicks off at 2:25 p.m. MT on Sunday, Nov. 1 at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.
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