Patrick Surtain II Delivers Game-Changing Play as Broncos Extend Win Streak to 11
When the Denver Broncos needed a spark, Patrick Surtain II delivered one of the biggest plays of the season-one that reminded everyone why he’s the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
With the Broncos trailing the Packers 23-14 and Green Bay looking to stretch the lead, Jordan Love uncorked a deep shot downfield toward Christian Watson. It was a risky throw into single coverage, and Surtain made him pay for it. Leaping high at the Denver 29-yard line, the All-Pro cornerback came down with a highlight-reel interception that flipped the script-and possibly the game.
After the game, quarterback Bo Nix joked that the Broncos might need to find a way to get Surtain on offense too. “That was a Pat Surtain play right there,” Nix said.
“Not many can make it, and he’s one of the ones that do. Big-time players make big plays in big moments, and that was a big moment.”
And he’s not wrong. That interception didn’t just stop a Packers drive-it ignited a Broncos surge.
Denver’s offense capitalized immediately, turning the turnover into a touchdown. Then they did it again.
And again. Three straight touchdown drives followed Surtain’s pick, flipping a two-possession deficit into a commanding 34-26 win.
Surtain broke down the play afterward with the kind of football IQ that separates elite defenders. “It was the same formation, same look-they threw a deep pass earlier, it was overthrown,” he said.
“I recognized they flipped the formation, and obviously they was trying to attack deep. I kept my leverage, played high, and made a play on the ball.”
That kind of recognition and execution is what makes Surtain a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. He’s not just reacting-he’s anticipating, diagnosing, and then attacking. And when the ball’s in the air, he plays it like a seasoned wide receiver.
This wasn’t just a flashy moment-it was the turning point in a game that had the Broncos on the ropes. It also marked the seventh time during their 11-game win streak that Denver has come from behind in the second half.
That’s not a fluke. That’s a team with resilience, confidence, and a defense that knows how to close.
“We always pride ourselves on finishing games,” Surtain said. “They had our number a little bit in the first half.
But it was all about execution. We made our adjustments in the second half and came out firing on all cylinders.”
That second-half surge didn’t just keep Denver’s win streak alive-it also locked them into the AFC playoffs as the first team in the conference to clinch a postseason berth. At 12-2, the Broncos now control their destiny for the No. 1 seed and a coveted first-round bye.
Meanwhile, the loss knocked the Packers out of first place in the NFC North. Green Bay, now 9-4-1, trails the Chicago Bears by half a game.
Surtain, ever the leader, isn’t letting the team get ahead of itself. “We’re not a finished product at all,” he said.
“We still got a lot more work to do. That’s the scary part about it.
Going into these last three games and into the playoffs, I feel like we still got a lot more work to do. But man, this team’s going places, and I can feel that.”
Next up, the Broncos return home to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in a battle of division leaders. The Jags, at 10-4, are clinging to a one-game lead in the AFC South. It’s another test for a Denver team that’s proven time and again they can handle pressure-and make game-changing plays when it counts most.
With Surtain anchoring the defense and the offense finding its rhythm behind Nix, the Broncos aren’t just winning-they’re building the kind of momentum that makes them a serious threat come January.