Ahead of the Broncos’ matchup with Tampa Bay, Sean Payton challenged cornerback Pat Surtain II.
Denver’s head coach told Surtain about the success Saints star Marshon Lattimore had against wide receiver Mike Evans, and jokingly said he might have to call New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen about exchanging cornerbacks for a week.
Surtain got the message. After he struggled in a Week 2 loss to the Steelers — he was penalized twice with a 16-yard catch allowed to George Pickens — Surtain locked down Evans in a 26-7 win Sunday in Tampa Bay.
Shadowing the star wideout on 24 of 34 routes (70.6%), Surtain allowed just 1 reception for 8 yards on one target as the nearest defender in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats.
“He responded,” Payton said. “…No trade.”
Added teammate and second-year cornerback Riley Moss said: “He’s the best in the league.”
Denver’s fourth-year cornerback enjoys the challenge of facing an opponent’s top wide receiver. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has given Surtain those opportunities this season, having him shadow Evans, Pickens and Seattle’s DK Metcalf. Surtain has held his own in those matchups.
Through three games, Surtain has allowed six receptions for 63 yards as the nearest defender in coverage, forcing a tight window on three of those eight targets (37.5%), according to Next Gen Stats.
“Mike is a great player, and his body of work is incredible,” Surtain said of Evans, who has topped 1,000 yards receiving every year since entering the NFL in 2014. “I had to make sure to lock in on the details, not allowing him (to make) explosive plays.”
Surtain highlighted a near-perfect day from Denver’s secondary, which forced two turnovers and limited Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield from completing shots down the field.
Denver set the tone in the first quarter when Mayfield’s pass attempt to Evans was picked off by safety Brandon Jones and returned 37 yards to Tampa Bay’s 9-yard line. The Broncos took advantage of the field position, with running back Jaleel McLaughlin scoring on a 1-yard touchdown to take a 14-0 lead.
Late in the same quarter, Moss broke up Mayfield’s pass to wideout Trey Palmer, forcing a Buccaneers punt.
Joseph was in his bag play-calling. The Broncos defensive coordinator rushed two and sent nine into coverage when Tampa Bay faced third-and-17 early in the third quarter. Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto tipped Mayfield’s subsequent pass, which was caught by running back Rachaad White for no gain.
“We stayed on top of them the entire game,” Moss said. “It was sticky coverage. There wasn’t any time where they were really open. Guys were just doing their job, flying around and we were having a great time doing it.”
One of the few mistakes the Broncos made came in the second quarter when Moss allowed a touchdown catch to wideout Chris Godwin, cutting Denver’s lead to 17-7. At the same time, it’s hard to discredit Moss’ effort. He was in Godwin’s face, applying tough coverage but the Buccaneers star pass catcher made an even better play.
“It’s all about being able to come back and play your hardest,” said Moss, who responded in the fourth quarter when he punched the ball out of tight end Cade Otton’s hand before it was recovered by Jones and returned 34 yards to midfield with 3:33 left in regulation.
Mayfield completed 75.8% of his 33 pass attempts, but for only 163 yards. He was under duress throughout the game, leading to seven Broncos sacks and nine quarterback hits.
“When the pass rush is there, it sort of correlates towards the secondary,” Surtain said. “It’s a good thing they got pressure and (were) getting sacks.”
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