HOW DOES DENVER’S SECONDARY RESPOND WITHOUT PAT SURTAIN II?
For the first time in more than a year, the Broncos will be without Pat Surtain II.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was ruled out after suffering a pectoral injury against the Cowboys, and Denver will look to slow the Texans’ passing attack without the All-Pro cornerback.
“Obviously, when we game-plan, it goes through Pat, because it makes it easy,” Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. “You can be aggressive and you can play certain coverages with Pat that you can’t play with other guys. But we do have a system that fits all our players. It’s always players first and system second. We can adjust quickly. That’s part of being an NFL coach, adjusting quickly to your personnel and moving forward. Not having Pat is going to be huge for us, but I expect no drop-off. The standard doesn’t change.”
As the Broncos prepare to face C.J. Stroud on the heels of his first 300-yard game of the season, Denver had the benefit of the week of preparation. Denver’s defense performed admirably against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys without Surtain in the second half — giving up just seven second-half points to the Prescott-led offense — but Joseph noted it would make “a big difference” to have a week to plan.
The challenge against the Texans will include slowing Nico Collins, who appears poised to return after missing Week 8 due to a concussion. Collins leads the Texans in receiving and had a nine-catch, 191-yard performance against the Broncos in 2023. Rookie Jaylin Noel has recorded 140 receiving yards across the last two weeks, while Xavier Hutchinson caught a season-high five passes for 69 yards last week.
“They have four or five guys who can all play,” Joseph said.
As the Broncos look to contain the group of weapons, they could use a variety of options to replace Surtain. Second-year player Kris Abrams-Draine filled in for Surtain in Week 8, and cornerback Jahdae Barron has positional versatility, as well — though Payton did not disclose where Barron would play in Week 9.
Riley Moss has held up well opposite Surtain, as no player in football has been targeted more than Moss. Despite the constant action, Moss has allowed a league-low 40.0 completion percentage. Denver, as a group, has allowed a 56.8 completion percentage in 2025, which would be the lowest by any NFL team since 2021.
The Broncos have played without Surtain for less than 10 quarters since Joseph took over Denver’s defense, which makes Denver’s coverage plan difficult to predict. No matter who fills in for Surtain on, the Broncos’ secondary will look to rise to the occasion on Sunday.
CAN DENVER’S PASS RUSH GET TO C.J. STROUD?
With a change in the secondary, Denver’s pass rush may need to provide an extra boost for the Broncos’ defense.
“Pat being out, we’ve all got to step up,” John Franklin-Myers said. “Make more plays [and] do more for the team. Ultimately, that’s going to help us win.”
The unit has certainly done its part through the first eight weeks, as the Broncos rank first in sacks (36), quarterback hits (73), quarterback pressures (141), quarterback pressure rate (45.9) and players with at least four sacks (4).
Denver’s pressure rate is the highest in a season since Next Gen Stats began tracking the data in 2018, while the unit’s 11.7 percent sack rate is also the highest in the NGS era.
On Sunday, they’ll face a Texans offense that has allowed the 14th-most sacks (15) and seventh-highest unblocked pressure rate (9.0 percent).
Stroud did find success in a Week 8 win, posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating against pressure as he completed 85.7 percent of his passes and averaged 14.7 yards per attempt. Through the first seven weeks, though, he completed 58.6 percent of his passes, averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and posted a 62.9 passer rating under pressure.
The Texans’ quarterback also wasn’t sacked in Week 8, which marked the first time this season that he wasn’t sacked multiple times. Since the start of 2024, Stroud has been taken down 67 times — and Denver will look to add to that total.
If the Broncos can get to Stroud and force negative plays and a turnover or two, it could help swing the game in Denver’s favor.