Not much has gone right for the Denver Broncos this season. Even in a game that they had their most success in offensively this season, scoring 28 points on the Kansas City Chiefs, they still fell short. The Chiefs found a little bit more, winning the game 34-28.
That loss dropped the Broncos to 3-10 on the season as some major changes are likely coming this offseason. Nathaniel Hackett looks to be way over his head as head coach and it would not be shocking if he was one-and-done.
They are also in a tough spot with Russell Wilson, who they acquired from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for five draft picks and three players. To make matters worse, Denver also signed him to an extension worth $245 million, locking him in as their franchise quarterback for years to come.
Whoever takes over the coaching staff will be tasked with getting Wilson back on track as he is having the worst season of his career. This is also a roster void of many building blocks, but at least they have one elite foundational piece in cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
The No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft has already shown that he is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL despite being in only his second season. In a matchup against the explosive Chiefs offense, he remained a difficult player to find success against.
According to PFF, Surtain played in coverage on 41 snaps and allowed only one reception. He also intercepted Patrick Mahomes once and allowed a passer rating of 6.9 as the lone bright spot defensively for Denver.
Putting up those numbers in a game in which Mahomes throws for 352 yards and three touchdowns, along with three interceptions, is an impressive feat. Despite the turnovers, Mahomes still found plenty of success through the air against the Broncos when throwing away from Surtain.
Surtain is a staple in this Denver defense, as the only snaps he missed all season came in Week 2 against the Houston Texans. He is having a major impact on how opponents game plan, as they are working away from him as often as possible.
The Alabama product has one interception and nine passes defended on the season. He has added one forced fumble, 49 combined tackles, two tackles for loss and one quarterback hit on the season as well.
