The Broncos are back from their bye — and back under the lights.

Denver (9-2) will put its eight-game winning streak on the line in a "Sunday Night Football" matchup against Marcus Mariota and the Washington Commanders (3-8).

The Broncos currently hold their longest single-season win streak since winning 11 consecutive games in 2012, and they'll aim to keep pace in the competition for the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win over Washington.

With a Week 13 victory, the Broncos would earn their fourth-consecutive road win, matching their longest road winning streak since 2015.

A win would push the Broncos' AFC West chances to 85 percent and improve their odds of getting the No. 1 seed by 5 percent, according to The Athletic's playoff simulator.

These are the questions that will determine if Denver can earn a prime-time victory:

HOW DOES PAT SURTAIN II'S EXPECTED RETURN BOOST DENVER'S DEFENSE?

The Broncos' star cornerback is set to make his return after missing the last three games, and he'll rejoin a Denver defense that went 3-0 and allowed fewer than 14 points per game in his absence.

"[Those] guys, they exuded a lot of confidence out there," Surtain said Friday. "[Those] dudes was playing lights out, and it made me a fan to watch on the sidelines. Just being out there, seeing from my lens, those guys playing with full strength and confidence, you could tell everybody was together, flying around, playing good ball. When you look at stuff like that, it makes it even more exciting to get back out there with the guys."

Surtain and Denver's defense will face an 11-year veteran in Mariota, who will make his sixth start of the season. In those previous starts, Mariota has thrown seven touchdowns to four interceptions while recording a 95.7 passer rating, but the Commanders have won just once this season with Mariota as a starter.

On Sunday, though, Mariota will regain a two-time Pro Bowl receiver in Terry McLaurin. The seventh-year player has recorded just 13 catches this season as he's battled injuries, but he notched his lone touchdown of the year in his most recent action.

Surtain's return, though, could pay dividends in the matchup against the talented wideout.

"He's a great receiver," Surtain said. "He's been doing it consistently in this league for some time. It's going to be a great matchup. I'm looking forward to it."

WILL DENVER FIND SUCCESS ON THE GROUND?

A good run game travels.

Head Coach Sean Payton highlighted a strong running attack as one of the keys to winning on the road, and Denver will look to see its top-10 rushing offense flourish in its second game since placing J.K. Dobbins on IR.

In the Broncos' most recent outing, Denver rushed for just 59 yards against an aggressive Chiefs front — but the Broncos remain confident in their potential on the ground.

"RJ [Harvey] keeps improving, and then Jaleel [McLaughlin]'s a guy — we all can remember the last two years," Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi said Thursday. "He's been super productive, and I thought he ran the ball well this last game. Excited for the opportunity for him to get going, as well. We're real confident."

The ability to run the football could be critical in a potential bad weather game, and Denver will look to capitalize against a Washington defense that ranks 31st in total defense, 28th in rushing defense and 28th in scoring defense.

If the Broncos can control the game at the line of scrimmage — as they have so often this season — it could help Denver's offense continue its momentum from before the bye.

CAN DENVER WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE?

As the Broncos exited their bye week, Payton pointed to the team's turnover margin as an area Denver will look to improve over the final stretch of the season.

Through 11 games, the Broncos have posted a minus-3 turnover margin, which is tied for 18th in the NFL. Improving that number may begin on the defensive side of the ball, as the Broncos' unit is tied for the fourth-fewest takeaways despite ranking in the top three in the NFL in scoring and total defense.

While the Broncos have won the turnover margin just four times this season, they've posted a 3-1 record in those games. And they could have a chance to improve those numbers in Week 13.

During the Commanders' six-game losing streak, they've turned the ball over 11 times and recorded a minus-8 turnover differential. Denver, meanwhile, has turned the ball over just seven times during its eight-game win streak.

If the Broncos can continue to protect the ball and force the Commanders into more mistakes, it could help Denver earn a key road win.