DENVER — The Broncos' 11-game winning streak has demonstrated the strength of Denver's resilience. The stretch has featured stunning comebacks and fourth-quarter performances: the Broncos rallying from down 14 points to the Eagles, 18 to the Giants and eight to the Texans — and also capturing wins on the final play against the Chiefs and Commanders. Denver has only led wire-to-wire in one of the 11 victories.
Back home against the 9-3-1 Packers on an unseasonably warm December afternoon, the Broncos faced one of their toughest tests midway through the third quarter.
In a meeting between two of the NFL's top teams, Green Bay extended its lead to 23-14 on a 40-yard touchdown run from running back Josh Jacobs. The Broncos only mustered a three-and-out on their ensuing drive.
The NFC North-leading Packers had scored on their first five possessions, and quarterback Jordan Love stayed aggressive with the substantial lead. On the first play of the next drive, Love launched a pass downfield toward wide receiver Christian Watson into one-on-one coverage.
Where Love saw an opportunity to beat the Broncos' secondary, the defensive back that Love targeted, cornerback Pat Surtain II, saw an opportunity to change the trajectory of the game with a breathtaking play that few in the NFL could make.
Near the end of the route, a diving Surtain positioned his body in front of Watson and snatched the pass from his grasp, ultimately securing the pass for his first interception of the season. Surtain's interception revitalized the Broncos and was a catalyst for a 20-3 Broncos run to end the matchup, a 34-28 Denver win.
With the victory, the Broncos became the first AFC team to secure a playoff spot and extended their winning streak to 11 games.
"It was huge," quarterback Bo Nix said. "Any sudden turnover just gets some adrenaline, gets some energy back in the game. … Man, he went after that football, got it, and that's when I felt like [momentum] started falling back on our side."
Surtain's encore season after winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2024 has had difficult stretches, with a pectoral tear keeping him off the field for a three-game stretch in November. But his focus and resolve has not drifted. Teammates recall the uncommon fire he displayed in attacking his rehab regimen so he could rejoin his teammates, as well as the impact he displayed since returning in Denver's win over the Washington Commanders.
"He's one of the greatest for a reason," defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said. "But it's not [only] a Sunday thing. We see him train. We saw his rehab, every day he was coming back from the pec. It was killing him [that] he couldn't play. He [doesn't] really talk that much, but you could see it from him. … He felt that he wasn't playing up to his standard when he came back. We knew it was coming though, and we know he always rises up in the big games, and that's what he did today."
What better way to demonstrate a return to full health than laying out for a game-changing, SportsCenter-worthy takeaway?
"We may have to use him on offense," Nix joked. "… I think he's one of the best players in the league for a reason, and he showed it on that play. He's had some ups and downs this season, he's battled through it, and that was a Pat Surtain play right there. Not many can make it, and he's one of the ones that do."
Surtain revealed that his mental edge factored into the interception as much as his ball-hawking abilities.
Earlier in the game, the Packers had schemed up a similar play design for a deep pass to Watson, and Surtain recognized and foiled the second attempt.
"Obviously, it was a pivotal situation — we needed to make a play," Surtain said. "They [were] up two possessions, so I was like, 'We've got to find a way.' I [saw] the ball in the air and I had to make a play. It was the same formation look, they threw a deep pass earlier to him and it was overthrown. Just from recognition, I realized that they flipped formations so they were on the other side and, obviously, they were trying to attack deep. I kept my leverage, played high and made a play on the ball."
Prior to Surtain's interception, Love was 18-of-24 passing for 225 yards and built a 23-14 Green Bay lead. In the 25 minutes of regulation following the takeaway, Denver limited Love to 6-of-15 passing for 55 yards, intercepted another pass on a takeaway by cornerback Riley Moss, sacked Love three times and forced two turnovers on downs.
The dominant defensive stretch allowed the Broncos' offense to complete yet another second-half rally and take control of the game. Nix led Denver on three consecutive touchdown drives as Denver closed the game by scoring 20 of the final 23 points.
"We always pride ourselves on finishing games, especially important games like this," Surtain said. "It was very critical that we communicate and we finish the right way defensively. Obviously, they had our number in the first half a little bit — they made some big plays here and there — but it was all about execution. We made our adjustments in the second half and came out firing on all cylinders. That's what it takes."The Broncos turned on full lockdown mode by the fourth quarter. Green Bay had three opportunities to tie the score while trailing 34-26 in the fourth quarter, but the Packers recorded minus-two yards in 13 plays between those final three possessions.
With a playoff berth secured, the Broncos are guaranteed to play in big-time games beyond the final three regular-season matchups and are leading the field in the race for the AFC's top seed and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Surtain is eager for the chance for the Denver defense to prove its strong play during the 11-game winning streak can translate to a playoff stage.
"We just kept talking about it the whole week, how big of a game this was," Surtain said. "We always say, man, we're going to play in bigger and bigger games down the road, down the stretch. We [are] not a finished product at all, we've still got a lot more work to do. And that's the scary part about it."
