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Cornerback Pat Surtain II has had a career-best season, and he and the Broncos capped it off by clinching the team’s first playoff berth since 2015 in Week 18.
The fourth-year player will soon make his first postseason start, and the three-time Pro Bowler recently joined NFL Network’s “The Insiders” show to discuss this weekend’s wild-card matchup, as well as his success this season.
“Obviously, we knew what we needed to do to clinch our berth in the playoffs,” Surtain said on the show Tuesday. “This meant a lot to us moving forward for this organization, so I think we just dialed in from the jump. We understood our destiny was in our control, and the job’s not finished. And we went right away and handled business, as we should have.”
Surtain — who noted that the team has “all the confidence” heading into this weekend — discussed how the Broncos have had their eyes set on the postseason all year, despite preseason predictions that the team would earn fewer than six wins.
“When the season started, we set our goals, and we were able to attain them each and every week [and] prove the doubters wrong each and every week,” Surtain said. “So, I think going in towards the playoff run now, everybody’s at 0-0 with a lot at stake, but we’ve got the utmost confidence in this team.”
Denver’s defense as a whole made significant strides this season, and Surtain played a huge role in the unit’s success. He provided lockdown coverage throughout the season, often lining up opposite the top pass catchers of Denver’s opponents. This season, the Broncos faced five AFC Pro Bowl pass catchers, including Baltimore’s Zay Flowers, Cleveland’s Jerry Jeudy, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers. When facing those playmakers, Surtain allowed just six receptions for 56 yards and no touchdowns on 16 targets. He also recorded two interceptions.
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