Patrick Surtain did not allow a reception on 6 targets, tied for the most targets without a reception allowed in a game since 2021.
Surtain has allowed the 4th-lowest passer rating (59.8) in the NFL since being drafted in 2021 (min. 70 targets).#SFvsDEN | Powered by @awscloud pic.twitter.com/PWCHAdJaRQ
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 26, 2022
Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain continues to impress.
Surtain broke up two passes in an 11-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 3 and he has now broken up 16 pass breakups through his first 19 games in the NFL. That’s the second-best total in franchise history, only trailing Domonique Foxworth (18 pass breakups through 19 games).
Even more impressive, Surtain did not allow a single catch in Week 3 despite being targeted six times. He’s only a second-year player, but Surtain already appears to be one of the best cornerbacks in the league.
“I probably wouldn’t throw his way either,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said Monday. “First and foremost, as a person, this guy is special. I think that is what makes him such a great player up to this point.
“He’s just going to continue to get better. Just his natural athletic ability, his ability to not panic is huge. When you take this amazing athlete, you take this guy that’s so humble, a guy that wants to be coached, wants to be great, that’s when you see him continually grow and get better.”
Surtain has four career interceptions so far, but it will be hard to build on that total if quarterbacks begin avoiding him. QBs who targeted him last year posted 61.3 passer ratings and that number has dipped to 59.0 through three weeks this year.
Surtain is well on his way to becoming a lockdown cornerback, and Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors should be within reach this season.
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