Patrick Surtain has Raiders QB’s to thank for his AFC Defensive Player of the Week Award

Raiders quarterbacks all but gift wrapped the AFC Defensive Player of the Week Award to Patrick Surtain Jr.

The Players of the Week are out. And as you might expect, Patrick Surtain Jr took home the Defensive Player of the Week Award for the AFC.

Surtain earned his award for sure. But he had a lot of help from Raiders QBs Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell.

After the Raiders had scored on their first two drives against the Broncos on Sunday, they were in first and goal at the five-yard-line, looking to go up 17-3. Then Minshew rolled out left with an open Brock Bowers at points blank range and…threw it over his head.

Right there on the other side, guarding Jakobi Meyers in the end zone was the lucky recipient of that horrible pass — Pat Surtain. The opportunistic Surtain intercepted it at the goal line and had nothing but open field in front of him to go 100 yards the other way. Well, technically, Minshew was there, but he was blocked out of the way easily so Surtain didn’t have to worry about him.

Minshew was benehed in the third quarter after throwing his second interception. That brought in Aidan O’Connell and on his third pass of the game, he threw a ball over the middle for Brock Bowers who wasn’t ready for and who else was nearby ready for to catch it off the deflection but Surtain.

Surtain had a pretty good shot at the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award after the 100-yard pick six, but getting his second of the day made him a lock for it.

Surtain earned his flowers, no doubt, but maybe a thank you card to the Raiders would be nice for their generosity. Just a thought.