The Denver Broncos have not had Patrick Surtain II out there for the last two games. Will he play in Week 8 against the Carolina Panthers? Denver lost Patrick Surtain II on the first play of the game in the Broncos' Week 6 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Yes, the first play.
That moment seemed to impact the entire game, as Denver never got anything going and the defense was playing horribly in the first half. Denver trailed by 20 points at one point but did managed to battle back and make it a game. It was only a touchdown loss for Denver, but a classic example of too little too late.
Denver had a quick turnaround and played the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football. Well, the Broncos blew out the Saints, and this game was actually at a perfect time, as it gave Surtain about 10 days of rest in between games instead of the normal week.
Heading into the team's Week 8 game against the Carolina Panthers, the team rolled out their injury report for Friday:
Patrick Surtain II was a full participant all week, and both Malcolm Roach and Mike McGlinchey were full on Friday as well. PJ Locke is doubtful, and Alex Palczewski is questionable. It's nice to see Patrick Surtain II back in the lineup for the Denver Broncos, as concussions are a nasty and serious injury.
And as bad as it may sound, Surtain missing the game against the New Orleans Saints was not very detrimental, as the Saints were without their starting QB and multiple starters on offense, so while I am sure PS2 wanted to be out there, the Saints never kept it close.
In Week 8, the Carolina Panthers are coming in with a banged-up offense, as starting QB Andy Dalton isn't playing with a sprained thumb, and their top two receivers in Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen are also out, so it's not clear who Surtain will line up across from.
Notably, former Broncos' inside linebacker Josey Jewell is on the Panthers now, and former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero is also with the team in the same capacity. There may be some reuniting going on during the pre-game, but Denver understands just how big of a game this is, regardless of how bad the Panthers are.
The Broncos' defense is now essentially at full strength with the return of Patrick Surtain II.
