Most of the Denver Broncos opponents have spoken about the challenges they present, but it's often rookie quarterback Bo Nix who garners the most attention. In the build-up to the Broncos' crucial Monday Night Football tilt against the 3-8 Cleveland Browns, head coach Kevin Stefanski's remarks have centered upon cornerback Patrick Surtain II.
"His size, strength, speed, quickness, athleticism, and ball skills help him stand out as a top corner in the league and make him a difficult matchup," Stefanski told the Browns website this week.
Stefanski isn't the only admirer of Surtain; Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is also well aware of the Broncos' All-Pro's prodigious skill set.
"He's a top-notch corner for sure," Ward said of Surtain. "He's a great cornerback, good for their team, follows the number one guy for teams, and I think he's a really good player. He's a great young corner and been dominant."
Clearly, everyone inside the Browns got the memo of the threat that Surtain poses to their plans on offense — if they opt to challenge him. Perhaps the Browns will test Surtain with the likes of former Denver speedster Jerry Jeudy.
Most teams have wisely chosen to attack away from Surtain's regal domain, and that's likely to be the optimal strategy, especially with Broncos No. 2 cornerback Riley Moss battling against a knee injury he picked up in the win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not that Cleveland's problems will be solved by avoiding Surtain, but Stefanski is on high alert because of all the other defensive talent Vance Joseph can throw at his team.
"Obviously, Surtain II is a very, very good corner. We played him last year, know how talented he is," Stefanski said. "But they have a bunch of guys in that back end that can produce, that can tackle, that can make plays on the ball. They're sound, they can pressure you, they can play coverage. Rush and coverage go together and they're doing a very, very good job."
Indeed, Broncos rush linebacker Nik Bonitto leads the team with 10 sacks, and despite being in an ankle boot last week, the expectation is that dominant defensive lineman Zach Allen will suit up once again. Going into the stretch run toward securing a coveted playoff berth, the Broncos have been doubling down on the inherent dangers of playing in another game that could be a potential banana skin.
When you add the wildcard factor of the notoriously free-wheeling Jameis Winston starting at quarterback in Cleveland these days, you understand why Broncos head coach Sean Payton has been diligently reminding his players to be especially wary of the threat Cleveland presents.
Furthermore, after spending time under the command of Payton when he was at the New Orleans Saints, Winston knows what to expect to some degree. Having said that, Winston also knows how good his former boss is at the coaching game.
"I think that won me over so much," Winston said of Payton. "What Sean possessed was a leadership quality that was so important to our team at the New Orleans Saints, because, I've always put Drew (Brees) on this pedestal, and I knew it was Drew's team, but in a sense, Sean was one of our biggest leaders, our hardest workers, and definitely he was a leader among men, and that's how I put it. He was one of the best leaders I've been around."
When it's all said and done, climbing on the back of the league's third-ranked defense (first in sacks) only presents a fraction of the challenges that lie ahead for the Browns on Monday night in the Mile High City.
