The Denver Broncos defense does it again, but the offense also has its weight

Cornerback Pat Surtain said last week that the throwback jerseys were so nice that he “had to come out flashy … definitely put something together.”

Midway through the second quarter, he did just that.

A sweeping 100-yard pick-six that literally changed the game.

“We felt like we needed that momentum going forward,” Surtain said. “Obviously we were in a situation where we had to take advantage of the opportunities that came our way. I had to take advantage of that situation there to make a play and I could just feel the momentum changing. … We really felt the pace, the urgency to really increase the energy and really improve the game.”

It was real.

“The ball was in the air and my eyes got big; I thought, ‘There’s no way this is happening.’ Then I caught the ball and saw full green grass and thought, ‘Yeah, that’s a touchdown.’ I didn’t look back,” Surtain said. “This moment was very special. Seeing the audience’s uproar after that piece was really special.”

There was a slight fear that a flag might bring it back.

“I was worried,” Surtain admitted with a laugh. “I was scared and tired.”

Perhaps it was the presence of legendary cornerback Champ Bailey that gave Surtain an extra spark…along with his jersey.

“That was pretty legendary, to say the least,” Surtain said, adding that he had always wanted to have the No. 24 jersey. “To have a guy like Champ watching and bringing so much energy. It’s expected that a Hall of Fame player like that would come over and watch you. I had to take advantage of the opportunities that came my way. I had to make that pick six happen.”

Previously, the Broncos’ defense had been overwhelmed by Gardner Minshew and Brock Bowers, and the offense couldn’t find a footing.

So instead of the Raiders taking a 17-3 lead – maybe just 13-3 if the Broncos were lucky – Denver managed a 10-point lead.

Although Denver had to punt on its next two drives, the defense held tough and the Broncos took advantage of the Raiders’ penalties, which allowed an easier second-chance field goal and a lead before halftime.

And they never looked back.

“He played a good game. He played really well,” said head coach Sean Payton, noting the importance of the points and the momentum. “This game goes back and forth all the time. If you score on defense you win 80 percent of the time, and then there are three turnovers to zero. Certainly it was a great game, at least a 10-point game.”

As always, the quarterback knew the importance of this play.

“That was huge. That was probably the run of the game, a big catalyst,” Bo Nix said, recalling watching the 100-yard dash from the sideline. “I saw how he caught it and how their offense was set up. I didn’t think anyone was going to make a tackle, so I just stayed there, watching from the Jumbotron and enjoying everyone celebrating.”

Although this pick-six would be Surtain’s most spectacular interception of the day, it wouldn’t be his only one. A second interception would come early in the fourth on the Raiders’ first drive after a Broncos touchdown.

And that was the Raiders offense’s third interception, as Riley Moss made a great play to steal one from Tre Tucker.

“Honestly, it happened so quickly. It was crazy, you know what I mean? That’s what you dream about and that’s what I’ve been working towards,” Moss said. “We still have a lot of work to do, but it was really, really cool to see it happen.”

The defense finished the day with three sacks, three interceptions and six QB hits – and never let the Raiders get back into the game after their fast start.

However, a testament to the continued growth of this young team was the offense’s ability to get back into the game and put points – lots of them – on the board.

Part of the reason for this was the limited field, thanks to the defense and special teams.

“Another two interceptions in the second half put us in great field position,” Nix said. “We just took what we had and we made the most of our opportunity. There are turnovers like that, it’s important to score touchdowns and we did that today.”

And once again the running game was a positive factor for this outcome.

Javonte Williams ran for 61 yards but was also the leading receiver with another 50 yards, and McLaughlin only passed for 22 yards, but four of those led to six scores, so there’s no argument there.

“I feel like the (offensive) department did a great job in the second half. Bo did a great job. Receivers blocked the perimeter. “Leel” (RB Jaleel McLaughlin) and I made the most of our carries,” Williams said. “So I feel like it’s a different team.”

Courtland Sutton would probably agree. After starting the season 0-2, the team learned on their road trip that they had their fair share of struggles and came into their second home game tied 2-2 on Sunday.

“We didn’t start the season the way we wanted to,” Sutton said, but “a lot of guys stepped up in a way that we needed.” I think that was the spark that gave us the lead . Ultimately, if we prepare week by week on how to proceed, we will be able to see some of these results on game day. I think we were able to have some success because of the preparation.”

On Sunday, converting on third down was the key adjustment the Broncos offense focused on in the second half.

“The coach said at halftime that we have to be able to do that if we want to have more success,” Surtain said. “The defense stepped up and made great plays. Riley has one pick, Pat has two picks, the D-line constantly puts pressure on the quarterback and the linebackers stop the run. All three units work very well together and if we can do that, we will continue to have success.”