The Denver Broncos just clinched a playoff spot, and Patrick Surtain II is basically telling the rest of the NFL it could get worse from here.
After Denver’s 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, December 14, Surtain struck an unmistakably confident tone: the Broncos aren’t done improving.
“We not a finished product at all… and that’s the scary part about it,” Surtain said postgame, pointing to the team’s mindset heading into the final stretch and the postseason.
Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II Flips the Game With One Read
If you’re looking for the exact moment the game turned, start with Surtain’s interception, the one he described as pure recognition and urgency.
In his postgame explanation, Surtain said the Broncos needed a spark with the Packers holding a two-score lead. He noted Denver had already seen a similar deep shot earlier in the game, and that clue mattered.
“It was the same formation look… they threw a deep pass earlier… it was overthrown,” Surtain explained. When the Packers “flipped formation” to attack deep again, Surtain said he stayed disciplined: “I kept my leverage, played high and made a play on the ball.”
ESPN’s recap underscored just how big it was, noting the pick came early in the second half as Denver trailed and then slammed the door with a dominant finish.
The play also had an immediate ripple effect: Packers receiver Christian Watson was injured on the same sequence and later ruled out.
“Finish, Finish, Finish”: What It Said About Denver’s Defense
Surtain didn’t frame the win as pretty; he framed it as a proof-of-identity game.
He acknowledged Green Bay “had our number… the first half,” but said Denver’s defensive response was about communication, adjustments, and finishing. “We always pride ourselves on finishing games,” he said, adding that the Broncos “came out firing all cylinders” after halftime.
That tracks with the broader story of the game: Denver’s offense (led by Bo Nix’s four touchdown passes) and its defense both settled in after a shaky start and closed the Packers out to secure the playoff clincher.
And Denver wasn’t just beating “any” team, either. Surtain noted Sean Payton’s respect for the Packers as a potential playoff threat — and treated the win like a measuring stick for what Denver wants to become.
What It Means for the Broncos Entering the Playoffs
Surtain’s “not a finished product” line is the kind of quote that coaches love and opponents don’t.
The gist: Denver believes it can tighten the screws even more — and if the defense plays second halves like that in January, the Broncos become a brutal out for anyone on the bracket.
Surtain also pushed back (politely) on the idea that Denver has been living off hype or favors. “We ain’t have things handed to us,” he said, describing a team that’s tuned out outside noise and just kept stacking wins.
It’s also worth noting the win came in a game that saw major injury news on the other sideline, with Packers pass rusher Micah Parsons suffering what his coach described as a serious-looking knee injury.
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