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Championship on His Shoulders: How Patrick Surtain II Must Lead Denver's Defense to Victory Without Bo Nix

January 25, 2026

Championship on His Shoulders: How Patrick Surtain II Must Lead Denver's Defense to Victory Without Bo Nix

The stage is set at Empower Field at Mile High. The AFC Championship Game. A trip to the Super Bowl on the line. But for the Denver Broncos, the script has taken an unexpected turn. Starting quarterback Bo Nix, the rookie sensation who helped lead Denver to a 15-3 record and the AFC's top seed, is out with a broken ankle suffered in the divisional round victory over Buffalo. Now, with backup Jarrett Stidham under center, the Broncos' Super Bowl dreams rest squarely on the shoulders of their defense—and more specifically, on Patrick Surtain II.

For the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, this moment isn't entirely unfamiliar. Championships without elite quarterback play? Defenses carrying teams to glory? That's something Surtain learned all about during his days at Alabama.

The Alabama Blueprint: Defense Wins Championships

When Patrick Surtain II arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2018 as a five-star recruit, he entered a program built on a simple philosophy: elite defense travels. Under Nick Saban's guidance, Alabama had proven time and again that suffocating defenses could overcome offensive limitations, control games, and win national championships.

Surtain's three-year tenure with the Crimson Tide (2018-2020) perfectly illustrated this principle. As a true freshman, he started 12 games and immediately established himself as a shutdown corner. By his sophomore year in 2019, he was forcing fumbles, breaking up passes, and making quarterbacks think twice about testing his side of the field.

But it was his junior season in 2020 that provided the blueprint for what Denver needs today. That year, Surtain helped lead Alabama to a perfect 13-0 record and a National Championship victory over Ohio State. He was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year, earned unanimous first-team All-American honors, and was crowned the Rose Bowl's Defensive Most Valuable Player1.

The numbers from that championship season tell the story of complete defensive dominance. Opponents simply avoided throwing at Surtain. When they did test him, they paid the price—he allowed just one touchdown pass all season while recording an interception and 38 tackles, including 12 pass breakups2. Alabama's defense led the SEC in scoring defense (18.3 points per game) and finished second in total defense.

"I am looking forward to winning a national championship with my teammates," Surtain said during that 2020 season3. That focus on team success over individual glory is the same mentality he brings to today's challenge.

From Crimson Tide to Orange Crush

The Denver Broncos selected Surtain with the ninth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, making him just the second cornerback taken that year. The decision has proven to be one of the franchise's best in recent memory.

In five NFL seasons, Surtain has established himself as the league's premier cornerback. His résumé speaks for itself:

Achievement Year(s)
Pro Bowl Selections 4 consecutive (2022-2025)
NFL Defensive Player of the Year 2024
First-Team All-Pro 2024
100-yard Pick-Six vs. Raiders 2024 (2nd longest in franchise history)
Contract Extension 4 years, $96 million (highest-paid DB in NFL history)

But it's not just the accolades—it's how Surtain has helped transform Denver's defense into a championship-caliber unit. This season, the Broncos ranked second in the NFL in total defense, allowing just 287.2 yards per game. They led the league with 68 sacks and allowed only 91.1 rushing yards per game (second in the NFL)4.

Following in his father's footsteps—Patrick Surtain Sr. was a three-time Pro Bowl cornerback who played 11 NFL seasons—Surtain II has become the anchor of a defense that features multiple weapons. Outside linebackers Nik Bonitto (14 sacks, fifth in the NFL) and Jonathon Cooper (8 sacks) provide pass-rush pressure, while Surtain locks down his side of the field so completely that quarterbacks often refuse to throw his way5.

The Challenge: Stopping Drake Maye Without Offensive Support

Today's AFC Championship presents Surtain and the Broncos defense with their toughest test yet. Facing them is Drake Maye, the second-year quarterback from North Carolina who has emerged as an MVP candidate for the New England Patriots.

Maye has been sensational, but he's also shown vulnerability. In two playoff games, he's committed five turnovers—four fumbles and an interception. He's been sacked 57 times this season (47 regular season, 10 in playoffs), suggesting the Broncos' pass rush could be the difference6.

The Patriots enter as 4.5-point favorites, a remarkable line considering Denver is at home as the No. 1 seed. But with Stidham making his first start in over two years, oddsmakers and bettors alike expect New England's offense to outscore whatever Denver can muster7.

This is where Surtain must channel everything he learned at Alabama. Championships aren't won with style points—they're won by making critical stops, forcing turnovers, and keeping the game within reach for your offense to steal.

What Surtain Must Do Today

For Denver to reach Super Bowl LX, Surtain and the defense must execute a specific game plan:

1. Eliminate the Deep Ball Maye's biggest weapon is his arm strength and ability to push the ball downfield. Surtain's assignment will likely be shadowing New England's top receiving threat, limiting big plays and forcing Maye to dink and dunk down the field. Time-consuming drives favor Denver's ball-control offense with Stidham.

2. Create Turnovers With Maye's history of fumbles and the occasional interception, Denver's pass rush must generate pressure. Surtain has proven his ability to capitalize on quarterback mistakes—his 100-yard pick-six against Las Vegas earlier this season showed his instinct and explosiveness8. One or two turnovers could flip field position and change the game's complexion.

3. Set the Defensive Tone Early Alabama's championship defenses never waited to impose their will. Surtain needs to establish physical, press coverage from the opening snap, setting a tone of dominance that rattles the young quarterback and energizes his teammates.

4. Leadership in Critical Moments When Surtain spoke to the media about Bo Nix's injury this week, he expressed complete confidence in Stidham and the defense9. That leadership—believing in the backup, rallying the troops—is exactly what championship defenses do. The locker room looks to Surtain, and he must deliver not just with play, but with presence.

The Alabama Factor: Preparing for This Moment

Everything Surtain learned under Nick Saban prepared him for this exact scenario. Alabama routinely played in games where defensive stops meant everything. The 2020 SEC Championship Game against Florida, the Rose Bowl CFP semifinal, the National Championship against Ohio State—each required Alabama's defense to step up when it mattered most.

Surtain was named the Rose Bowl's Defensive MVP for a reason. In high-pressure moments, when opposing offenses needed to score, he shut down his responsibilities and let his teammates feed off that energy.

"Patrick's got great physical ability, he's got great length, but he's smart and very, very instinctive," said one NFL draft analyst about Surtain's transition from Alabama10. "So he always plays faster in the game. Because he is smart, he does a great job of preparing."

That preparation shows in his film study, his technique, and his understanding of offensive tendencies. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who played cornerback himself in the NFL, has raved about Surtain's football IQ. When prospects at the NFL Combine ask Joseph what film they should watch, he points them to Surtain11.

The Legacy on the Line

Win or lose today, Patrick Surtain II has already established himself as one of the NFL's elite players. But championships define legacies. His father never won a Super Bowl despite three Pro Bowl selections. Surtain II has a chance to do something his father couldn't—and to cement his place among the all-time great Broncos defensive players.

Denver's franchise history is littered with defensive legends: Von Miller, Champ Bailey, Steve Atwater, Rod Smith. Surtain is well on his way to joining that pantheon. A championship would accelerate that journey and validate everything he's built since arriving from Alabama.

For Broncos fans, the memory of their last Super Bowl championship in 2015 still resonates. That team, led by an aging Peyton Manning who was a shell of his former self, rode an all-time great defense to glory. Von Miller won Super Bowl MVP, but it was the collective defensive effort—the pass rush, the secondary, the relentless pressure—that carried the day.

Can history repeat? Can Surtain be this generation's championship defensive leader?

Championship Sunday Awaits

As kickoff approaches in Denver, the pressure is real. The Patriots are favored. Bo Nix is on the sideline. The offense will struggle to score. But none of that matters if Patrick Surtain II and the Broncos defense can do what they've done all season—dominate.

Surtain has been in big games before. He's won championships when defense was required to carry the load. He's made the critical plays. He's proven he belongs among the NFL's elite.

Today, he gets to prove he's a championship cornerback who can lead his team to the Super Bowl.

The stage is set. The challenge is clear. And for Patrick Surtain II, the lessons learned at Alabama—that defense wins championships, that preparation beats talent, that one player's excellence can inspire an entire unit—will be put to the ultimate test.

Denver's Super Bowl hopes rest on his shoulders. Based on everything he's accomplished, from Tuscaloosa to Denver, he's ready to carry that weight.

Footnotes

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