The Denver Broncos can say goodbye to their winning streak, which was snapped at three games by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. The Chargers were able to jump out to a 23-0 lead and though the scoreboard read 23-16 in the end, the game was never really that close.
A critical moment in the game came on the Broncos' first defensive snap following an interception thrown by Bo Nix. Justin Herbert threw a pass to Ladd McConkey which was incomplete, but in defending it, Surtain's head bounced off the turf. He immediately grabbed his head and was led off the field. He did not return.
If Pat Surtain is diagnosed with a concussion, that will likely rule him out for Thursday's game against the Saints too. Major blow.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) October 13, 2024
Without Surtain, the Broncos' defense, which has been quite good this year, looked completely different. The Chargers moved the ball up and down the field with both their rushing attack and their passing game. Justin Herbert threw for 237 yards and the Chargers rushed for 128.
The Broncos made a furious comeback in the fourth quarter which came up short, but they were outplayed in all three phases of this game. But that is not the end of the world. The Chargers had an extra week to prepare for this game while being on a bye last week and the Broncos have shown great improvement since the beginning of the season.
"He's in protocol," Broncos coach Sean Payton said when asked if Pat Surtain (concussion) has any chance of playing against the Saints on TNF.
— Jon Heath (@ByJonHeath) October 13, 2024
There were several reasons why the Broncos lost this game, but the biggest concern is the health of Surtain. With the Broncos' next game coming on Thursday Night Football, it's reasonable to believe that the team will be without him again, which completely changes the matchup with the New Orleans Saints.
His status will be one to follow in the next couple of days.
