Looking around Scouting report ahead of Sunday’s Buccaneers-Broncos gameDenver comes to town with two hard-working guys on the defensive end.
Cornerback Pat Surtain II is one of the best in the NFL at his position, and defensive end Zach Allen is a threat to apply pressure and use his hands to affect the play. Tampa Bay had its hands full trying to limit Surtain and Allen’s impact on the game, and the team discussed plans to contain them all week.
Pat Surtain II ‘covers it all’ and has ‘incredible ball skills’
Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II Photo courtesy of USA Today
The son of three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, Pat Surtin II, has been making a name for himself since being selected ninth overall by the Broncos in the 2021 NFL Draft. Surtin was arguably Denver’s best player, and the team rewarded him for his excellent play by signing him to a four-year, $96 million contract in the offseason, making it the largest contract given to a defensive back in NFL history, surpassing the contract of Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr.
His reputation is one that head coach Todd Bowles is well aware of.
“He can cover it all,” Bowles said. “He’s got great ability, he’s great on his feet, he’s tough, he’s good on the line, he’s good off the ball, he’s good in the zone.” [coverage] He is a good man[-to-man] He tackles well, he has great ball skills, and when you play against a player like him you’re always dangerous.”
Facing off against the “dangerous” Surtain will be none other than wide receiver Mike Evans. It’ll be a size showdown between the 6’2″ Surtain and the 6’5″ Evans. The star wide receiver was largely contained by the Lions (three catches for 42 yards), but expect it to be a back-and-forth battle.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and WR Mike Evans – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“[It’s a] “It’s a great challenge,” Evans said of facing Surtain. “I’m sure he can hold his own against me.” [George] Pickens and D.K. [Metcalf] And he did a good job in those matchups. I’m looking forward to that opportunity.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield is always going to be excited about the chance to throw a pass to Evans, but he won’t be excited about having Surtain guard him so closely. But given how offensive coordinator Liam Cohen plans to map out the Xs and Os, it’s expected that Evans will get a chance to jump and catch a pass.
“What a guy like Pat Surtain can offer defensively is true one-on-one lock down one side of the field, that’s the type of guy he is,” Mayfield said. “He’s got incredible ball skills, he can run around with guys, he understands concepts, he reads patterns extremely well. He’s got PBUs and he’s a player that makes plays on the ball, but we have to plan for Mike to get matchups where it’s not just him, and we trust Mike in one-on-one scenarios.”
Zach Allen is a ‘hard worker’ and Buccaneers need to slow down
Broncos DE Zach Allen and Texans QB CJ Stroud – Photo courtesy of USA Today
While Pat Surtain II presents one set of challenges, defensive end Zach Allen presents another.
While the Buccaneers offensive line had its hands full stopping Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Allen will be another threat to get after the quarterback and disrupt whatever rhythm the Buccaneers offense is trying to settle into.
“He’s a monster,” Todd Bowles said of Allen. “He’s like Hutchinson. He’s a hard worker. [to] He’ll work harder than you, he’s very good without the ball and he’ll play until the whistle, so he’s going to be dangerous.”
Through two games, he’s tied with Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones for fourth in quarterback pressures with 13.
Allen was a solid player with the Cardinals, but he took it to another level when he signed with the Broncos. His ability to overpower offensive linemen is something to be reckoned with, and various measures will be needed to contain him.
Left guard Ben Bredeson is one of the players tasked with slowing Allen down, and he spoke to Pewter Report about the challenge Allen poses up front.
“He’s obviously having a good year,” Bredeson said. “He’s a good player, he uses his hands well. It’s just a matter of keeping our balance in the sets, coming together as a team and taking everything he’s playing into account and using the right technique throughout the match.”
Broncos DE Zach Allen and Bills QB Josh Allen – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Liam Cohen, who was tasked with figuring out how to stop Allen and the Broncos’ blitz-heavy defense, laid out the blueprint for how to take him out of the game.
“Yeah, [he is] “He’s a really good player,” Cohen said. “I actually scouted him a little bit… [He is] He’s a really good player and I have a lot of respect for him. [He is] He’s active and uses his hands really well. You have to do a good job when you cover him. Another thing he’s really good at and often takes for granted is hitting passes. He’s the most deflected and hit passes in the NFL over the last three years.
“When you get him, you’ve got to keep him locked on, drive, cut him down with your hands, use different techniques, use your toolbox to get his hands down in the passing game. [removing] We’re going to use him in the run game.”
Pat Surtain II and Zach Allen are the biggest game-destroyers for the Broncos defense, and the Buccaneers offense has spent a lot of time going toe-to-toe with them as they look to start the season 3-0. Sunday Afternoon.
