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CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 28 - Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) covers Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) in a game between the Denver Broncos and the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Saturday, December 28, 2024. Jeff Moreland / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Broncos' CB Pat Surtain II Explains How to Slow Down Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 4:14 PM ET

In the Denver Broncos' overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals late last season, wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase had nine receptions for 102 yards. It sounds like a lot, but it was actually Tee Higgins who was the Bronco killer that night, catching 11 passes for 131 yards and a whopping three touchdowns.

Granted, that was with Joe Burrow throwing the ball. As the Broncos prepare to host the Bengals this week on Monday Night Football, Burrow will not be the guy under center. It'll be Jake Browning.

Preparation & Patience Are Key

Nevertheless, the Broncos' secondary has to come correct because Chase and Higgins are the type of receivers who can make even the most mediocre quarterback look like an ace. Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II already has a plan for Chase — the Bengals' No. 1 wideout — and it revolves around patience.

“I just think it goes with my preparation, understanding, just being patient at the line because you know he’s a tough cover, so you have to be patient with him," Surtain said of Chase on Thursday. "Trusting your technique, switching it up on him. When I look at matchups like that, I always try to look at the routes that he succeeds in. And how frequently does he get open in certain looks? I try to minimize that as much as I can."

Surtain sets a great example in that cornerback room. He puts in the study and preparation ahead of each game, then he goes and executes at a high level. That's called leading by example.

"It’s just all about the preparation, and study habits [and] preparation on the field to prepare for matchups like that," Surtain said.

Bad First Game Back for Moss

One of the reasons the Broncos allowed so many passing yards to the Bengals in Week 17 last season was the return of Riley Moss opposite of Surtain. After missing the better part of four weeks with a knee injury, during which the Broncos' passing defense regressed immensely, Moss returned to the lineup in Week 17, and it was clear that he wasn't quite ready. He wasn't 100% and Burrow saw that and exploited it immediately with Higgins.

This time around, it's Browning at quarterback, and Moss is fully healthy — and he's pissed off. After all, despite having perfect coverage on Keenan Allen, it was Moss who gave up the Los Angeles Chargers' game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter, which the Broncos' feisty corner took "personally."

"I take that personally, giving up that late touchdown, but we're going to get better from it,"Moss told Scotty Gange of 9NEWS. "It just sucks, we're tired of losing games like this."

The Broncos' two losses in a row look a lot alike. They led in the fourth quarter of both games, but one lapse led to another, and the Broncos couldn't close. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

The Bengals represent an opportunity for the 1-2 Broncos to get right. Or, conversely, if Denver doesn't prepare itself right and cultivate the right mindset, Cincinnati could be a trap game. It's up to the Broncos to determine which type of game this is.

For Surtain, he'll likely draw Chase in coverage for a good number of snaps, and he'll be ready. Let's hope Moss is also ready for Higgins.

Chase has 21 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown thus far, while Higgins has just seven for 104 yards and a score. The Broncos' defense ranks 18th in the NFL entering Week 4, relinquishing 212.7 passing yards per game.

As the 7.5-point home favorites, the Broncos have to batten down the hatches and get after Browning, after allowing 300-yard passing days to a back-to-back quarterbacks amid their two-game losing streak. That has to end on Monday night with Browning.