The Denver Broncos were able to get a thrilling 30-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night that came down to the game's final play. With the win, the Broncos have improved to 2-1 on the season, and it seems the effects of their Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs have been completely put behind them.
Pat Surtain II took on Davante Adams in this game, shadowing him in coverage on nearly every play. This was easily the top matchup within the matchup, and watching the game on Sunday night, it seemed that Adams was surprisingly getting the best of the top cornerback in the league... at least in the first half.
Adams caught four passes for 71 yards in the first half, all against Surtain. But the team made some adjustments at halftime that
led to a change in this game.
Pat Surtain slows Davante Adams down in second half
In the second half, Adams caught just one pass for six yards against Surtain, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
A big-time response by Pat Surtain II in the second-half of the Broncos' win:
— Aric DiLalla (@AricDiLalla) September 28, 2026
After Davante Adams caught four of five targets for 71 yards in the first half with Surtain in coverage, PS2 held him to one catch on four targets for six yards in the second half.
(Per @NextGenStats)
Much of this seemed to be due to the fact that defensive coordinator Vance Joseph made an adjustment to his game plan. In the first half, he had his defensive backs playing way off the line of scrimmage, giving the Rams a bunch of cushion to prevent deep shots down the field. But Adams was taking advantage of this and after one big catch made by Adams, cameras caught PS2 shaking his head in frustration, almost as if to say he didn't agree with how he was being asked to defend the six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
In the second half, Surtain stopped giving up that cushion, and Matthew Stafford stopped looking Adams' way as often with the ball. Adams still had a huge impact in the second half. This 49-yard pass nearly helped seal a victory for the Rams, but the Rams moved Adams to the slot on this play and Surtain stayed on the outside. This left Adams against inside linebacker Justin Strnad, which was a bad matchup for the Broncos.
Davante Adams got it and got going for 49 yards!@LARvsDEN on NBC/Peacock
— NFL (@NFL) September 28, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/7xjQhYm8s5
“It’s a battle out there,” Surtain said after the game. “He made some plays; I made some plays. At the end of the day, a win is a win. I knew who my matchup was; I knew my assignment. He’s a good receiver… I think what he’s able to bring to the table, with him and [Matthew] Stafford, it’s a unique combination, but we understood what they brought to the table and we had to sort of settle in and lock in on that.”
This is the kind of thing future opponents will look to copy when facing the Broncos. It seems clear that when Surtain plays his game to the best of his capabilities, he can all but erase a team's No. 1 wide receiver.
Doing so against Adams in the second half of Sunday night's game was one of the biggest factors in the Broncos' win.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Pat Surtain quietly shut down Davante Adams in the second half of ‘SNF’
