ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Davante Adams once caught a walk-off touchdown pass in overtime against a certain Denver Broncos cornerback, looked into the camera and screamed, “He's not there yet!”
Four years and a pair of first-team All-Pro selections later, Pat Surtain II sure is there now.
He's certainly locked in for the matchup Sunday night against Adams, who once was his nemesis with the Las Vegas Raiders and returns as part of the high-powered offense
of the Los Angeles Rams.
“It’s good battles, good competition,” Surtain, the ninth overall pick in the 2021 draft, said of Adams. “It’s going to be another battle on Sunday. Looking forward to it.”
Same with Adams, who fondly recalled that game on Nov. 20, 2022, when the receiver — then with the Raiders — beat Surtain and hauled in a 35-yard pass from Derek Carr for a 22-16 win.
“That was a good memory for me,” Adams said.
At 33, he's still making plenty of them. Adams had a big game Monday night when he caught eight passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-6 win over the New York Giants.
This will be a test, though. Surtain is one of the top cover corners in the business, earning the 2024 AP defensive player of the year award. He was also voted the top NFL cornerback for the second straight year by The Associated Press in a recent preseason survey.
“I have a lot of respect for a lot of guys, but he’s definitely up there as far as one of the ones I have the most respect for,” Adams said. “I’ve had a chance to play against Pat quite a few times now and I love his game, respect it. He’s got some length, speed, and a lot of stuff you can’t teach at that position. We’ve had some battles in the past.”
Surtain figures to spend plenty of time shadowing Adams around the field, right?
“I won’t tell you that,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph said.
The deployment of Surtain may also depend on the status of Puka Nacua, who’s dealing with a hip injury.
“Every week we play the best option schematically,” Joseph said, “and the best option as far as personnel.”
What would help Surtain and fellow cornerback Riley Moss is some pressure on 38-year-old Matthew Stafford, who bounced back from a subpar showing in Australia by throwing four TD passes against the Giants. The Broncos (1-1) have four sacks this season. They had a franchise-best 68 sacks in 2025.
“(Stafford) has all the intangibles that you look for in a quarterback,” Surtain said. “It’s going to be a great challenge, but we’re going to be ready.”
One way to make Adams feel his age is to have a receiver tell him they study video of his games.
“Obviously, it means that I’ve been playing a long time,” Adams said. “But it means even more when they say that they watched the more recent film and not just the stuff of the old Green Bay days, where everybody likes to think that was my prime.”
Adams shows few signs of slowing down, even leading the league in receiving TDs last season with 14. More than anything, he's savoring his time on the field.
“I’m not really concerned with trying to prove it to anybody,” Adams said. “I think I’ve been doing that consistently for a long time now and I always have it on my mind to go out and be the best version of myself. So, if my intentions are right, I’m not really concerned with how people receive me or look at me on the outside.
“At the end of the day, if I stay within myself and I’m my biggest critic, then that’s all that matters to me.”
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