After Denver cornerback Patrick Surtain II made a leaping interception of a long pass by Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love on Sunday, quarterback Bo Nix said the Broncos “may have to use him on offense.”

Nix added he was only kidding about changing the sides of the ball for the 2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year after Denver defeated the Packers 34-26 for its 11th consecutive victory.

“I think he’s one of the best players in the league for a reason, and he showed it on that play,” Nix said. “… That was a Pat Surtain play right there. Not many can make it, and he’s one of the ones that do. And big-time players make big plays in big moments, and that was a big moment, and he went and got it. Ball was up in the air. A lot of guys panic. Other guys struggle in that situation. He went right after the football, played it like a receiver, and it was awesome to see.”

Nix cited the former Alabama All-American’s interception as the pivotal play in the game.

Green Bay led 23-14 when Love tried to find wide receiver Christian Watson far down the field on a first-and-10 snap at the Packers 19-yard line. Surtain came down with the football at the Denver 29.

The Broncos offense responded to the change in momentum by driving for a touchdown, and the next two times Denver got the football, it scored touchdowns, too.

“Obviously, it was a pivotal situation,” Surtain said. “We needed to make a play. They was up, like, two possessions, so I was, like, ‘We got to find a way.’ And I seen the ball in the air, and I had to make a play.

“It was the same formation, same look, they threw a deep pass earlier to him. It was overthrown. And just from recognition, I realized that they flipped the formation and, obviously, they was trying to attack deep. And I kept my leverage, played high and made a play on the ball.”

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The comeback marked the seventh time during Denver’s 11-game winning streak that the Broncos had overcome a second-half deficit.

“We always pride ourselves on finishing games, especially important games like this,” Surtain said. “It is very critical that we communicate and we finish the right way defensively. And, obviously, they had our number the first half a little bit. You know, they made some big plays here and there. But it was all about execution. You know what I mean? We made our adjustments in the second half and came out firing on all cylinders, and that’s what it takes.”

While keeping the Broncos in front in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, Sunday’s outcome knocked the Packers out of first place in the NFC North. At 9-4-1, Green Bay trails the Chicago Bears by one-half game.

“We got a lot of fight,” Surtain said. “Obviously, the Packers, they got a great team on both sides of the ball. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We was reiterating that throughout the whole ballgame – just finish, finish, finish. …

“I mean, they’re a great team. I mean, they have great coaches, great players. So it was one of those ballgames, and in order us for to be great, we got to find a way to finish those games. So huge win for us.”

At 12-2, Denver became the first AFC team to clinch a postseason position. If the Broncos hold on to the top seed, they will receive a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

“We always say, man, we going to play in bigger and bigger games down the road, down the stretch,” Surtain said. “And, I mean, we’re not a finished product at all. We still got a lot more work to do. And that’s the scary part about it. You know what I mean? Going on to these last three games, going into the playoffs, man, I just feel like we still got a lot more work to do. And, you know, we just correct some things, but, man, this team’s going places, and I could feel that.”

In their next game, the Broncos play the Jacksonville Jaguars at 3:05 p.m. CST Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver in a clash of division leaders. At 10-4, the Jaguars have a one-game lead in the AFC South.