The Broncos were running out of time.
Denver had failed to score a touchdown in four red zone trips against Minnesota on Sunday night, and trailing by five with 69 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the team needed to reach the end zone to keep its win streak alive.
The Vikings defense brought the heat on first down, forcing quarterback Russell Wilson to step up in the pocket and launch the ball toward a streaking Courtland Sutton in the back corner of the end zone
Using all of his 6-foot-4 frame, the veteran wide receiver leaped and snatched a 15-yard touchdown pass over cornerback Mekhi Blackmon to beat Minnesota 21-20 at Empower Field at Mile High.
“Once I saw (the ball) coming to me, I couldn’t wait for it to come down,” Sutton said. “There were defenders around me so I had to go make a play.”
While the Broncos continue to search for their sweet spot on offense, the one constant has been Wilson’s connection with Sutton in the red zone.
A week earlier, the two hooked up for one of the most improbable touchdown passes in the NFL this season — a 7-yard heave on fourth down that ended with Sutton pulling an absurd toe-tap on the edge of the end zone. On Sunday night, it was more of the traditional jump ball that’s been Sutton’s bread and butter throughout his career.
Wilson has thrown eight of his 16 red zone touchdown passes to Sutton this season. The SMU product has 99 yards on 11 catches inside opponents’ 20-yard line through 10 games.
Sutton said another play starts whenever Wilson scrambles out of the pocket. At that point, it comes down to improvisation — and making sure he stays in Wilson’s line of vision to make a play.
“Try to find a void,” said Sutton, who finished with a team-best 66 yards on four catches on Sunday night. “And if you find the open hole, (Wilson) usually sees it as well.”
Head coach Sean Payton said Sutton has been “outstanding.” He credited Sutton’s strong hands and the confidence level between him and Wilson for their shared success.
While Sutton has been a touchdown machine in the red zone, he has also displayed tremendous balance, control and ability to catch 50/50 balls. Once again, he showed off his basketball hops on the go-ahead touchdown grab against Minnesota.
Broncos safety Justin Simmons said Sutton is one of the best 50/50 pass-catchers he has ever seen.
“It’s more like 70-30 when the ball is thrown in his area,” Simmons said. “The way he (can) keep his body in bounds (and) contort his body to catch (with) one or two hands is great.”
Despite not recording a single 100-yard receiving game this season, Sutton has managed to make an outsized impact through 10 games. He has the second-most touchdown receptions in the league, and has caught at least one TD in five straight games.
During this four-game win streak, Sutton has delivered whenever Wilson and the team needed him. On Sunday against the Vikings, he stepped up once again, and the Broncos were rewarded with a .500 record.
“He’s that person that Russ needs,” left tackle Garett Bolles said. “(No.) 14 does what he needs to do.”
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