When the Broncos locked Courtland Sutton into a new four-year contract before the season began, it was a clear show of faith in the veteran receiver. Sutton has quietly put together one of the best careers that any Bronco receiver has ever authored. The major games are few and far between for the captain, however, due in large part to how poorly some of the teams he has been on have fared.
Sutton has put together a solid season so far this year, with a few great games and more solid games than not. Despite that, the Broncos still had not seen a truly amazing game from the SMU product yet this year, despite how clutch he has been on third downs throughout the year. His clutch gene has only grown, but the Broncos need more from him in non-clutch moments.
With the 9-3-1 Packers in town, the Broncos needed all they could get out of their best players, especially the veterans. The defense struggled early on in the game, but the offense was humming throughout the entirety of the game. For Bo Nix and his offense, Courtland Sutton turned in one of the best games of his career.
Courtland Sutton stepped up in a big way when the Broncos needed him the most
With a playoff berth on the line, the Broncos turned to Courtland Sutton turned in the most important performance of his Broncos career. No game that Sutton has produced has meant more to the team than what he did against the Packers, racking up 113 yards with a score over seven catches. Sutton was dependable, consistently open, and coming up clutch on third and fourth down.
The tide of this game was firmly cemented with the Broncos when Sutton hauled in a 26-yard pass from Nix on fourth down in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Broncos needed a big reception to be able to keep the Packers off the field and add to their lead. With the game on the line, Nix and Sutton came through yet again for Sean Payton.
The performance from Sutton wasn't his season high in yardage or catches, but every ball that came his way had the added pressure of the playoffs on it. With a loss from the Patriots and a win from the Chargers, the Broncos needed a win in the worst way to keep their division lead while adding to their cushion in the race for the top seed for the AFC playoffs.
Sutton helped guide the Broncos to a major win over the Packers, a win that puts the Broncos a win away from their first AFC West title in a decade.