Last week, the Denver Broncos‘ defense held Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, a dynamic runner, to just three rushing yards on two attempts.
This week, Denver’s defense is set to face another elusive quarterback, Justin Fields, who defensive coordinator Vance Joseph described this week as “a better runner” than Hurts.
Fields ranks second among quarterbacks with 204 rushing yards this season, and his three rushing touchdowns are tied for second-most among QBs. The Broncos‘ defense, meanwhile, is allowing an average of just three rushing yards to QBs per week, the lowest total in the league.
Denver cornerback Pat Surtain and the Alabama Crimson Tide faced Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes in college football’s 2021 national championship game. Bama won that game 52-24, and the Broncos later picked PS2 over Fields in the 2021 NFL draft.
“I remember him back in high school, we were in the same class,” Surtain said of Fields earlier this week. “We went to a couple of events together. Obviously, he’s quite the athlete. In that National Championship game, I remember he was running all over the field. We sort of contained that in a way, but I think he’s still that type of player today. It’s going to be quite the challenge.”
Fields is 1-1 against the Broncos in his career, completing 74.55% of his passes for 452 yards with five touchdowns against one interception in those two contests. The last time he faced Denver, pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper helped win the game with a defensive touchdown:
The time Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper ended the game against Justin Fields the first time they played him. pic.twitter.com/MWLHcH4J8C
— Robby (@Robby_NFL) October 9, 2025
Broncos defenders will do their best this week to contain Fields and not let him make big plays with his legs. If they can limit him like they limited Hurts in Week 5, Denver should be in good shape.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL: Broncos aim to contain Jets QB Justin Fields in London
