Raiders’ Davante Adams, Broncos’ Patrick Surtain matched up again

The two demolition jobs Davante Adams did on the Broncos last season might lead one to believe Denver is on his hit list.

That’s not the case, though.

“I honestly don’t care who I play against,” Adams said, “I go out there, I don’t discriminate. I treat everybody the same way when we go out there.”

In fact, the 101 and 146 yards the Raiders wide receiver amassed against the Broncos was more coincidental than intentional.

“It’s not like a disrespectful thing,” Adams said. But I’m more concerned about what we’re doing as a football team and what I’m doing personally over what the defense has to offer.”

That much of the production came against Patrick Surtain, the Broncos’ young standout cornerback, also wasn’t by design.

Surtain may or may not believe that, but it probably gives him some comfort as he braces for his third matchup against Adams on Sunday in the season opener. Surtain wasn’t solely responsible for Adams’ outbursts, but he certainly played a part in the breakdowns.

His ability to rebound when the Broncos host the Raiders could go a long way in determining whether Adams goes off again or is kept in check. If he does, the Raiders could be positioned to defeat the Broncos for the seventh straight time. Containment could put Denver in position to break that losing streak in the series.

Part of the challenge for Surtain is learning from the bad experiences last season rather than be spooked by them. It comes with the territory of playing cornerback.

“That’s the toughest part about the position. Sometimes stuff’s going to happen,” he said. “But you have to have short-term memory … you learn from your mistakes and move on. That’s why you see another day. You just live with it, work on what you need to work on and correct that.”

The Broncos won’t dwell on it, either. That’s why coach Sean Payton, in his first season with the team, didn’t feel the need to have a pep talk with Surtain.

“We will look at those tapes, and the players will look at those tapes,” Payton said. “He’s had a really good camp, and these are the kinds of matchups you look forward to.”

Surtain believes he is properly wired and has moved past last season.

“I do have short-term memory,” he said. “I know what I do on the field. I just try to let those things go in a fast period of time, because in football, one play can change a game if you focus on the previous play or past plays.”

Bigger picture, Surtain looks forward to opening against the Raiders.

“It’s an exciting game for us,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a division opponent. We’re going to be put to the test early, but we’re going to be ready for it.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.