Courtland Sutton Prides Himself On Being A 'Gamer'

(CBS4) - On Monday Night, the Broncos lost their season opener to the Raiders, but it wasn't all bad news. One of the bright spots in the game was the performance of second-year receiver Courtland Sutton.

"It was good to see him play the way he did and really rise to the occasion and get himself going. I think he's going to be big for us as the year goes on," quarterback Joe Flacco said of the second-year receiver.

Sutton hauled in 7 receptions for 120 yards. He was fearless up the middle, taking plenty of punishment, only to get up and do it again.

"You've got to think, it's bigger than yourself. If it's third down, you can't think about taking a big hit on the play. You have to think of moving the chains and putting us in a position to score," Sutton said.

Sutton's performance in the opener has his head coach and his quarterback feeling confident about the receiver's potential this season.

"Courtland is still a young player, but he's an ascending player. He had a hell of a game the other night," head coach Vic Fangio said.

"It wasn't like he was wide open, but he's a big, physical guy that I can feel comfortable throwing to in some of those situations," Flacco said.

Flacco called Sutton a "gamer" -- which is something the receiver prides himself on.

"When those lights come on, I turn a switch on that's hard for a lot of people to do. You gotta be able to do it," Sutton said.