The Kansas City Chiefs blew the Denver Broncos out of the water in Week 1, dropping 31 points and outscoring the AFC West rival by 21.
The Kansas City Chiefs decimated the Denver Broncos 31-10 during Week 1 of the 2026 National Football League season and despite the lopsided score in favor of Kansas City, there are things to buy stock in as well as things that shouldn’t be held in high regard.
Scoring a huge win over your divisional rival holds a lot of weight no matter what time of year it is, but getting one against the 2025 division champs during the opening week of the season is huge, especially for a Chiefs team that won just six games in an odd season for the usually dominant powerhouse.
The Broncos won 15 total games last season and seemed destined to have another strong year in 2026, and they probably will, but Kansas City showed that last year was a fluke in terms of their misfortunes.
Take stock in the Chiefs being a legitimate team again. All three phases of the team were rolling despite quarterback Patrick Mahomes clearly being rusty in his first game back since tearing multiple left knee ligaments last December.
Running back Kenneth Walker III could be in the running (no pun intended) for Offensive Player of the Year if he continues getting touches like he did in Week 1. Walker, fresh off a Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award, rushed 23 times for 173 yards and a touchdown while adding three receptions for 18 yards and another score in his debut.
The defense may be back – the unit that blitzes often under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was getting after Broncos QB Bo Nix like their helmets were on fire, sacking him four times for a total loss of 16 yards. Nix completed 17 of 28 passes for just 131 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Don’t take stock in Mahomes “looking washed.” Mahomes understandably didn’t look like his normal self, and though he said he wouldn’t stop playing like the player that has won multiple MVPs, you could tell that he wasn’t fully comfortable just yet. But he will get there.
Mahomes did rush seven times for 23 yards and a touchdown, showing confidence in his surgically repaired knee. He only completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards but threw two touchdown passes with an interception. As the season progresses, so will Mahomes’ comfortability.
The Chiefs will stay at home to take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2 on “Sunday Night Football.”
