Jeff Legward
closure
Jeff Legward
ESPN Senior Writer
- Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos on ESPN. He covered the Broncos for more than 20 years, also assisted with NFL draft coverage and joined ESPN in 2013. He has also been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee since 1999. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans for ESPN.
multiple authors
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Returning to the field at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time in nine months, quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn’t the biggest star or the biggest difference-maker in the Kansas City Chiefs’ 31-10 victory over the AFC West rival Denver Broncos on Monday night.
Running back Kenneth Walker III, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, joined the Chiefs in March and had a strong debut in Kansas City.
Monday’s result was exactly what the Chiefs wanted on offense, with Walker’s speed and ball-carrying ability taking much of the load off Mahomes, who is making his highly anticipated return after undergoing surgery on Dec. 14 to repair torn ACL and LCL in his left knee. In 26 touches, Walker performed brilliantly as he weaved through, around and over the Broncos in various ways, finishing with 191 yards and 2 all-purpose yards. Number of touchdowns.
Walker converted on four short-yardage situations, including a 60-yard touchdown on fourth-and-inch early in the third quarter. He became the third player since 2000 to rush for at least 100 yards in his Chiefs debut, joining running backs Kareem Hunt (148 yards in 2017) and Clyde Edwards-Helaire (138 yards in 2020), according to ESPN Research.
The Broncos never led and could never get quarterback Bo Nix into a rhythm.
Nix, who returned after undergoing two offseason surgeries to repair a broken right ankle that forced him to miss last season’s AFC Championship Game, has struggled all season, including getting intercepted on the Broncos’ opening drive. The Chiefs sacked Nix four times, and Jaylen Waddle, the speediest receiver Denver acquired during the offseason, was limited to one catch for 2 yards.
Here are the most important things to know about both teams:
What to think about the QB’s performance: Mahomes isn’t perfect, but he doesn’t need to be to beat the Broncos. The Chiefs’ opening drive showcased Mahomes’ toughness and impressive speed as he burst out of the pocket in the red zone for a 15-yard touchdown. Mahomes’ top speed in the game was 15.8 mph, which was 2.5 mph faster than his average rushing speed last season, according to Next Gen Stats. In the second half, Mahomes increased his passing rhythm, completing 184 yards and two touchdown passes.
Most surprising performance: The Chiefs defense, aided by an influx of rookies, overwhelmed the Broncos. Sixth-overall cornerback Mansour Deline intercepted Nix to set up the Chiefs’ first touchdown. Defensive end Mason Thomas had a sack and defensive tackle Peter Woods added pressure on a pass. Even second-year cornerback Nohl Williams had a strong showing against receiver Courtland Sutton, who held just two catches for 11 yards. — Nate Taylor
Next game: vs. Indianapolis Colts (Sunday, Sept. 20, 8:20 p.m. ET)
The Broncos spent the offseason outlining how much they needed an improved running game and new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Then they both took no action in their first game of the season. Denver only ran the ball 12 times in the game.
Waddle did show off his potential impact on Evan Engram’s touchdown catch in the first quarter, when several Chiefs defenders leaned toward Waddle as Engram ran free, and Waddle completed a catch for 2 yards while the game was still in the balance.
It wasn’t the debut the Broncos wanted. They’re still looking to improve the running game and make Waddle a big part of the offense.
Most surprising performance: The Broncos held Mahomes to just 15 of 27 passes that night, with Walker doing the most damage. He had an easy 60-yard touchdown run on Kansas City’s fourth possession of the second half and now has 149 yards, but he’s left a pile of missed tackles in his wake. Walker finished the game with 173 rushing yards and a receiving touchdown, more rushing yards than any back against the Broncos in all of 2025.
What to think about the QB’s performance: The Knicks showed some ability to bounce back early. He had a sack and an interception on the first and third plays from scrimmage, respectively, and went 5-for-5 with a touchdown on the Broncos’ next possession. But overall, he, like the rest of the Broncos offense, looked out of shape. The Knicks fumbled the ball 3 times, lost it once and had an interception. It was only the third time in the Knicks’ career that the Knicks had missed the ball, one of which came in last season’s opener.
Trends to watch: Running back JK Dobbins, one of the league’s rushing leaders, suffered a season-ending foot injury in a Week 10 win over the Raiders last November. Head coach Sean Payton said re-signing Dobbins this offseason is one of the team’s top priorities as the Broncos have big plans for the 27-year-old guard. A game doesn’t make a season, but in offensive coordinator Davis Weber’s first regular-season game as a playmaker, Dobbins carried the ball just three times in the first half, with the Broncos trailing by two before Dobbins scored on consecutive possessions.
Notable statistics: While Payton called Nix’s ability to be “hard to sack” one of the quarterback’s superpowers, the Chiefs sacked Nix four times on Monday. Nix was sacked more than twice in just two games last season — three by the Raiders and four by the Chargers in the regular-season finale. —— Jeff Legward
Next game: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday, Sept. 20, 4:05 p.m. ET)