Chiefs Top Broncos 31-10 as Kenneth Walker Dominates and Mahomes Returns to the Field

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 31-10 in the season opener, with Kenneth Walker emerging as the top performer and Patrick Mahomes returning to the field after his injury. The game was decided by a combination of a powerful Kansas City ground attack and a defense that left the opposition little room.

According to the NFL, Walker finished the game with a career-high 173 rushing yards, including a 60-yard touchdown run and a 2-yard receiving touchdown. Mahomes went 15 of 27 for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception; he opened the game with a 15-yard rushing touchdown, as the team appears set to lean more on the run this season.

On the Broncos’ side, Davis Webb’s debut as offensive coordinator failed to produce the expected effect. Bo Nix, back after his broken foot, delivered a nice 19-yard touchdown pass to Evan Engram in the first half, but the offense then fizzled; Denver managed just nine first downs and the ground game produced no rhythm, with J.K. Dobbins leading the way with only 36 yards. After a long Chiefs drive, Denver managed only a 31-yard Wil Lutz field goal as the game’s final points.

According to the NFL, most concerning for the Broncos was the defensive performance: the team recorded 28 missed tackles, with eight players missing more than one tackle, per Next Gen Stats. Monday’s result shows Kansas City can function even with a recovering Mahomes, leaving the Broncos with many questions for improvements on both sides of the ball, according to the NFL.