Broncos cheers and boos from a 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in the season opener on Monday night:
Cheers….
… to John Elway, who joined Peyton and Eli Manning on ESPN2’s ManningCast. (Full disclosure: I had never watched ManningCast. It’s not on in the press box. It’s fantastic. No surprise, since Peyton Manning could turn a lemonade stand into a million-dollar enterprise.) Elway did not hide his high opinion of this Broncos outfit, confirming his belief they are a Super Bowl contender. “If they stay healthy they’re as good as any football team in this league,” he said. One telling anecdote was how Elway compared the Chiefs’ acquisition of running back Kenneth Walker to his own partnership with another Super Bowl MVP, the great Terrell Davis. “I think what changed my play was having Terrell Davis. I could hand it off and have the best seat in the house,” Elway said. No. 7 turned 66 in June. The Mannings owe Elway a return invite.
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Boo…
… the other 31 teams for allowing Mahomes to acquire an All-Pro-caliber running back. The big question in Broncos Country: Did Kenneth Walker look like an Offensive Player of the Year candidate because he’s that good, or because the Broncos’ defensive line was bullied around by the Chiefs? Walker had 89 rushing yards by halftime and finished with 191 total yards at the final horn. The AFC West is no joke with quarterbacks Mahomes, Bo Nix, Justin Herbert and Fernando Mendoza, the future of the Raiders. But its real strength could be in the backfield with Walker, JK Dobbins (Broncos), Omarion Hampton (Chargers) and Ashton Jeanty (Raiders). The Chiefs in the Mahomes era have never deployed a 1,000-yard rusher. Their last one was Kareem Hunt in 2017, way back in the Alex Smith-quarterback days. They’ll have one in 2026.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker III (9) leaps into the end zone for a touchdown against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)
Cheers…
… to Peyton Manning for pointing out the lack of play calls for Jaylen Waddle. When the Broncos big-splash free agent had one catch for 2 yards deep into the third quarter, Manning recalled how his offensive coordinators had certain packages to highlight Marvin Harrison and Demaryius Thomas. “There’s got to be a bit of Waddle section here,” Manning said. Bo Nix is known for spreading the love and getting a whole bunch of pass catchers involved. But is that a positive thing when there’s an $28 million-per-year wide receiver at his disposal? Waddle had only three targets through three quarters. Those are rookie numbers. Credit the Chiefs for a pass defense that made Nix look like a rookie trying to figure out an NFL defense. All the attention will concern Mahomes and Walker. But the Chiefs defense stumped the Broncos
Boo…
… the Broncos for their performance on Monday Night Football. Talk about a dud. The offense fumbled snaps deep into the fourth quarter. And don’t look now, but the defense just missed another tackle. The surprising aspect was the disjointed nature of the performance. Nix enjoyed his best training camp as a pro and shined in a brief preseason performance. Yet he managed only 131 passing yards in the first real game. And tackling was a strength of the powerhouse Broncos defense in 2025. Only seven teams had a lower percentage of missed tackles. Yet the tackling problems Monday extended from the defensive line into the secondary. There is no room for a breather with Denver’s schedule. Next up is a Jaguars squad that coasted to a 34-10 win in Week 1 against the Browns. Then the Rams. Then the 49ers. Buckle up.