Head coach Sean Payton called it a “slap in the face.” Quarterback Bo Nix said the Broncos “let ourselves down.” Tight end Evan Engram said they got “punched in the mouth.”
They were referring afterward to Kansas City’s 31-10 rout of the Broncos in the season opener on Sept. 14 at Arrowhead Stadium.
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But now the Broncos have a shot at revenge. They play host to the Chiefs on Sunday at Empower Field.
“I hate to say this, but it’s almost like a redemption game,’’ said outside linebacker Que Robinson. “We didn’t play the best when we first played them, and we feel like we got to take that extra step to make (Sunday’s) game a lot closer than it was.”
Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) is brought down by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (38) after catching a pass during the first half of an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
If the Broncos (5-2) defeat the Chiefs (5-1), they will take over first place in the AFC West, something that seemed unrealistic not long ago. The Broncos have struggled on offense much of the season and were 2-2 after a 24-14 loss at San Francisco on Oct. 4. The Chiefs at that point were 4-0 and eventually got to 5-0.
But the Broncos have won three straight games, and they sorted out some of their offensive troubles in the latest one, a 30-16 win Sunday at Arizona. The Chiefs, meanwhile, were walloped 20-3 at Seattle on Sunday night.
So the stage is set. Sunday’s game at 2:25 p.m. will be shown to much of the nation on CBS, with its top broadcasting team of play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz, analyst J.J. Watt and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson doing its first Denver game this season.
“They kind of embarrassed us the last time we stepped on the field with them, and looking forward to that challenge,’’ said tackle Mike McGlinchey.
The matchup has turned again into a top-notch rivalry since Payton took over as Denver’s coach in 2023. The Broncos lost the first game against the Chiefs that season, making it 16 straight defeats in the series. But since then, the Broncos, despite the ugly Week 1 loss, have won four of the last six over Kansas City.
The Chiefs, who have won three Super Bowls and appeared in five since the 2019 season, had won nine straight AFC West titles through 2024. But Denver put an end to that streak last season, going 14-3 while injury-riddled Kansas City stumbled to 6-11.
After suffering a torn ACL last Dec. 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes worked himself back to be ready for last month’s opener. This season, he has thrown for 1,474 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions and his passer rating of 95.3 is on pace to be his best since 2022.
But Mahomes and the Chiefs had a big hiccup against the Seahawks. The 10-year veteran completed just 19 of 33 passes for 165 yards with an interception. It marked the first game with Mahomes at quarterback the Chiefs failed to reach the red zone. It also tied for the fewest points scored and fewest first downs (11) he has had as a quarterback.
“Biggest takeaway is if you don’t come ready to play, just you can get your tail kicked in this league,’’ Mahomes said after the game. “No matter if you’re 5-0 or whatever it is.”
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) greets Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix following an NFL football game Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Still, star defensive tackle Chris Jones looked at the big picture.
“You go back to last year, and fast forward to where we are now,’’ said Jones, whose Chiefs started 2-3 last season and eventually really fell apart. “We’re sitting at 5-1. There’s a lot of good going into that. For us, I think it’s more specifically correcting our errors and being prepared for Denver coming up.”
The Broncos have made their share of errors in recent weeks but have continued to win. After the loss to the 49ers, Payton took back play-calling duties from first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb. In his first two games in that role, Denver averaged a meager 196 yards per game on offense but still won 23-17 at the Chargers and 17-14 in overtime at home against the defending champion Seahawks, who would wallop the Chiefs in their next game.
In Sunday’s win, the Broncos rolled up 377 yards on offense. After having just one play of 40 yards or more in their first six games, they had three. Nix, who had been struggling plenty, had a 62-yard touchdown run, a 52-yard touchdown pass to running back RJ Harvey and a 47-yard throw to wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr.
“You look at the best offenses in the league and they’re huge explosive offenses, and I know we have the players to do it,’’ Mims said. “We just got to kind of figure it out consistently like chopping wood.”
When the Broncos last played the Chiefs, they had a meager 176 yards of total offense.
“We got a great challenge ahead of us,’’ said center Luke Wattenberg. “They’re a great team and obviously they got us pretty good the last time and we’ll be ready to go.”
On defense, Denver gave up 392 yards in the opener at Kansas City, with Kenneth Walker running for 173 and a season-high point total. But during their three-game winning streak, the Broncos have allowed just 15.8 points per game.
“I feel like this team is eager and ready to go out there and prove that the first game (against Kansas City) wasn’t our best, and we’re looking to go out there and just give the fans a good game,’’ said safety Devon Key, who has started the past two games with Talanoa Hufanga out with an ankle injury.
It certainly wasn’t good game last month by the Broncos. Payton, Nix, Engram and others made that clear at the time.