Monday, September 14th
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 PM ET
The final game of Week 1 in the 2026 NFL Season features an AFC West showdown between the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos won 14 games during the 2025 season, which was tied with New England and Seattle for the most in the NFL, and had QB Bo Nix not broken his ankle in the playoffs, the Broncos are also very likely playing in the Super Bowl.
Denver returned most of their key players from the 2025 season, which was a near-Super Bowl year. The team also added wide receiver Jaylen Waddle via trade, so his insertion into the offense should give the Broncos, finally, a legitimate go-to weapon that the simply have not had in the Nix era.
The Broncos actually have registered 75 total drops on offense since 2024, which is the most in the NFL during that time, according to Pro Football Reference’s data.
The Chiefs come into this game in what appears to be a transition year, as many of the key players from this dynasty are either not here or getting older. Kansas City does suddenly have a very young roster, but it’s weak at several spots and largely unproven. This team went just 6-8 in Patrick Mahomes’ starts in 2025 before his ACL. This could also be Mahomes’ first game back since that major knee injury, so when you bring this all together, it’s not a hugely tough game to pick.
The Broncos are and will be the better team this year and should win this game, despite it being in Arrowhead. Denver beat the Chiefs in Kansas City last Christmas and nearly beat them in Arrowhead back in 2024, if not for a blocked field goal. Denver starts 1-0 for the second year in a row.
Prediction: Denver wins 24-17
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