Kansas City, Mo. – Running back Kenneth Walker III stole the show in his Kansas City debut as the Chiefs dominated the Denver Broncos 31-10 on Monday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
Walker, who signed with the Chiefs in February after winning the Super Bowl MVP against the Seattle Seahawks, rushed for 173 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns.
Walker eased into quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first game since knee surgery in December. Mahomes proved his knee is healthy early, rushing seven times for 23 yards and a touchdown. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards and two touchdowns.
It was a rough night for the defending AFC West champion Broncos, who were outgained 392-176 in total yards, including 220-61 on the ground. Quarterback Bo Nix was just 17-for-28 for 131 yards and had two turnovers.
What does Walker’s monster boss debut mean for his offense and ambitions this season?
One of the biggest criticisms of the Chiefs’ offense last season was that the team didn’t do enough to help Mahomes.
That led to an offseason in which — for the most part — everything the team did to improve offensively brought in Walker as a prized free agent.
It looks like a genius move in a week. If Walker stays healthy, that could be enough to change what this offense looks like.
The Chiefs made Walker a three-down workhorse before Monday, and he delivered in every way imaginable. Broke two 20-plus-yard runs; The Chiefs running back had just one touchdown last season.
Kenneth Walker III and Patrick Mahomes celebrate after the touchdown on Monday night. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
He was effective in the passing game. He was good at shortstop and broke up nine tackles in the first half alone, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
But perhaps more than anything else, Walker allowed the Chiefs to develop a physical mentality by dropping down the line to dominate the game from the early stages.
“It’s a mindset and it’s an attitude,” Mahomes said of what Walker brings to the roster. He prepared his voice. We’ve talked about it all week: you’ve got to adjust the pitch against the defense. This offensive line and those running backs have done that.
Add all that to what we’ve seen Mahomes do before? Yes, Walker needs to stay healthy, but it’s hard not to dream that a completely different Chiefs offense has been unlocked thanks to his presence. – Jesse Newell
The Broncos’ slashy new addition isn’t one reason
When Jaylen Waddle hit the brakes on Denver’s second drive, three top defenders decided not to hurt the Broncos’ dangerous new receiver after a catch and veered off course. That focus led to tight end Evan Engram coming wide open in the front of the end zone and Knicks hitting a 19-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
Waddle was an example of the problems he can cause in a game even when he’s not the target. But the Broncos could have used more of Waddle’s impact with the ball in his hands on Monday. He finished with just one catch for 2 yards on three targets. The Broncos had a costly drop in the third quarter as they tried to cut Kansas City’s lead to two touchdowns.
None of this is to suggest that Waddle is any closer to the issue for Denver during a thrilling performance in the opener. Knicks was sacked four times. He fumbled three times late in the third quarter in a game that sealed Denver’s fate. He threw an interception on the first pass attempt of the game – even though the Knicks gave him no room to throw – even though the receiver Courtland Sutton – another absent performance Monday – – rookie cornerback Mansoor Delane. In his first game as a play-caller, Davis Webb had his pass-rush balance out of whack in the first half.
But on a night when Walker, the Chiefs’ off-season acquisition, was an all-round difference-maker, Waddle’s muted debut stood out. – Nick Kosmider
Jaylen Waddle was unable to make a catch during Monday night’s loss to the Chiefs. (Jay Biggerstaff/Imag Images)
What was the biggest reason for the Broncos defensive flop and can it be easily fixed?
Walker rushed for 103 yards in the 2024 season opener against the Seahawks and held Denver to more than 80 yards in just the third quarter.
That might now pale in comparison to the strong defensive effort the Broncos mustered against Walker on Monday. A microcosm of the collapse came on a fourth-and-1 play early in the third quarter. Leading 14-7, the Chiefs had fourth-and-1 at their own 40-yard line. Get a stop, and Denver will be set for a tiebreaker to drive in a good spot. As the Broncos blitzed up the middle, linebacker Alex Singleton tried to break inside to break up the play. On one quick cut, Walker went outside and outran the Broncos defense for a 60-yard touchdown that took all the air out of him. Safety Brandon Jones was in position to tackle Walker inside the 10-yard line, but his attempt to tackle the physical running back had little impact.
Terrible tackling was the theme for the Broncos all night. That can be fixed. But Denver will have to adjust to the new normal that coach Vance Joseph has been talking about all offseason. The Broncos have accumulated 131 sacks over the last two seasons. Teams are turning against heavy packages, misdirection and quick passes to relieve pressure, as the Chiefs did Monday. The Broncos didn’t capitalize on extended rushing opportunities on Monday, taking Mahomes on multiple attempts before running for a 15-yard touchdown on the opening drive.
This is still a defense loaded with skill and winning players at all three levels. That didn’t change with one bad performance. But the Broncos better get things straightened out quickly in this first month of the schedule with a strong offense ahead. – Cosmids
How would you rate Holmes’ first game back from knee surgery?
It wasn’t great by Mahomes’ standards, but it shouldn’t be considering how Walker and the team’s defense performed.
Mahomes was still good in a few clutch moments. That included willing himself for a 15-yard touchdown run while feeling how he would hold up against live competition on his operated knee.
But he has to be better from here on out. Mahomes had a bad connection with receiver Xavier Worthy that ended with a nasty interception in the third quarter. He’s also shown a tendency to get happy feet in clean pockets, one of the top bugaboos of past seasons.
Mahomes finished with 184 passing yards, but even that was a bit of a blowout.
But the biggest hope for the Chiefs? Walker (and starter Emmet Johnson) were so impressive against the Broncos that defenses need to bring in linebackers to stop them in the run game. If that happens, it will allow for big openings downfield as the Chiefs tease him more in the coming weeks. – Newell
