KANSAS CITY, MO – Now this was a bit different. Patrick Mahomes was upstaged.
Monday night marked the return of the dynamic Kansas City Chiefs quarterback from the torn ligaments in his left knee.
But it was also the coming-out party for Kenneth Walker III.
The reigning Super Bowl MVP, who came over from the Seahawks
as a free agent, gave his new team exactly what it bargained for to help blast the Denver Broncos 31-10.Walker rushed for 173 yards and scored 2 TDs. And that was only part of it.
Winners and losers from the first Monday Night Football game of the 2026 season:
WINNERS
Kenneth Walker III
Help was wanted. Help arrived in the form of the Super Bowl 60 MVP, who took a significant load off Patrick Mahomes and added an essential new dimension to the Chiefs offense.
KC has a running game? Walker, last seen motoring the Seahawks to the crown, had nearly a 100-yard game by halftime (14 rushes, 89 yards). The Chiefs set the tone early, with Walker running on seven of their first nine plays. The Chiefs haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2017. Looks like that’s about to finally change.
Patrick Mahomes
Nine months to the day of tearing the ACL and LCL in his left knee, the three-time Super Bowl MVP made his return – and amazingly fast rehab – official. Sure, he was a bit rusty, completing just two of his first eight passes. But Mahomes, wearing a custom brace, showed no fear as he scrambled and finished off a 15-yard touchdown run by diving into the end zone. Statement made: He’s baaaack.
Andy Reid and Brett Veach
After the Chiefs had their streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles snapped last season by the Broncos, the venerable coach and GM went to work with retooling the operation around their star quarterback, rebounding from knee surgery. Signing Walker as a free agent was obvious. But it was also significant that two rookies – first-round cornerback Mansoor Delane and second-round edge rusher R. Mason Thomas – made their presence felt. Delane picked off the Bo Nix pass that snuffed out the game-opening drive. And Thomas contributed a sack. Another move worth mentioning: Reid brought back Eric Bienemy to coordinate the offense. It’s no coincidence that the rushing attack attacked.
LOSERS
Davis Webb
What a rough beginning to the new play-calling arrangement for the Denver Broncos as newly-promoted offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who coach Sean Payton tabbed for the role, was not quite ready for primetime. Denver rushed just six times in the first half for 23 yards – contrasting Kansas City’s ability to establish momentum – and even more telling had a questionable sequence late in the second quarter that hugely affected the flow. And ramps up second-guessing.
Facing a third-and-1 from their 32 yard-line with about 5 minutes before halftime, Webb opted not to try running behind an offensive line with two All-Pro picks to pick up a yard and move the sticks and control the clock. The nuances matter. In the third quarter, the Broncos set up with a first-and-goal from the KC 5-yard line – a touchdown would have made it a one-score game – and were lucky to escape with a field goal. It started with a sweep to R.J. Harvey that turned into a disaster as receiver Pat Bryant was flagged for holding that moved them back to the 15-yard line. And consider this: The Broncos pair of big-play wideouts? Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle combined for 13 yards on three receptions.
Sean Payton
The Broncos coach, arguably the most notable play-caller of his generation, made the decision to turn it over to Webb. Now it’s fair to wonder whether it will be a long-term arrangement. On top of that, his team came out sloppy – particularly reflected by way too many missed tackles and holding calls by wide receivers on a night they had little room for error.
Broncos defense
The unit that led the NFL with 68 sacks last year had a Keystone Kops type of debut. It couldn’t stop the run (see Kenneth Walker III), couldn’t clamp down with the pass rush when it needed. And the tackling was atrocious. It’s worth noting that Vance Joseph’s defense is missing Jonathan Cooper for an indefinite period as the big-play linebacker is on the commissioner’s exempt list while facing trial for an array of charges stemming from domestic incidents. Cooper might not have made much a difference, but every bit helps – or hurts.
Follow Bell on X: @JarrettBell
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Patrick Mahomes wins, Broncos new play-calling plan loses as Chiefs dominate
