The wait is over.
This is true on multiple levels. The Denver Broncos will open the season. And quarterback Bo Nix is set to return to the field after an ankle injury ended his and the Broncos’ season.
But there is something different about this season opener. Denver is coming off its best season in a decade, having hosted and played in the AFC Championship Game, claimed the No. 1 seed in the AFC, won the AFC West, and beaten Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in one of the best wins in franchise history.
Now, can Nix and the Broncos build off that incredible season and take the next step to the Super Bowl? The first test comes on Monday Night Football against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Denver as the slight road underdog to its division rivals. The Broncos are +2.5-point underdogs to host Kansas City. The total sits at 43.5 points, with a lean toward the under at -112.
Offensive Rankings (2025)
Denver: Tenth in total offense (352.1 yards per game), 18th in rushing offense (118.3 YPG), eighth in passing offense (233.9 YPG), 13th in scoring offense (24.1 points per game).
Kansas City: Thirteenth in total offense (342.9 yards per game), 22nd in rushing offense (109.7 YPG), ninth in passing offense (233.2 YPG), 20th in scoring offense (22.5 points per game).
Defensive Rankings (2025)
Denver: Fourth in total defense (291.6 yards per game), second in rushing defense (90.2 YPG), 10th in passing defense (201.4 YPG), fifth in scoring defense (19.7 points per game).
Kansas City: Tenth in total defense (307.9 yards per game), ninth in rushing defense (103.4 YPG), 12th in passing defense (204.5 YPG), fourth in scoring defense (19.6 points per game).
Here are the MHR staff’s keys to Monday night’s game.
Start fast
This applies to Monday’s game and the season. One of the reasons Nix and the Broncos had so many comeback wins last season is that the offense started slow. The best way to ensure you don’t have so many come-from-behind, one-score wins in 2026 is to have the offense consistently start games faster. There’s no better time for that than Monday Night Football in Kansas City to open the season. And why not do so in Davis Webb’s first game as the offensive playcaller? Send a message to the rest of the NFL. On the first play from scrimmage, dial up a deep shot to Jaylen Waddle and test that Chiefs secondary. Coming away with an opening-drive touchdown on offense puts Denver in a great position to start the season with a big road win. — Ian St. Clair
Stop the run
Make the Chiefs one-dimensional. Force Patrick Mahomes to prove he can carry his team with a surgically repaired knee. — Adam Malnati
Close the deal on third downs
Whether on offense or defense, the Broncos will win if they beat the Chiefs on third down. — Tim Lynch
Score more points than KC
This will be a tough opening week matchup, but the key to the game remains the same. Score more points than the other team. According to advanced metrics, the Broncos are undefeated when they score more points than their opponents. So, if they do that on Monday Night, they will defeat their division rivals and start the year 1-0. — Scotty Payne
Win the turnover battle
Creating more turnovers has been a focal point of the team’s defense all season long. In order to win on the road at Arrowhead, the Broncos have to be on the right side with respect to turnover margin. Whether it’s a key interception, a strip sack, or a force fumble elsewhere, the Broncos’ defense has to make a few big plays to come out of Kansas City with a victory in Week 1. — Christopher Hart
Test Chiefs secondary
Push matchups hard against the Chiefs’ reconstructed secondary. That unit is debuting three new starters and trying to replace a whopping 2,415 defensive snaps vacated by McDuffie, Watson, & Cook. With 29-year-old L’Jarius Sneed bracketed by two young CBs, that secondary should present some big-play opportunities with the talent matchups the Broncos’ WR group and receiving RBs bring to the table. Let’s see Waddle & Sutton debut a Thomas & Sanders style lightning & thunder WR duo in strong fashion. — Taylor Kothe
Force second- & third-&-long
The Broncos defense allowed a league-best 4.0 yards per play on first down in 2025 and only 15% of first downs on first down — also league-best. They need to continue that against the Chiefs on Monday night. Get them off schedule and force them into second, third, and long counts. The Broncos need to take advantage of the weak KC offensive tackles and bring pressure with four, which will force Mahomes to make throws into tight windows, leading to incompletions and turnovers. — Joe Mahoney
