The NFL has kicked off its first week of the 2026 season and the week ends with a bang as the Denver Broncos will travel to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. The Broncos are hungry to build on their accomplishments last season, while the Chiefs are hungry to reverse what they went through last season.
That sets the stage for an extremely interesting game.
The NFL is arguably the most unpredictable league in professional sports, but making predictions is one of the things that makes it enjoyable. So let's make some bold predictions, which we each get bolder as they go on, before predicting who will win this game.
4 bold predictions for Broncos vs. Chiefs in Week 1
1. Broncos' running backs make early-season statement
The Chiefs will want to establish a strong rushing attack in this game, but the Broncos' running
backs will make the most noise.
J.K. Dobbins will be excited to return to the field for the first time since a foot injury ended his season in Week 10 last year, and he will respond with a 100-yard effort. He rushed for 100 yards just twice last season.
In addition, fourth-round pick Jonah Coleman will make his presence felt in his regular-season debut as he finds the end zone in this game.
2. Broncos' pass rush finishes where it left off
The Broncos had 68 team sacks last year, tied for fifth-most in NFL history. They want even more this year, and that goal will get off to a strong start as the Broncos' defense racks up five sacks of Patrick Mahomes in this game.
3. Evan Engram has a night
You want bold? Here's bold.
Much was made of the down season that Evan Engram had in his first year with the Broncos last season. He has had all offseason to hear about that and he responds in a big way in this game, finding the end zone not once, but twice.
Engram had only one touchdown catch for the Broncos last season. He also had only one the year before with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
4. Broncos get off to a great start
This will be a dogfight. The Chiefs don't want to drop a home game in the division to start the season, so the Broncos will get their best shot. But they will show the NFL world that last season was no fluke and that bigger things could be on the near horizon.
Broncos win, 24-17.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 4 bold predictions for Broncos’ game vs. Chiefs
