The Denver Broncos faced the Kansas City Chiefs to open the 2026 season and it was not their finest hour.
The Broncos couldn't tackle, gave up 173 yards on the ground to Kenneth Walker III and were outclassed in every way in a 31-10 loss. However, a three-game winning streak for the Broncos coupled with a Chiefs loss in Seattle last Sunday gives the Broncos a chance to take over first place in the AFC West with a win over Kansas City this Sunday.
It won't come easily. The Chiefs are coming off a humbling defeat and they know the importance of staying ahead of Denver in this race. The Broncos will need to look like a much different team than the one that took the field in Kansas City back on September 14th.
How do the experts see this one shaking
out?
Broncos vs. Chiefs Week 8 expert picks
Bill Bender, The Sporting News: Chiefs 20, Broncos 17
"The Chiefs beat the Broncos 31-10 in Week 1", wrote Bender for The Sporting News. "Kansas City is coming off a Sunday Night Football dud at Seattle, so this is a bounce-back spot for Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs need more production out of their receivers, and Rashee Rice (hamstring) could return this week. Denver quarterback Bo Nix has not thrown an interception in the Broncos' last four games. This will be a slugfest between two of the league's top-seven scoring defenses."
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: Chiefs 19, Broncos 14
"The Chiefs' offense was lifeless in Seattle on Sunday night and now faces a tough Denver defense", Prisco wrote for CBS. "They have to find ways to get the running game going again with Kenneth Walker. Bo Nix showed some life last week in the victory over Arizona, but this Chiefs defense will be a challenge. Look for a low-scoring game won by Kansas City, with Walker getting going against Denver's defense, which gives up 4.6 yards per rush."
Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic: Broncos 24, Chiefs 23
"The Broncos are really difficult to beat at Empower Field at Mile High and take a three-game win streak into this game", Cluff wrote for Arizona Republic. "Bo Nix and Denver will edge Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to pick up a huge win in this AFC West game."
Gennaro Filice, NFL.com: Broncos 19, Chiefs 17
"This matchup received the football world’s undivided attention back in Week 1, when Kansas City made a 31-10 statement on the Monday night stage" wrote Filice for NFL.com. "Now, with the division rivalry shifting locales from Kansas City to Denver, and the Broncos finally showing signs of life offensively, it’s automatically tempting to back the home team. But I’m left asking myself one question ... Can Denver stop the run?
The Chiefs rushed for 220 yards against the Broncos in the season opener, with Kenneth Walker III turning 23 carries into 173 yards -- that’s 7.5 per tote! Granted, K9 has been running circles around defenders all season. Well, until this past Sunday night, when the Seahawks held their former teammate to just 36 yards on 14 carries -- a meager 2.6 per tote -- and handed the previously perfect Chiefs a humbling 20-3 defeat. Can Vance Joseph's unit provide that kind of ground defense this Sunday? It’s a tall task, though Denver has shown some improvement against the run during its current three-game win streak, yielding a middle-of-the-pack figure of 4.2 yards per carry during that span. After spending the first six weeks of the season on the Commissioner Exempt List, Jonathon Cooper just made his season debut last Sunday, reinfusing the defense with a powerful edge setter. Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ offensive line is highly unstable beyond the Pro Bowl combo of C Creed Humphrey and RG Trey Smith. All that said, Denver must do a better job of tackling. The Broncos memorably missed 28 tackles in the season opener at K.C. -- the most whiffs by any team in a single game over the past three seasons, per NGS -- and comfortably lead the league with 94 missed tackles in 2026. I think they atone for a humiliating Week 1 performance with a more buttoned-up effort in the friendly, Mile High confines, settling the season score with the Chiefs in a low-scoring win."
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL picks: Who the experts predict to win in the Broncos-Chiefs game
