The entire Denver offense struggled to get anything going on a night they managed only 176 yards of total offense, clearly no match for Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense. Most troubling was the fact that this was the first time new offensive coordinator Davis Webb was calling plays after head coach Sean Payton announced this offseason that he would be relinquishing those duties on game days. It is unclear how long the Broncos will stick with that setup if the offense continues to struggle as it did against the Chiefs, particularly considering the team holds the honor of having the most difficult schedule during the first six weeks of the season. Waddle will look to return to his status as an upside-WR2 when the Broncos host the Jaguars in Week 2.

Nix and the rest of the Denver offense struggled throughout against Steve Spagnuolo’s Kansas City defense, gaining fewer yards as a team (176) than opposing running back Kenneth Walker (191). Things seemed to be clicking early after the Broncos were able to knot the game at seven in the first quarter, but quickly fell apart under unrelenting pressure. The poor offensive showing is sure to draw criticism in the media considering it was the first game called by first-time offensive coordinator Davis Webb after head coach Sean Payton relinquished play calling duties this offseason. Whether that setup continues remains to be seen and we wouldn’t be shocked if Webb failed to make it through the first six weeks still calling plays. The Broncos hold the league’s most difficult schedule through the first six weeks, with games against Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers, and Seahawks on the immediate horizon. Nix could regain form against the pass-funnel Jaguars in Week 2, where he will be a back-end QB1.

Rice saw only two targets as the Chiefs clearly had a ground-heavy game plan to ease quarterback Patrick Mahomes back into action in his first game since tearing his ACL in 2025. Furthermore, Rice was largely unable to generate separation against a stingy Denver secondary, oftentimes locked down in man coverage. Even his touchdown was uninspiring aside from a great effort to bounce off the first tackler. Rice appears to be a shaky fantasy bet for managers that invested an early-round pick into his services, particularly in the coming weeks against poor competition. Rice will be a speculative WR3 against the Colts in Week 2.

Kelce passed Jason Witten to move into second on the all-time tight end receiving list with a 59-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter. Even so, the veteran tight end lacked any semblance of the burst that once made him a matchup nightmare, slow out of breaks while appearing to take multiple plays off that were not drawn up for him. His once-strong connection with quarterback Patrick Mahomes also looked off on the two incompletions directed his way, both bad misses. It will likely take time for the timing to resurface between the two and Kelce appears unlikely to command meaningful volume, leaving him as a middling TE2 ahead of a soft matchup against the Colts in Week 2.

Walker single-handedly out-gained the entire Denver offense on the evening as he was the clear point of emphasis in Patrick Mahomes’ first game back after tearing his ACL in 2025. He was fed seven carries on the team’s first nine offensive plays run from scrimmage, a drive that would result in a 15-yard Mahomes rushing touchdown on the team’s first possession. The highlight of the game for the explosive back was a 60-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one, in which he bounced the football outside and dusted the secondary on his way to the end zone. He would add a receiving score on a “Kansas City Special” later in the game, taking a Mahomes shuttle pass to the end zone from two yards out to further bolster his counting stats. What’s more, walker played all but five offensive snaps in the first half with the game still within reason, highlighting a massive ceiling for the remainder of the season. Walker is a locked-in RB1 ahead of a Week 2 matchup against the Colts.

A rushing score on the team’s first possession appeared to calm fantasy owners’ nerves as that was the area of Mahomes’ game most in question coming off the injury, but concerns grew as he completed just two of his first 12 pass attempts in his first start since suffering a torn ACL in 2025. A passing score to Rashee Rice at the end of the first half elevated his counting stats further before a shuttle pass touchdown to Kenneth Walker after the break took him into fantasy QB1 territory. Even so, the outing was far from perfect as Mahomes missed numerous open receivers on his way to a paltry 6.8 yards per pass attempt. Mahomes’ lone interception was a badly overthrown ball on a miscommunication in the third quarter that could have been much more damning had the Kansas City defense not held the Broncos to a field goal on the resulting possession. With games against the Colts, Dolphins, and Raiders on tap the next three weeks, the Chiefs could continue to lean on Walker after the recent addition out-gained the entire Denver offense by himself in Week 1. Mahomes will be difficult to trust until he proves to be more accurate through the air.

This reinforces previous reports that indicated the team was not considering injured reserve, with the injury believed to be of the short-term variety. Destin adds that Darnold’s hip joint is unaffected. Seattle fans breathe a collective sigh of relief as the team looks to become the third franchise to repeat as Super Bowl Champions since the turn of the century. Still no word from the team on Darnold’s expected recovery timeline, leaving fantasy managers scrambling to fill the roster hole in the interim.

It’s about the worst-case scenario for an offense with no shortage of change in 2026, with new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion now hit with a substantial blow to his front five. The news comes on the heels of a close Week 1 victory over the divisional rival Commanders, a game that played much closer than expected. Time will tell if Dickerson makes it back to previous form in what could be his final professional season.

Harbaugh also declined to say whether he expected McConkey to play in Week 2 against the Raiders, instead saying the team wants to see how he feels over the course of the week. The Chargers will release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday, but if McConkey can log a few limited practices before the weekend, he should have a shot to suit up on game day.

Monken had been a little more evasive on the issue in his post-game interview after Week 1’s shellacking. It appears the Browns would like to touch the hot stove at least one more time against the Buccaneers. Expectations for all Browns pass-catchers and runners can be lowered even against a middling Bucs defense. Monken added “there were some really good things on film.”