Broncos head coach Sean Payton reacts
Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
The Denver Broncos did not start the 2026 NFL season on the best of notes, as they suffered a 31-10 defeat to the Patrick Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs. On a night where they lost by 21 points, it's hard to pinpoint just one area where the Broncos were outplayed. However, Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes that one play essentially lost Denver the game, giving Kansas City momentum that they would not relinquish.
Speaking to reporters after the Broncos' defeat in their season opener, Payton admitted that Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker's 60-yard touchdown run ended up being a huge turning point that hurt Denver.
“The big run is the one that hurt. We don't set an edge. We missed a tackle,” Payton said, per Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette.
Indeed, allowing Walker that much space and room to get the ball downfield broke the Broncos' back. It looked like Broncos safety Brandon Jones was going to be able to take down Walker before he brought the ball all the way to the end zone, but he missed the tackle.
KENNETH WALKER 60-YARD TD
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This touchdown run from Walker gave the Chiefs a 21-7 lead, and being down two scores made it difficult for the Broncos to get themselves back into the game. It did not help that their offense was rather poor on the night, especially in the second half, when they failed to break through and score a touchdown — with Kansas City limiting them to a single field goal.
Considering how well the Broncos performed in 2025, this performance seems rather uncharacteristic. Bo Nix, in particular, did not look quite like his usual excellent self, but the Chiefs defense deserves credit as well for slowing down Denver.
The Broncos did lose two of their first three games last season but they still finished with a 14-3 record, which was tied for the best in the NFL. All that's left to do now for them is to bounce back, starting in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.