After this brutal loss, how much should Broncos fans and the team panic about their Super Bowl chances?
[This isn't a good start for the Denver Broncos.](https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/denver-broncos/broncos-news-bo-nix-biggest-issue-mnf-loss-chiefs) Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs is bad enough, but getting blown out in their season opener is a complete bummer. It wasn't just the final score: Denver were outplayed on both sides of the ball. It felt a little bit like the Broncos of old who got thoroughly beat by the Chiefs before the 2023 season.
Denver was initially seen as one of the favorites to make it out of the AFC and potentially win the Super Bowl. After this brutal loss, how much should Broncos fans and the team panic about their Super Bowl chances?
**Broncos' opening-season dud discouraging, but not the end of the world for Denver**
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The Broncos came into the 2026 season with an internal change in how they run their offense. Sean Payton has been Denver's play-caller for the entirety of his tenure there. Payton has always called the shots on offense on all the teams he's coaching in his career. For the first time, though, the veteran head coach handed over play-calling duties to his offensive coordinator: Davis Webb. Webb has been part of Payton's coaching staff since the joined Denver in 2023, and now he's entrusted with calling the shots on offense.
It couldn't have gone worse for Denver. The Broncos had their worst offensive output in the Payton era against the Chiefs in Week 1. The offense was only able to muster 176 total scrimmage yards: 115 passing yards and 61 rushing yards. They only scored 10 points throughout the game. They struggled to move the chains, getting just nine first downs and going 2-for-13 on third and fourth downs.
Penalties played a part, and that one was well out of Webb's control. However, the [Broncos offense also did themselves no favors with their play-calling.](https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/denver-broncos/broncos-news-sean-payton-makes-bold-davis-webb-guarantee-play-calling-swap) Webb and the offense consistently found themselves at third-and-medium or third-and-long situations, an unideal spot for an offense to be in. His play-calling left a lot to be desired, as it didn't do Bo Nix any favors in bailing them out of situations.
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Perhaps just as concerning was the Broncos' surprising struggles on defense. Denver's supposedly vaunted defense suddenly couldn't stop anything the Chiefs threw at them. The blown coverages were one thing, but what did Denver in was their many missed tackles. Denver's defenders recorded a grand total of 28 missed tackles against the Chiefs. It didn't matter if it was old-man Travis Kelce, Kenneth Walker, or rookie Emmett Johnson running, Denver's defense just couldn't bring anyone down.
So, does this all mean that the Broncos are doomed?
No, absolutely not. Week 1 is always a weird time for NFL teams coming out of the offseason, and that's doubly true for this team. Webb is still feeling out the Broncos' playbook, and we're certain that Payton is also giving him help in that department behind the scenes. There were still signs of life from Denver's offense throughout the game. Jaylen Waddle will definitely bounce back.
NFL defenses often also tend to look worse to start the season before they get better. The adjustment from playing defense with no pads to full-on contact is always a rough transition, and the Broncos still seem to be shaking off the rust. While the missed tackles are an issue, the silver lining is that Denver's defenders were still in good position to stop the play. They just… well, completely whiffed on their attempts to do so.
If we had to quantify the panic level for the Broncos after Week 1, it would be at just three out of ten, ten being the highest. There's some issues, yes, but it's also more plausible for Denver to fix their issues as the season goes on.