To say any NFL division could be determined after Week 1 of a long and grueling 17-game slate is... preposterous. But when the Denver Broncos schedule was recently released, the importance of Denver's Week 1 game - at GEHA Field in Kansas City - became all the more evident.
Denver's overall record in Kansas City is 21-45. Math was never my specialty in school - but I believe that's a less-than-desirable record.
Games on the road against divisional opponents are always difficult - and a team's historical record will match. But, a few pieces make this game more exciting than normal, and all the more important for Denver.
Denver Broncos title defense of the AFC West begins in Kansas City
We don't know when Patrick Mahomes returns, but the Kansas City Chiefs feel confident it'll be Week 1. Bo Nix is dealing with an injury in his own right - but the Broncos are also confident in his Week 1 return.
If both players are healthy and on the field September 14, 2026, the outcome of the game could significantly alter the divisional race.
And before the (slightly deserved) eye roll at over-dramatizing a Week 1 matchup, just remember: one of these two franchises has won the division every year since 2010; Denver took the crown from Kansas City in 2025, for the first time since 2015, when Patrick Mahomes was a sophomore at Texas Tech.
For Denver, winning Week 1 would be critical for their division title defense because it sets up the rest of their divisional schedule so well. Four of their six divisional games aren't until November, three of which are home games, and two of which are against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders.
Let's assume they don't go undefeated in the division (a wildly pessimistic view for Broncos Country, I get it). But if they win Week 1 in Kansas City, split the season series against the Chiefs and Chargers, and sweep the Raiders, they'll end at 4-2. A respectable, historically typical record for division winners in the NFL. And that's assuming Kansas City walks into Denver on November 1 and wins - a weighty assumption. A 4-2 division record is absolutely achievable, 5-1 is within reason.
Therein lies the importance of Week 1. If Denver escapes Kansas City with a victory, it immediately flips the division in their favor, gives the team cushion for tiebreakers, and gives them homefield advantage the rest of the year.
I've always rolled my eyes at pundits placing too much emphasis on September football. And yet, here I am.
But now you know the importance of Week 1. Plan accordingly.
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