The Denver Broncos don't have an easy task in Week 1, as the Kansas City Chiefs will be a handful even with the team winning just six games last year. The Broncos were able to sweep the Chiefs last year, but both games were close despite Denver being significantly more talented overall.
There are a ton of factors that do side with the Broncos here, so this team should be able to earn the win, but early in the season is when things look a bit shaky. As we have seen in the first two games of the 2026 NFL Season, even the best teams in the league look weak at times.
The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams both, frankly, played horrific in football in Week 1 and lost, and with the Broncos also being in that top tier with New England and LA, it really wouldn't be a shock if the team came out and looked a bit flat, even if they got the win.
Denver Broncos may endure some ugly football in Week 1 based on what we have seen
Week 1 in the NFL is often a liar, as it honestly isn't inaccurate to call Week 1 the 'final' week of the preseason. In the first real game action of the season, teams struggle to slide into their identity and just don't always play good football.
The Broncos have experienced this before in the Sean Payton era, having started 0-3 in 2023, 0-2 in 2024, and 1-2 in 2025. This is actually a trend throughout much of Payton's head coaching career, too. In Week 1 this year, we saw both New England and LA get mostly nothing going on offense. Drake Maye tossed three fourth quarter interceptions, and Matthew Stafford couldn't lead the Rams to more than seven points.
And just because New England and LA are now both 0-1, doesn't mean they won't make the playoffs, so the long-term picture for both clubs is still solid, as the NFL is absolutely a marathon. For the Broncos, the major offensive changes they made could also amplify a potential slow start on that side of the ball.
Davis Webb's first regular season game calling plays happens to be in primetime, and it could take more than a week for Jaylen Waddle's role on offense to become clear. Even with the Broncos having won 14 games last year, the first game of the season was about an ugly a win as possible against the Tennesse Titans, who finished the year among the worst teams in the sport.
The Broncos should be able to win this game, as the Chiefs roster just isn't nearly as talented as Denver's, and with as much youth as Kansas City has, the overall lack of experience could come back to bite them in such a high-profile game and national timeslot.
There is a solid chance that Denver is hoisting the Lombardi Trophy this year, so the long-term success of this team should not be totally thrown away if this team comes out a bit flat in Week 1. In fact, a sloppy game might be the most likely scenario.
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