In less than one month, the Denver Broncos travel to Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs. It's the first Monday Night Football Game of the season, and it's an important one. While the Broncos, for example, lost their first two games in 2024 but still made the playoffs, this divisional showdown could come in handy down the line.
If the Chiefs somehow figure out how to bounce back after a six-win season, you never know how the AFC West may shake out. The Broncos simply need to beat the Chiefs in this matchup, as it'd give them a quick advantage in the overall record and in the divisional record.
And while we still have about three weeks until MNF, the team may already have a major advantage against the Chiefs that was not present in either game in 2025.
Denver Broncos RB J.K. Dobbins was not playing in either matchup against the Chiefs in 2025
The Broncos played the Chiefs in Week 11 and Week 17 in 2025, winning by the following margins:
22-19
20-13
Each game was close and decided near the very end when the clock was about to hit zero. Obviously, Denver averaged 21 points in those two games. They rushed for 59 yards in Week 11 and 128 yards in Week 17, which averages out to 93.5 yards per game on the ground.
Running back J.K. Dobbins had played the first 10 games of the season before suffering what turned into a season-ending foot injury. Across those 10 games, the Broncos averaged 23.5 points per game, which is more than what they averaged in their two matchups against the Chiefs.
Denver ran for 128.6 yards per game when Dobbins was healthy, so the data simply shows that it was a clear drop-off in efficiency against Kansas City. With divisional games especially, the run game takes higher importance, as it gives that team a better chance of winning the time of possession battle, and for the Broncos' case, it also keeps the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes, who can obviously be a game-changer.
Nothing is guaranteed right now, but Dobbins is healthy and currently on pace to be ready for Week 1. Denver having his presence in the backfield, especially playing in a hostile environment, is going to be huge. Yes, the team is also getting some slick returns from rookie Jonah Coleman thus far, but Dobbins is going to be the starting running back for this team in 2026.
If Denver isn't able to throw the ball well against a stingy secondary, the natural choice after that is to simply lean on the run game. With a healthy Dobbins, and perhaps an efficient Coleman and improved RJ Harvey, Denver could be a tough out for the Chiefs.
Obviously, though, Dobbins is the main idea here, and if he is indeed playing in Week 1, the Broncos chances of winning skyrocket.
Add us as a preferred source on Google