The Denver Broncos fell in an early hole thanks to a Bo Nix interception to start things off in Week 1. Denver did quickly tie the game, but after that, the floodgates opened. Denver failed to do much of anything following the touchdown drive, and it ended in one of the more brutal losses of the Sean Payton era.
Denver does tend to start slow under Payton, so I guess this isn't the biggest surprise ever, but after an offseason filled with hype about how Denver can win the Super Bowl and how awesome of an addition Jaylen Waddle is, this Week 1 showing was honestly the worst-case scenario.
Following the game, cornerback Patrick Surtain II did seem to think that the Broncos needed a serving of humble pie, and he's not wrong.
Denver Broncos needed some humble pie, according to Patrick Surtain II
Surtain talked about his humble pie comments more in depth here:
#Broncos CB Pat Surtain II said, “We needed some humble pie, for sure.” He explains why: pic.twitter.com/IHL5E9kQMT
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) September 15, 2026
And, you know what? He's right. The Broncos may have been doing victory laps this offseason after acquiring Waddle and listening to many across the NFL landscape say that this team is good enough to win it all. Even Davis Webb being given the play-calling duties was getting a ton of positive reception.
While there were many who predicted a regression, it was hard to truly find people who were low on the Broncos this year. And as for the Kansas City Chiefs, their situation was a bit different, as the return of Patrick Mahomes was the main storyline, but others also had questions about how good Mahomes would be upon his return and if the roster was good enough.
When you think about it, the Broncos and Chiefs were on two opposite ends of the spectrum to begin the season. With Denver getting blown out as badly as they did, I'd be shocked if this team didn't get humbled big-time.
Yes, the Broncos got off to a slower start last year, but the two early-season losses came on last-second field goals, which is a lot different than being blown out in a primetime window. Perhaps the Broncos can use this experience to play angry and inspired in Week 2 and beyond.
The one good thing with being blown out is that there really isn't anywhere to go but up, and now that the team got humbled big-time, there is reason to believe that the following games will produce a cleaner, tougher brand of Broncos football, which is needed.
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