3 Broncos who need to be benched, 3 who need to play more after Chiefs loss

4. JaQuan McMillian deserves more playing time

The Denver Broncos already took the drastic step to bench (and cut) Essang Bassey off the roster entirely. Bassey was taking over as the team's no. 1 nickel cornerback with K'Waun Williams on the mend, and McMillian has already taken his place.

After his performance on Thursday night, the Broncos might need to find a way to just keep McMillian on the field. He impressed in his lone opportunity late last season vs. the Chargers as an outside corner, and against the Chiefs, he proved to be a bit of a menace in the nickel. He finished with 3 tackles for loss and a pass breakup, a play where it looked like he was a tick away from a possible pick-six.

5. The time has come for Damarri Mathis to be benched

The Denver Broncos' starting cornerback opposite Pat Surtain II all season has been former fourth-round pick Damarri Mathis. The team put a lot of faith in Mathis after his strong rookie season, and understandably so. The issue, up to this point, is that they didn't bring in anyone that they feel can immediately replace him. We've yet to see rookie Riley Moss, but that will hopefully soon change.

Mathis had another really poor game against the Chiefs on Thursday, getting called for a questionable pass interference penalty but also was out of position on a variety of occasions.

6. Ronnie Perkins needs more playing time

If you've been wondering who no. 51 is out there coming off the edge for the Denver Broncos, it's former New England Patriots third-round pick Ronnie Perkins. The Broncos poached Perkins off of the Patriots' practice squad earlier this season and his game action last week was the first of his NFL career. His snaps against Kansas City were the most extensive he's ever played, and he looked really solid.

There was one play, in particular, where Perkins got a great jump off the snap in the red zone and got pressure on Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes escaped to his right and Perkins was able to change direction quickly and stay in pursuit. He had a number of high-effort plays on the night and standout reps where that 51 popped off the screen.

Maybe the Broncos found a gem here.