Chiefs take control after even opening quarter
Kansas City beat Denver 31-10 to open the 2026 season, riding Kenneth Walker III’s 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns to a 1-0 start. The Broncos fell to 0-1. The teams finished the first quarter tied 7-7, but Kansas City outscored Denver 24-3 the rest of the way. The Chiefs took a 14-7 lead into halftime, widened the margin to 24-10 through three quarters and added seven unanswered points in the fourth.
Walker leads a productive Chiefs backfield
Walker carried 23 times and scored once on the ground. He also caught three of six targets for 18 yards and another touchdown, finishing with 191 yards from scrimmage. Patrick Mahomes completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He added 23 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, giving Kansas City scoring production through the air and on the ground. Travis Kelce gained 71 yards on three catches. Rashee Rice caught both of his targets for 19 yards and a touchdown, while Emmett Johnson contributed 24 rushing yards on eight carries and 44 receiving yards on two catches.
Denver gets little beyond its early touchdown
Denver scored seven points in the opening quarter but managed only three more over the final three periods. Bo Nix finished 17-of-28 passing for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception, with two rushing yards on three carries. Evan Engram caught four of five targets for 43 yards and Denver’s receiving touchdown. Pat Bryant added four catches for 42 yards on six targets. J.K. Dobbins rushed eight times for 36 yards. RJ Harvey gained 18 yards on three carries and caught all four of his targets for 23 yards.
Fantasy takeaways
Walker delivered the game’s largest PPR return at 34.1 points. His 23 carries and six targets supplied volume in both phases, while his two touchdowns pushed him well ahead of the other fantasy scorers. Mahomes finished with 21.7 points, helped by his rushing touchdown. Engram led Denver with 14.3 PPR points, combining four receptions with a touchdown despite the Broncos’ limited passing output. Kelce posted 10.1 PPR points. Rice scored 9.9, though his two targets meant much of that return depended on his touchdown. Johnson added 8.8 points, with 44 of his 68 scrimmage yards coming as a receiver.
Week 2 schedule
Denver hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 20 at 4:05 p.m. ET. Kansas City stays home to face the Indianapolis Colts that night at 8:20 p.m. ET.