Walker III stars in Chiefs’ riot of Broncos

After winning at Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since 2015 last season, the Denver Broncos returned for Monday Night Football in an AFC West matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs, who welcomes back Patrick Mahomes from a torn ACL.

Many eyes were on Kansas City from the outset, with critics pondering all off-season whether they would be able to resume the dynasty or if it their time had finally come to rebuild and set themselves up for another period of contention.

The Chiefs defense clearly had nothing winning on their mind, sacking Bo Nix on the first play of the game before rookie Mansoor Delane got his first career interception less than 90 seconds into the game, picking off Nix on 3rd and long. Alas, Delane’s debut was short-lived, as a shoulder injury forced him into the locker room and out for the remainder of the night.

Shortly after, the dream start for the home team continued, as Mahomes put to bed any doubts as to whether he’d still have the mobility that has helped him to become such a great quarterback over the years, evading multiple sacks and plowing into the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown.

Unfazed by the hostile atmosphere, Denver’s 3rd year quarterback was quick to overcome his early mistake, leading a confident drive down the field and responding with a touchdown pass of his own, hooking up with Evan Engram to level the scores.

The predictable defensive nature of a high-stakes divisional matchup took over the game thereafter, as 6 consecutive drives between the 2 teams were halted and ended in punts throughout the 2nd quarter.

But on his 13th carry of the first half, Kansas City’s new lead back, Kenneth Walker III, injected some much needed offensive spark into the game with a 28-yard run, setting up his new side’s second touchdown of the night, which came through Rashee Rice, as the Chiefs took a 14-7 lead into the half.

Andy Reid’s heavy usage of the ground game picked up right where it left off in the 3rd term, emphasised by a decision to hand it off to Walker III on 4th and inches in their own territory. K9 did more than just move the chains, breaking loose for a 60-yard house call, reaching a speed of over 21 miles per hour on his way to the end zone.

With the game slipping out of reach, Denver’s defense came up with a much need takeaway deep in Kansas City territory, as a horrible throw from Mahomes fell into Brandon Jones’ lap. Alas, Nix and the offense couldn’t make the Chiefs pay full price, settling for a short-range field goal.

The Chiefs’ 2nd explosive play of the 3rd quarter came through veteran tight end, who began his 14th NFL season with a 59-yard catch-and-run, as Harrison’s Butker extended the lead back out to 2 touchdowns.

To put the game beyond doubt, Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Chris Jones combined to force and recover a fumble by Nix. Unlike the Broncos offense, Mahomes and the Chiefs had no trouble taking advantage of great field position, as Walker III capped off one of the great debut performances with his 2nd score, well and truly announcing himself in front of the Chiefs kingdom.

An emphatic, statement victory for Kansas City on primetime, putting the league back on notice that they are once again a legitimate contender. Whilst not perfect across the night, Mahomes (184 passing yards, 3 total touchdowns) showed plenty of glimpses of MVP quality and Steve Spagnuolo’s defense looked as good as ever, despite losing a few key pieces during the off-season. There’s no forgetting that in his last 3 games as a Seahawk, Walker III (191 scrimmage yards, 2 touchdowns) went on one of the great playoff runs for a running back, culiminating in a Super Bowl MVP, and he seems poised to carry that form throughout the entirety of this regular season.

While Sean Payton and the Broncos won’t panic immediately, they certainly didn’t look like the team that hosted last year’s AFC Championship game. Starting the season a game behind a contending divisional rival is never ideal, but they’ll have no choice but to re-group and get themselves together ahead of a brutal 5-game stretch over the next month.

Touchdowns
Denver: Engram
Kansas City: Walker III 2, Mahomes, Rice

Top Performers
Denver: Engram, Jones, Singleton, Crawshaw
Kansas City: Walker III, Mahomes, Williams, Jones, Anudike-Uzomah

Injuries
Denver: N/A
Kansas City: Delane (shoulder), McDonald (knee)

Crowd: TBC at Arrowhead Stadium