Broncos fans probably ought to brace for a little ugliness when Week 1 rolls around.
Denver has the better roster on paper and a real chance to handle Kansas City, but early September has a way of dragging even good teams into the mud. The Chiefs are no easy opening opponent, even after a six-win season, and the Broncos’ sweep of Kansas City last year came in two games that were close despite Denver being significantly more talented overall.
That’s part of why a win and a clean performance may not come as a package deal. The Broncos should still be in position to take care of business, but the first week of the season has already shown how messy things can get.
The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams both looked terrible in Week 1 and lost, and Denver sits in that same upper tier with them. A flat showing from the Broncos would not be surprising, even if they still find a way to win.
Week 1 has a habit of pretending to be more than it is. It often feels like the real final tune-up before teams settle into who they are.
That’s especially true for a Broncos team that has not exactly burst out of the gate under Sean Payton. Denver opened 0-3 in 2023, 0-2 in 2024, and 1-2 in 2025, and that slow-start pattern stretches back through much of Payton’s coaching career.
The first week of this season offered more proof that reputations don’t matter much once the games begin. Drake Maye threw three fourth quarter interceptions, and Matthew Stafford’s Rams managed only seven points. Those results didn’t erase either team’s long-term outlook, and the same logic applies here: a rough first impression does not automatically define a season.
Still, there are reasons Denver’s offense could take a minute to get moving. Davis Webb is making his first regular-season appearance as the play caller, and it may take more than one game for Jaylen Waddle’s role to settle in. Even last year’s Broncos team, which won 14 games, opened with an ugly win over the Tennesse Titans, one of the league’s worst teams by season’s end.
So yes, Denver should be favored to win. Kansas City simply does not look as talented as the Broncos, and the Chiefs’ youth could be a problem in a primetime setting with that much pressure attached.
But if Week 1 turns into a clunky, uneven game, that may be the most realistic script. And if the Broncos are serious about being the team that lifts the Lombardi Trophy this year, one sloppy opener should not change the bigger picture.
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