Bo Nix, Broncos drop opener after 'pretty pitiful' effort

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix needed just three words to sum up the laundry list of woes in the team's 31-10 season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Monday night in Arrowhead Stadium.

Nix said it was "pretty pitiful, actually."

That it was as the Broncos started the evening riding an offseason full of optimism and high hopes, but ended it with one of the worst all-around performances since a 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2024 -- Nix's rookie year.

"We just let ourselves down ... we literally gave ourselves no chance to succeed and made it easier for them, point blank, period," Nix said. " ... We don't have a choice but to get better, just a nasty wakeup call."

In first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb's regular-season debut as the team's play-caller, the Broncos found little rhythm, right from an ill-fated opening drive. In their first three plays from scrimmage in the game, Nix was sacked to open the drive and threw his first interception of the season on the third play to end the possession.

The Chiefs turned that into their first touchdown and while the Broncos answered with their only touchdown drive of the night on their next possession to tie the game at 7-7, the die of frustration had already been cast. The Broncos offense gained just 176 net yards and didn't have a play longer than 20 yards.

And defensively a staggeringly large pile of missed tackles and missed run fits resulted in Chiefs' running back Kenneth Walker III's single-game career best with 173 yards rushing in his first regular-season game in Kansas City. Walker averaged 7.5 yards per carry and his total included a 60-yard touchdown run against a defense that saw just one back gain more than 70 yards in a game in all of 2025.

The Chiefs finished with 220 yards rushing overall and it was the most rushing yards the Broncos have surrendered in a game since they allowed 234 to the New York Jets in Week 5 of the 2024 season.

"We didn't tackle well enough, and then the game became one dimensional," Broncos coach Sean Payton said. "Really the antithesis of how you beat a good team on the road, it's that simple."

And while the Broncos' run defense will certainly spend plenty of time on the criticism rotisserie in the days to come, the Broncos' offense will likely bear a bigger brunt.

While Payton has repeatedly said he has significant say in the game-planning and how the Broncos approach each week, Webb's first regular-season game calling plays was still not the debut anyone with the Broncos had hoped to see. Payton said, at first blush, there were "a lot of throws, not enough runs."

"It starts with me, it starts with our coaching staff," Payton said. " ... Our third down numbers weren't good, our rushing numbers weren't good, pick your spot."

The Broncos had just six carries in the first half and the Chiefs had a two-touchdown lead before running back J.K. Dobbins had carries on consecutive plays. The Broncos also had seven penalties overall, Nix fumbled three times (losing one) to go with his first-quarter interception and was sacked four times -- tied for the most in any game of his career.

Nix was quick to point the finger at himself and the other players on offense rather than the plan.

"Absolutely, players did not make it easy on (Webb)," Nix said. " ... He was, to me, in the headset, he was a pro with it ... we called exactly what we prepared for, we just didn't execute and then we were behind and just literally we didn't a whole lot of good consistently."

Nix added: "You learn how important it is not to kill yourself. That goes without saying ... I just felt like penalty after penalty after penalty, nobody has good plays to call when you're in second and long and third and long ... We just didn't put anybody in a good spot."

Nix pointed to Broncos' safety Brandon Jones' third quarter interception of Patrick Magomes, when the Chiefs had a 21-7 lead, as a point when the Broncos' offense, if it was going well, could have turned the game. Jones returned the interception to the Chiefs' 5-yard line.

However, the Broncos lost eight yards over the next four plays, including a penalty, and settled for a field goal. "We take an interception and literally go backwards," Nix said.

The Broncos have a short week to digest it all and prepare for the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0), who come to Denver Sunday.

"We can act like all we want, they're still the Chiefs and they're still a good football team," Nix said. " ... You have to give them a lot of credit and they wore us out today."

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