Last Sunday, our Seattle Seahawks absolutely *smoked* the Kansas City Chiefs, thoroughly outplaying them in all three phases of the game. That beatdown was so complete, the Chiefs now have to respond on the road against the Denver Broncos in a crucial AFC West matchup. While Kansas City snagged a 31-10 win against Denver back in Week 1, these Broncos aren’t the same team, rolling into this rematch at 5-2 after winning five of their last six. Talk about a wake-up call, right?
The Emerald City Effect: How Our D Exposed Their Star
One of the biggest takeaways from our Hawks’ dominant performance was how we completely stifled Kenneth Walker III. The guy had been tearing it up all season for the Chiefs, entering Week 8 with 701 rushing yards, 116 receiving yards, and eight total touchdowns. But against our Emerald City defense, he was held to a measly 36 yards on 14 carries. That was the first time all season he failed to rush for 100 yards or score a touchdown. You love to see it! Now, the Chiefs are facing a Denver defense that, despite being one of the league’s better overall units, actually struggles against the run. The Broncos have given up 933 rushing yards through seven games, averaging 133.3 per game and 4.6 yards per carry. Kansas City’s offensive approach should be simple: lean on Walker. He crushed Denver for 173 rushing yards and a 60-yard touchdown in Week 1. They racked up 220 rushing yards in that game, controlled the clock for nearly 34 minutes, and converted nine of 17 third downs. Chiefs coach Andy Reid can’t let one poor showing against our boys move the offense away from what works. Getting Walker 125 scrimmage yards should be the bare minimum to keep Denver’s pass rush honest and stop Patrick Mahomes from facing constant obvious passing downs.
Mahomes’ Targets Need to Wake Up, Especially After Seattle
It wasn’t just Walker who struggled against Seattle. The Chiefs’ passing game needs to provide way more support than it did against us. Xavier Worthy only hauled in three of six targets for a measly 11 yards, and Jalen Royals was held without a reception on two targets. That’s just not going to cut it, especially when Denver’s pass defense is far more effective than their run D. The Broncos are holding opposing quarterbacks to a 56.4% completion rate and a 74.2 passer rating, all while racking up 21 sacks and seven interceptions. Their aggressive coverage will challenge Kansas City’s receivers to create separation and win contested catches. The potential return of Rashee Rice, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday, could definitely help. But regardless of who’s out there, Mahomes’ receivers *must* be better, especially when Denver commits additional defenders to stopping Walker.
Can KC’s Defense Keep a Lid on Nix?
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs’ defense has its own challenge with Bo Nix. Denver’s traditional running game isn’t exactly lighting it up, averaging only 3.8 yards per carry, and leading rusher J.K. Dobbins has just 293 yards at 3.4 yards per attempt. The real threat comes when Nix breaks out of the pocket. He’s got 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns this season, including a massive 62-yard touchdown run against Arizona last week where he finished with 73 yards on seven carries. Keeping him contained is going to be absolutely critical.
So, can the Chiefs bounce back after getting humbled by Seattle? They’ve got a tough road game against a hot Broncos team who’s playing with a lot of confidence right now. This Week 8 matchup against a 5-2 Broncos squad is crucial for them to get back on track and show that last Sunday’s loss to our Seahawks was just a fluke, not a sign of bigger problems.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Arrowhead Pride.
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