The Denver Broncos’ defense racked up a brutal 24.5% missed tackle rate against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, a number chillingly close to the 25.0% they put up in Week 3 of 2023 when they gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. This wasn’t just a tough loss; it was a defensive meltdown mirroring one of their worst showings, ending in a brutal 31-10 defeat at Arrowhead. We expected a new offense under Davis Webb, but instead got discombobulated play-calling and zero offensive efficiency. That’s a huge problem, but the real issue was the defense. I’m not sure what the record is for missed tackles, but Denver’s D came awfully close.
First Half Flashes, Then The Defense Crumbles
The game started as a disaster for Denver. Bo Nix threw an ugly interception, leading to a Patrick Mahomes scramble and score for an early Chiefs lead. Nix, though, settled in fast. He responded with a strong 5/5, 55-yard drive, hitting Evan Engram for a 19-yard touchdown strike. Both teams drew blood early, making it 7-7. But the second quarter quickly devolved into a punt-fest until late in the half when Kenneth Walker III simply dominated the Broncos’ defense. Denver’s D seemed to forget how to tackle, missing so many that Rashee Rice turned a short pass into a 13-yard touchdown catch and run. Outside of that one scoring drive, the Broncos offense was ugly, and many issues from last season lingered. The half closed with the Chiefs up 14-7.
Walker Runs Wild, Stats Tell The Story
As frustrating as the offense was, the defense had the most concerning issues in the third quarter. After Kenneth Walker III housed a fourth-and-one for 60 yards, a stat hit the feeds that made everyone cringe: Walker had already forced nine missed tackles. That 24.5% missed tackle rate against the Chiefs, per @SumerSports, just screamed trouble. The Chiefs added 10 points in the third and another 7 in the fourth, cementing the 31-10 final score.
Denver has six days to fix these monumental issues. They need to seriously improve, especially that defense, or this season is going to be a long one.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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