Monday Night Football just handed the Denver Broncos a straight-up “butt whoopin’” from the Kansas City Chiefs, and honestly, few things sting worse in the regular season than a division rival putting the belt to ass for a full 60 minutes. The Broncos got absolutely throttled on September 14, 2026, leaving everyone reeling and wondering how they will even begin to respond when the Jacksonville Jaguars roll into town this Sunday.
Defensive Disaster and Offensive Woes
The immediate aftermath brings plenty of questions about this team’s identity, especially on defense. What we saw against the Chiefs was atrocious. This unit let Kenneth Walker (the Chiefs’ player who ran wild) tear through them for 173 yards, including a ridiculous 60-yard touchdown run on a crucial fourth down. He averaged a massive 7.5 yards per carry! To make matters worse, even a hobbled Patrick Mahomes, playing with a knee brace, got in on the rushing action with 23 yards, including a 15-yard first-quarter touchdown that set the tone. That’s a nightmare scenario. On offense, all that hype and anticipation surrounding Davis Webb’s debut as a playcaller? Yeah, his debut was an epic failure.
Payton’s Blunt Assessment and the Path Forward
Head coach Sean Payton didn’t pull any punches after the game. When asked about Bo Nix’s fumbles and sacks, Payton pointed directly to the “downs and distances” the team kept putting themselves in. He explained that getting stuck in second-and-long or third-and-long situations, whether from “minus plays” or “penalties,” makes Nix’s job “much more difficult.” The third-down numbers told the whole story: Kansas City was converting short third downs at a “pretty good rate,” while Denver didn’t convert a single third down in their last 10 attempts. Brutal. Payton characterized the game as “certainly a slap in the face,” admitting they didn’t play “up to our standard,” and emphasized that “certainly that starts with us as coaches, myself.” Flushing a game like this isn’t easy; he stressed it’s “more difficult” because it demands an “honest day” of reckoning. Historically, Payton’s teams have a knack for turning things around after tough September losses, but these early season struggles are tough for the Broncos.
So, all eyes are locked on Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars are rolling into Denver, and the Broncos have got to figure out how to pick up the pieces, and fast. After getting carved up defensively and stumbling badly on offense, that home game against the Jags is more than just another notch in the schedule. It’s a massive chance to show if that “slap in the face” actually lit a fire under them, or if these early struggles are here to stay. Get ready, because Denver needs to show some real fight.
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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