3 Key Matchups in Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs on MNF
The 3 key matchups in Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs include the newest Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle against a reworked Chiefs secondary.
The time has come Broncos Country, the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs are on MNF tonight.
The long offseason is finally over, and this game brings a lot to the table for the Broncos.
They face the rival Chiefs in primetime, in Kansas City, and Patrick Mahomes is playing in his first game since tearing his knee to shreds last December. It's Bo Nix's first game since breaking his ankle in January, too, and Jaylen Waddle's first action as a Bronco.
We're in for a treat tonight in the Paris of the Plains.
Here are your 3 key matchups in Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
1. Nik Bonitto vs. Khalil Benson / Jonah Elliss vs. Jaylon Moore
Nik Bonitto is a rising star in the NFL. In fact, fans voted him as their pick for Defensive Player of the Year in 2026.
Dude went from 8.0 to 13.5 to 14.0 sacks over the last three years. He's one of the quickest pass rushers off the edge in today's game and is eerily reminiscent of Von Miller in his heyday.
He's going against undrafted free agent Khalil Benson (plus some) tonight. Benson played at CU in Boulder in 2024 and then won a National Championship with Indiana last year. The Chiefs picked him up after the draft and he made the roster as their swing tackle, able to back up both sides.
Luckily they have him because former 1st Round pick (2025) Josh Simmons is out with a bad back.
But Benson against First-Team All-Pro Bonitto?
Whoa boy, it's gonna be a long night for Benson.
Welcome to the NFL, son. Bonitto is going to eat your lunch now.
Without a doubt, Andy Reid is going to help Benson with an extra tight end or running backs chipping him. Former Broncos lineman and Super Bowl 50 winner Tyler Polumbus said so, too.
So really, the bigger matchup on the defensive line is Jonah Elliss vs. Jaylon Moore. Moore's entering his fifth year in the league but he's been a career backup.
Meanwhile, Elliss is getting his first start and chance to shine because Jonathon Cooper is on the Commissioner's Exempt List for getting arrested and a felony charge involving domestic violence.
Elliss has been improving as an edge rusher, and the third-year pro needs to win against Moore to help get Bonitto one-on-ones vs. Benson.
The last time we saw Elliss it was in the AFC Championship Game, allowing Drake Maye to run around him for the game-sealing first down. Let's hope Elliss gets a sack of Patrick Mahomes in his first career start to erase that sour taste.
Obviously Vance Joseph wants multiple pressures, QB hits, and sacks tonight from all across the defensive front.
And Patrick Mahomes may be running for his life; it will be interesting to see exactly how mobile he actually is only nine months after tearing his ACL and LCL.
2. Jaylen Waddle vs. New Chiefs Secondary
Waddle is going to go off tonight.
Look, he's the biggest addition to the Broncos this year, he's been talked about ad nauseam about how he's going to improve the offense, and he has a favorable matchup.
Rich Kurtzman
The Chiefs traded their best cornerback Trent McDuffie to the LA Rams and then the No. 2 guy Jaylen Watson left and followed him to LA.
The second key matchup of Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs is Waddle vs. Mansoor Delane and/or L'Jarius Sneed.
Rookie Mansoor Delane and veteran L'Jarius Sneed are the team's new starting cornerbacks tonight. Sneed has been around the league a while but he's mostly been a backup the last two years after being the Chiefs starter from 2021-2023. Last year, Sneed's 50.4 grade by Pro Football Focus rated him 104th out of 114 cornerbacks. Not great, Bob. Though his highest-graded game (82.4) came against Denver in Week 1.
Delane has a been a camp darling, but can he slow down Waddle? Methinks not.
Keep in mind that Waddle will open up the offense for others, too. See: Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant, and Marvin Mims.
The Broncos have a clear advantage when passing the ball and they need Bo Nix to come out on fire this season. The last two years he's thrown two interceptions in each season opening game. Denver can't have that tonight; they need to win the turnover battle on the road.
Waddle's O/U for receiving yards is 58.5 per FanDuel; he's going to go over tonight.
3. Travis Kelce vs. Broncos Linebackers
Kelce has historically hurt the Broncos.
Even last year, when I was calling him washed, the 36-year old had a season-high 9 receptions and 91 yards with a score in Denver.
His touchdown was crucial, too. It came with 9:57 left in the game and gave Kansas City the lead in that thrilling game.
Kelce even taunted the fans.
[Highlight] Kelce breaks a tackle, scores a 21-yd TD
by u/Large_banana_hammock in nfl
Kelce, you sure had to listen to the Broncos fans when they won the game, chump.
Talanoa Hufanga tried to tackle him high and fell to the ground. No doubt Hufanga will be asked to play against him at times, but so will Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad for a majority of snaps.
Strnad was a decent cover corner last year per PFF, but neither of the Broncos inside linebackers are that great at covering tight ends. And Kelce has proven year after year he can make or break games for the Chiefs.
Even as he nears the end of his career, Kelce knows he needs to help carry the offense. Kansas City's receivers have been a mess for a while and they're still not great. Tonight the starters are Tyquan Thorton, Rashee Rice, and Xavier Worthy.
Patrick Surtain, Riley Moss, and Ja'Quan McMillian are ready to go against the receivers. The linebackers need to be at their best vs. Kelce.
Of course, what makes him difficult to cover is his mindmeld with Mahomes and the ability to find open space.
This game should be close; the Chiefs are 2.5-point favorites even though home teams get 3 points so Vegas sees Denver as the better team. But if it is close late, Kelce will look to work his magic swiftly again.
Prediction: Broncos Win 24-20
Last week I wrote the entire season prediction piece and I'm sticking with that score: 24-20, Broncos.
It's going to be a close game, but no one knows for sure how mobile Mahomes will be. That matters a lot because he can gain yards on the ground when he's rushed or a receiver isn't open. If he can't move like usual, that severely limits his ability to gain yards on the ground. And it hurts KC's offense.
Denver's going to pressure him relentlessly, both with and without sending extra rushers, and both Bonitto and Elliss should have opportunities to get home on him.
Offensively, Nix needs to play with composure and consistency. He showed that in very limited work this preseason against the Packers. Waddle will be a game-breaker, but don't forget about Denver's run game. I can't wait to see J.K. Dobbins back, healthy. He was a top-10 back last year for the first 10 weeks of the season.
If the Broncos can run with consistency, it takes pressure off Nix and the passing game.
Broncos vs. Chiefs kicks off at 6:15 p.m. MT on ABC and ESPN.
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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.
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