Broncos at Chiefs
Denver Broncos 35, Kansas City Chiefs 6 · War Room
Final Score
Broncos 35 5 TD · 0 FG · 5 XP
Chiefs 6 1 TD · 0 FG · 0 XPFernando Mendoza 210 yds passingBijan Robinson 127 yds rushingElijah Higgins 65 yds receivingAaron Donald 5 tkl defenseTotal yards 318 · 129Passing yards 191 · 97Rushing yards 127 · 32Completions 15/18 · 13/22Yards per carry 11.5 · 4.6Recap
Franchise Hub Beat · 5d ago
In a commanding performance to open the 2026 season, the Denver Broncos topped the Kansas City Chiefs with a final score of 35-6. This Week 1 matchup set a tone for both teams, with the Broncos looking to establish their dominance early in the year.
Leading the charge for Denver was quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who threw for 210 yards and an impressive four touchdowns. Running back Bijan Robinson also shone brightly, racking up 127 rushing yards, while wide receiver Elijah Higgins contributed with 65 receiving yards. This offensive trio helped propel the Broncos to a decisive victory.
On the defensive side, Aaron Donald was a force to be reckoned with, recording five total tackles and an outstanding four sacks, which disrupted the Chiefs' offense throughout the game. The turning point came in the second quarter when Donald's relentless pressure led to a turnover, allowing the Broncos to extend their lead significantly. With Jonas Sanker adding an interception to the mix, Denver's defense ensured the Chiefs could never find their rhythm.
Box Score
| Player | C/A | PCT | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | ||||||
| Fernando MendozaQB | 15/18 | 83% | 210 | 4 | 0 | 154.8 |
| Chiefs | ||||||
| Joe MiltonQB | 12/22 | 55% | 139 | 0 | 2 | 35.9 |
| Xavier WorthyWR | 1/0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Player | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | |||||||
| Bijan RobinsonHB | 11 | 127 | 11.5 | 12 | 1 | 79 | 0 |
| Fernando MendozaQB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chiefs | |||||||
| Trey BensonHB | 7 | 32 | 4.6 | 8 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Travis KelceTE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cooper KuppWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier WorthyWR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | |||||||
| Elijah HigginsTE | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 35 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Justin JeffersonWR | 5 | 55 | 11.0 | 7 | 3 | 37 | 0 |
| Jaylen WaddleWR | 1 | 53 | 53.0 | 5 | 0 | 53 | 0 |
| Bijan RobinsonHB | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Reggie GilliamFB | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 9 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Malachi FieldsWR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chiefs | |||||||
| Trey BensonHB | 3 | 35 | 11.7 | 41 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Travis KelceTE | 2 | 27 | 13.5 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Xavier WorthyWR | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 15 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Mecole HardmanWR | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Cooper KuppWR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Gunnar HelmTE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Player | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | |||||
| Aaron DonaldDT | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kain MedranoMIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte ScottCB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe ThomasFS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cooper DeJeanCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jadon CanadySS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh JobeCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malachi MooreFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jabril CoxSAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabe JacasLEDG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Chiefs | |||||
| Jaelan PhillipsLEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby JosephFS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Akheem MesidorREDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Taron JohnsonCB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy JrCB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon JonesFS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley ChubbDT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Travis HunterCB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other | |||||
| Jonas SankerFS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Player | FG | XP | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broncos | |||
| Wil LutzK | 0/0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chiefs | |||
| Trey SmackK | 0/1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan AngerP | 0/0 | 0 | 0 |