Toronto Star
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Arnie Stapleton The Associated Press
The Denver Broncos suffered a significant defeat, losing 31-10 to the Kansas City Chiefs due to poor defensive performance, with their defense missing an alarming 28 tackles. This equates to one of the worst missed tackle rates in the NFL since 2018 and allowed the most tackle yards since then, according to Next Gen Stats. The article highlights that while the offense struggled as well—with quarterback Bo Nix fumbling three times—defensive breakdowns were particularly detrimental. Coach Sean Payton emphasized the need for immediate correction before facing their next opponent.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Bo Nix called Denver’s bludgeoning at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs “a nasty wakeup call” for a Broncos team with Super Bowl aspirations.
asserted
Nix → call → aspirations
Sean Payton called it a “slap in the face.”
asserted
Payton → call → face
Now, the trick is to make sure their 31-10 loss at Kansas City is an aberration and not an omen.
asserted
loss → make → City
“You’ve got to learn from it, you’ve got to flush it as soon as possible after our meeting today and move on to the next opponent,” offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey said Tuesday.
asserted
McGlinchey → get → opponent
“We still have those (championship) aspirations and one game doesn’t define our season or who we are and we’ve just got to learn how to get better from it.
asserted
we → have → it
Possibly the most disconcerting part about their dismal showing Monday night wasn’t that newcomer Jaylen Waddle was limited to a single catch for 2 yards or that Nix fumbled three times or even that new play-caller Davis Webb had a dud of a debut.
uncertain
Webb → limit → debut
It’s that one of the league’s best defenses missed 28 tackles at Arrowhead Stadium, where Kenneth Walker III ran roughshod over the Broncos for 173 yards.
asserted
III → ’ → yards
That included 144 yards after contact as Denver’s 29.8% missed tackle rate was the third-worst in an NFL game since 2018, and their 247 missed tackle yards allowed were the most by any defense in that same span, according to Next Gen Stats.
uncertain
yards → include → Stats
“It’s very correctable,” said lineman Zach Allen, one of only two Denver defensive starters who didn’t miss a tackle.
asserted
who → ’ → tackle
“So, that’s the good news.
asserted
that → ’ → ?
Yeah, it’s definitely going to be a point of emphasis in practice this week.
asserted
it → go → practice
“Knowing the guys we got in this group, it’ll get addressed, it’ll get fixed.
asserted
it → know → group
The offense had its own dismal showing as Nix fumbled three times, got sacked on his first snap and intercepted on his first pass.
asserted
Nix → have → pass
The Broncos converted just twice in a dozen third-down opportunities and couldn’t sustain drives even before the game got out of hand.
asserted
game → convert → hand
“If you don’t play good against a really good team, they’re going to beat you pretty good,” said Nix.
asserted
Nix → play → you
It’s harder to flush such an ugly game out of one’s system, too, suggested coach Sean Payton.
uncertain
Payton → ’ → system
“It’s one thing to lose in a hard-fought game where you feel like you played well,” Payton said.
asserted
Payton → ’ → game
“I don’t feel like we played up to our standard and certainly that starts with us as coaches, myself.
asserted
that → feel → coaches
And so, yeah, it’s disappointing.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
“I know it’s a shorter week, but there’s no way we can get past today without looking at the tape and looking at the things that we have to improve on before we even play the next opponent.”
asserted
we → know → opponent
What’s working
TE Evan Engram caught Denver’s only touchdown pass, equaling his TD total from last season.
asserted
Engram → work → season
Engram played alongside Webb with the New York Giants, so their chemistry goes way back.
asserted
chemistry → play → Giants
What needs help
asserted
needs → need → help
It’s back to the basics for a unit that’s been Denver’s calling card for decades.
asserted
that → ’ → decades
This was its worst showing since Vance Joseph’s group allowed 70 points to Miami in 2023.
asserted
group → allow → 2023
Stock up
Allen and Nik Bonitto are the only Denver front-line defenders who didn’t miss a tackle.
asserted
who → miss → tackle
Allen also had one of Denver’s two sacks.
asserted
Allen → have → sacks
Stock down
Nix was nowhere near himself in his return from a broken right ankle and Davis was unbalanced in his play calls even when the game was close, calling just a handful of runs before halftime.
asserted
game → break → halftime
Injuries
PR Marvin Mims left briefly with a hip injury but returned.
Key number
2. Sacks by a team that racked up 131 sacks the last two seasons.
asserted
that → leave → sacks
“When you think about it, No. 1, Patrick (Mahomes) is super smart.
asserted
. → think → it
The ball is coming out with some quick screens ...,” Payton said.
asserted
Payton → come → screens
“They were not just going to sit there with him in the pocket on seven-step drops, understandably so.
asserted
They → go → drops
They had a good plan.
asserted
They → have → plan
The ball was coming out fast.”
asserted
ball → come → ?
Next steps
Following their biggest loss since a 31-7 blowout at Buffalo in the 2024 playoffs, the Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0), who walloped them 34-20 last year in Colorado to snap Denver’s 11-game winning streak.
asserted
who → follow → streak
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