One Monday night in September changed the tone of this rivalry. Kansas City beat Denver 31-10 in the 2026 opener, and the player numbers from that game look nothing like the ones from 2025, when the Broncos beat the Chiefs twice and took the AFC West. If you are hunting for the latest Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs match player stats, you want fresh, checked numbers rather than a recycled list of career averages.
This guide gathers the verified stat lines from the most recent meetings, puts the key players side by side, and sets up the rematch on November 1 at Empower Field at Mile High.
Key takeaways before we dig in:
- Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards in his Chiefs debut, the biggest rushing night by a Kansas City player since 2012.
- Bo Nix and Patrick Mahomes are 1-1 against each other in their last two starts, and their raw passing numbers are closer than the scoreboards suggest.
- Denver’s defense has carried the team, while its offense managed just 176 yards against Kansas City and 168 against Seattle.
- The Chiefs are 5-0 and the Broncos are 4-2 in the most recent standings, so the Week 8 rematch carries real division weight.
Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs Match Player Stats: The Latest Update
The 2026 opener at Arrowhead was framed around one storyline: Mahomes returning from the torn ACL and LCL he suffered against the Chargers last December. The Chiefs had missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014, finished with one of their lowest scoring averages in over a decade, and wanted a statement against the team that had taken their division crown.
They got it. The final was 31-10, and the individual stat lines explain exactly how.
Kenneth Walker III Turns His Chiefs Debut Into a Rushing Clinic
Walker, the Seattle Super Bowl MVP who signed a three-year, $43.05 million contract with Kansas City in free agency, carried 23 times for 173 yards. Fourteen of those carries came before halftime and produced 89 yards. He also broke a 60-yard touchdown run and caught a two-yard scoring pass from Mahomes, which gave him two total touchdowns.
Context matters here. No Chiefs back had run for that many yards in a game since Jamaal Charles piled up 226 against Indianapolis in 2012. The Chiefs have since climbed to 5-0, including a 22-6 win over the Chargers in which Walker scored twice.
Bo Nix and the Broncos Offense Struggle to Move
Nix finished 17 of 28 for 131 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was sacked four times for 16 yards, lost a fumble, and averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt. His QBR for the night was 11.6, with a passer rating of 69.2.
Denver’s entire offense produced only 176 yards. That happened even after the Broncos sent a package of draft picks to Miami for receiver Jaylen Waddle, who caught one pass for two yards. J.K. Dobbins managed 36 yards on eight carries, and the one bright spot was tight end Evan Engram, who led Denver with four catches for 43 yards and a 19-yard touchdown from Nix.
Mahomes: Efficient, Not Spectacular
Mahomes did not need a highlight reel. He completed 15 of 27 passes for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, with a 6.8 yards-per-attempt average and an 86.0 rating. He added seven carries for 23 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown scramble. Travis Kelce caught three passes for 71 yards, and Rashee Rice scored on a short reception.
The lesson from this stat sheet: Kansas City did not win because of a monster passing day. It won because the ground game controlled the clock and Denver’s offense could not stay on the field.
Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs Match Player Stats: Head-to-Head Comparison
Numbers are easier to judge side by side. The first table covers the three most recent meetings, and the second compares the main players from the 2026 opener.
Last Three Meetings at a Glance
| Date | Final Score | Mahomes (KC) | Nix (DEN) | Other Notable Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov. 16, 2025 (Denver) | Broncos 22, Chiefs 19 | 29/45, 276 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 sacks | 24/37, 295 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT, 2 sacks | Kelce 9 catches, 91 yds, TD; Lutz 35-yd game-winning FG |
| Dec. 25, 2025 (Kansas City) | Broncos 20, Chiefs 13 | Did not play (injured) | 26/38, 182 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 9 rush, 42 yds, 1 TD | Oladokun (KC) 13/22, 66 yds, 1 TD; Harvey (DEN) 14 carries, 43 yds |
| Sept. 14, 2026 (Kansas City) | Chiefs 31, Broncos 10 | 15/27, 184 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT, 2 sacks | 17/28, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT, 4 sacks | Walker 23 carries, 173 yds; Engram 4 catches, 43 yds, TD |
Player Matchups From the 2026 Opener
| Category | Kansas City Chiefs | Denver Broncos | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterback | Mahomes: 15/27, 184 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT; 7 rushes, 23 yds, 1 TD | Nix: 17/28, 131 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT; 4 sacks taken | Chiefs |
| Lead running back | Walker: 23 carries, 173 yds, rushing TD | Dobbins: 8 carries, 36 yds | Chiefs |
| Tight end | Kelce: 3 catches, 71 yds | Engram: 4 catches, 43 yds, TD | Even (yards vs. score) |
| Wide receivers | Rice: 2 catches, 19 yds, TD | Bryant: 4 catches, 42 yds; Sutton: 2 for 11; Waddle: 1 for 2 | Broncos (volume) |
| Sacks recorded | 4 on Nix | 2 on Mahomes (Zach Allen: 2) | Chiefs |
| Interceptions | Mansoor Delane (1) | Brandon Jones (1, 24-yd return) | Even |
| Total offense | Dominant on the ground | 176 yards | Chiefs |
Mahomes vs Nix Across Their Last Two Starts
When both starting quarterbacks were healthy and on the field in 2025 and 2026, the totals are tighter than most fans expect:
| Quarterback | Games | Completions/Attempts | Yards | TD | INT | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 2 | 44/72 | 460 | 3 | 2 | 1-1 |
| Bo Nix | 2 | 41/65 | 426 | 1 | 1 | 1-1 |
Mahomes holds the edge in touchdowns and yards. Nix holds the edge in efficiency per throw and in the result from the game in Denver. That split is exactly why this matchup refuses to go in a straight line.
Quarterback Showdown: Patrick Mahomes vs Bo Nix
No search for Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs match player stats makes sense without starting under center. And the picture has changed since the Mahomes era began to dominate this series.
Mahomes returned in 2026 after his knee injury. He completed a career-low 62.7 percent of his passes in 2025, and the Chiefs scored just 21.8 points per game, their lowest average since 2012. His 2026 form has been steadier, with efficient games and a team that wins with its running game first.
Nix, meanwhile, is no longer the rookie that older write-ups describe. He has led Denver to a playoff berth in 2024 and a division title plus a playoff win in 2025. His 38-0 demolition of the Chiefs on January 5, 2025, was the most lopsided win in series history for Denver, even though Kansas City rested key players that day.
The real concern for Nix is consistency. In Week 6 against Seattle he completed 17 of 27 passes for only 107 yards, with no touchdown and no interception, and Denver won 17-14 in overtime despite gaining only 168 total yards. That was Denver’s first win with fewer than 175 yards since 1983. A defense can carry a team once or twice; it rarely carries a quarterback all season.
Ground Game: Walker, Dobbins and the Battle for Time of Possession
Walker is the biggest change to the rushing side of this rivalry. Where earlier Chiefs offenses leaned on Mahomes and short passing to move the ball, the 2026 version can win by handing off 23 times to a back who gets better as the game wears on. His 173-yard debut was the headline, but the usage matters just as much: it kept Denver’s offense on the sideline.
Denver uses a committee. J.K. Dobbins leads it and RJ Harvey adds pass-catching ability, but production against Kansas City has been modest. Dobbins’ eight carries for 36 yards in the opener show how quickly Denver’s script falls apart once it trails.
Mahomes’ legs matter too. His 15-yard touchdown run on September 14 forces linebackers to hold their positions, which opens lanes for Walker.
Receivers and Tight Ends: Kelce Still Sets the Pace
Kelce remains the most reliable receiving threat in this rivalry. In the November 2025 loss, he led all pass catchers with nine receptions, 91 yards and a touchdown on 13 targets. In the 2026 opener he was less prolific, with three catches for 71 yards, but his ability to pull defenders away from other targets still shaped the game.
Denver’s passing attack is built differently. Courtland Sutton remains the most dependable outside option, Engram works the middle, and Pat Bryant and Waddle are still carving out roles. The challenge is target distribution: Waddle’s one-catch night showed a trade can add a name without immediately adding production.
Rice scored in the opener on only two catches, and Emmett Johnson added 44 receiving yards out of the backfield, giving Mahomes a safety valve.
Defense and Pass Rush: Where Denver Still Wins on Paper
Denver’s Pass Rush Is the Real Strength
Denver’s defense is the foundation of this team. In 2025 it led the NFL with four sacks per game and ranked third in yards allowed. The 2026 unit has kept that identity. In the opener, Zach Allen recorded two sacks and Brandon Jones came away with an interception. Against Seattle on October 15, the group delivered five sacks, 17 quarterback hits and three takeaways, including Ja’Quan McMillian’s overtime interception that set up the winning kick.
Mahomes was sacked twice in September and three times in November 2025, so Denver’s rush has produced against him. The problem is the offense: when it cannot sustain drives, the defense faces long nights, like the 82 snaps it played against Seattle.
Chris Jones and a Chiefs Defense Still Finding Its Rhythm
Chris Jones, in his eleventh season, said the Chiefs needed more sacks after he finished 2025 with seven. Reports had him without a sack through the first four games of 2026, and Kansas City drafted defensive tackle Peter Woods in the first round. Even so, the Chiefs sacked Nix four times in the opener, and Mansoor Delane is already making plays.
The Chiefs’ defensive profile is different from Denver’s. Kansas City is more opportunistic and balanced, while Denver is more disruptive up front. The result is a rivalry in which neither defense is the clear stat leader every week.
Special Teams: The Kicks That Decide Close Games
Kicking has quietly defined this series. Denver’s Wil Lutz has three memorable kicks in the last year alone: a 35-yard game-winner against the Chiefs in November 2025, a 31-yard field goal in the 2026 opener, and a 53-yarder to beat Seattle in overtime on October 15. Harrison Butker, Kansas City’s veteran kicker, connected from 47 yards in the December 2025 game and remains a constant in tight fourth quarters.
Rivalry History: Where the Series Stands
The Broncos and Chiefs have met 133 times, including one postseason game, and Kansas City leads the all-time series 74-59. The Chiefs’ longest win streak in the series is 16 games, while Denver’s is eight, set between 1976 and 1979. Denver’s postseason record against Kansas City is 1-0.
The long-term totals are not as fascinating as the current pattern. Denver swept both 2025 meetings, with Lutz’s walk-off kick in November and a 20-13 win on Christmas Day when Kansas City started third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun. Then the Chiefs flipped the script in 2026 with a 21-point win. Series momentum has not stayed on one side for long since Mahomes got hurt.
What to Watch on November 1: Chiefs at Broncos
The rematch kicks off Sunday, November 1, at 4:25 p.m. ET at Empower Field at Mile High. Kansas City arrives at 5-0 after a 22-6 win over the Chargers, while Denver sits at 4-2 after surviving Seattle in overtime. In the latest standings, the Chiefs have scored 140 points and allowed 83, and the Broncos have scored 114 and allowed 125.
Here are the player stats most likely to decide the game:
- Nix’s third-down accuracy. Denver cannot keep winning with 107 or 131 passing yards. It needs explosive plays to Sutton, Engram and Waddle.
- Walker’s yards after contact. If he reaches 100 yards again, Denver’s defense will be on the field too long.
- Denver’s sack count against Mahomes. The Broncos have the personnel to get home, but pressure must come without sacrificing coverage on Kelce and Rice.
- Turnover margin. Each quarterback threw one interception in the opener, and the Broncos’ 2025 wins were decided in the final minutes.
- Field goal kicking. Lutz and Butker have both converted pressure kicks this year, so a game-deciding field goal is a realistic scenario.
Final Verdict: Who Owns the Numbers Right Now?
The latest Denver Broncos vs Kansas City Chiefs match player stats show a rivalry that has swung back toward Kansas City, but not decisively. The Chiefs own the better running game, the steadier offense and a 5-0 record. The Broncos have a two-game sweep from the previous season that demonstrates the narrow margin, a stronger pass rush, and a track record of winning close games.
If you want to follow the numbers, watch three things on November 1: whether Walker hits triple digits again, whether Nix gets above 200 passing yards, and which kicker gets the final chance. Bookmark this page, because the stats here will be refreshed after every meeting.
