Denver Broncos fans would like to forget the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium, when the Kansas City Chiefs dominated for almost the entire game. Aside from the Broncos getting an early touchdown, there wasn't much positive about their play.

Since then, the Broncos have gotten better, though they still have areas to clean up, particularly on offense. They may not enter this Week 8 matchup with their starting lineup fully intact, though, with several players limited in practice this week.

However, the Broncos still have a chance to win their rematch with the Chiefs if they can do a better overall job of execution. The Chiefs, to their credit, have played well since Week 1, aside from a bad outing against the Seattle Seahawks last week, but they aren't a juggernaut by any means.

Still, the Broncos have to make sure that things don't go down as they did in Week 1 if they want to win this game. Let's break down three keys to winning the rematch with the Chiefs, all harkening back to Week 1 when these teams first met.

Don't Let Kenneth Walker III Dictate the Game

One of the top reasons the Broncos lost the season opener was that the defense had no answer for the Chiefs' most notable free-agent signing of 2026. Walker, coming off a Super Bowl MVP award, immediately made an impact, and it came at the Broncos' expense.

Walker rushed for 173  yards on 23 carries with one rushing touchdown. If you take away his longest run of 60 yards, he still made a clear impact with 113 yards rushing on the other 22 carries. He also had three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown.

While Walker is not the only player the Broncos need to be concerned about, the fact is that the defense's inability to limit him was a big reason for the season-opening loss. When Walker was able to dictate the game, the Broncos' pass rush was effectively neutralized, and it mattered not who was protecting Patrick Mahomes, whose offensive line has dealt with injury issues this season.

Part of the reason Walker dominated was that the Broncos missed too many tackles or took bad angles when defending the run. They have cleaned that up in recent weeks, but they still need to be disciplined and avoid those mistakes if they want to contain him.

If the Broncos can bottle up Walker, the Chiefs will have to pass more often, and that would give the pass rush the chance to do more damage. It won't be an easy task, as Mahomes has taken just seven sacks in seven games, but the opportunities for the Broncos' pass rush will increase if the Chiefs can't get the running game going.

It's worth noting that Travis Kelce had a 59-yard gain on a reception in Week 1, but that again goes back to the lack of discipline by the Broncos' defense. However, Kelce was otherwise quiet. Thus, while Kelce can still do good things, Walker is the player the Broncos need to focus on containing to have a chance against the Chiefs' offense.

Jonah Coleman and Marvin Mims Jr., You're Up

The Broncos had two players in Week 1 who didn't get any touches on offense. Both players are coming off good performances against the Arizona Cardinals last week.

The first is Coleman, who got just 6% of the offensive snaps in Week 1 and was otherwise limited to special teams. The coaching staff relied on J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, with the former held to 36 yards on eight carries and the latter getting just three carries for 18 yards, along with four receptions for 23 yards.

Dobbins hasn't been effective since then, but Harvey has shown he can make an impact. In the meantime, Coleman has proven he should have a bigger role in the offense, particularly after rushing for 54 yards on nine carries against the Cardinals.

The Broncos need to get Coleman more involved in the offense this week. His ankle didn't appear to be bothering him last week, and his presence could do a lot to take some pressure off Bo Nix if he can be the spark in the running game.

Mims was limited in the season opener as he was recovering from a foot injury suffered in the preseason. Now, though, Mims may be poised for an increased role as Jaylen Waddle's Week 8 availability is in question due to a chest injury.

Even if Waddle is cleared to play, his snaps may be limited. That means Mims could be in line for more snaps on offense. The fourth-year receiver has shown he can still contribute on offense, as he had two catches for 53 yards last week, including a 47-yard reception that showed Nix is perfectly capable of attacking downfield.

Coleman and Mims in the mix gives the Broncos more options on offense and that could be an important step to an improved offensive showing — as could the next person we'll mention.

Keep Playing With Confidence, Bo

While not everything that happened on offense in the opener was Nix's fault, he didn't look confident. After doing all right on the Broncos' only touchdown drive, he was hesitant to take shots, regardless of the situation, and demonstrated poor pocket presence.

It led to Nix being sacked three times — the most sacks the Chiefs have had in a single game this season. In fact, the Chiefs have seven sacks on the season, so while they can get after the quarterback, they aren't doing so at a high rate.

The Broncos need to give the respect due to Chris Jones, Nick Bolton, and George Karlaftis, but one way to counter what they can do in the pass rush is for Nix to play with more confidence, as he showed against the Cardinals.

The Chiefs have given up an average of 212 yards passing to opposing offenses, so while their pass defense is effective, it's not dominant. They gave up 365 yards passing to Kirk Cousins and 257 yards passing to Sam Darnold, and neither ranks among the top quarterbacks in the NFL.

If Nix plays with confidence, he should do better than the 131 passing yards he had in Week 1, especially at home. It may be asking too much to pass for 350 yards, but if he can get 225 yards or more, that could be enough if the run game comes through and the defense does its job.

All Nix has to do is be willing and ready to take shots downfield when the opportunity is there. The Chiefs' defense does deserve respect, but it's not the dominant unit it looked like in the season opener.

The Takeaway

The Chiefs have shown they are a legitimate playoff contender, and one shouldn't read too much into their game last week against the Seahawks. However, one also shouldn't read too much into the Week 1 matchup between the Broncos and Chiefs.

The Broncos have shown they are a better defensive team than they were in Week 1, and they are starting to figure things out on offense. Now it's time for the Broncos to prove that the season opener is long behind them and that they can get it done against a top AFC team and their strongest divisional rival.

Playing at home will help, but so will sharper defensive play, a confident QB under center, and contributions from players who saw little to no action in Week 1. And if the Broncos get the win, they will improve their odds when it comes to the playoffs, the AFC West title, and a high seed.