Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs try to snap a one-game skid against a Denver Broncos team riding three straight wins.
Game details
| When | Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 4:25 PM ET |
| Where | Empower Field at Mile High |
| TV | CBS |
| Line | Kansas City Chiefs -1 | O/U 40.5 (market view) |
| Kansas City Chiefs record | 5-1 |
| Denver Broncos record | 5-2 |
Overview
The Kansas City Chiefs head into Week 8 at 5-1 but arrive off a loss, having dropped a 3-20 decision at Seattle in Week 7 after four straight wins: 22-6 over the Los Angeles Chargers, 30-27 at the Las Vegas Raiders, 24-10 at the Miami Dolphins and 33-30 over the Indianapolis Colts. Kansas City has outscored opponents 143-103 this year. The health report isn't clean either: defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott is out with a knee injury, cornerbacks L'Jarius Sneed (knee) and Mansoor Delane (shoulder) are both questionable, and defensive end R Mason Thomas is questionable for a personal matter unrelated to injury.
Denver sits at 5-2 and has won three straight, beating the Arizona Cardinals 30-16, the Seattle Seahawks 17-14 and the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17 before that, with the only blemish in that stretch a 14-24 loss at the San Francisco 49ers. The Broncos have scored 144 points and allowed 141 on the year. These two teams already met once this season, with Kansas City winning 31-10 at home on Monday, September 14, 2026.
The market has this one essentially even, with Kansas City favored by just a point and the total sitting at 40.5, but the Chiefs get the edge here given how thoroughly they handled Denver back in Week 1 and Patrick Mahomes' career dominance in this series.
Key players
Patrick Mahomes has owned this series at 14-2 for his career with 4,231 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns against Denver, and he threw for 184 yards, two touchdowns and added a rushing score when these teams met in Week 1 this season.
Kenneth Walker III leads the AFC with 701 rushing yards and is tied for the AFC lead with eight scrimmage touchdowns, and he piled up a career-high 191 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in the Week 1 win over Denver.
Travis Kelce already passed Tony Gonzalez for the most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history, including playoffs, last week, and he needs just 11 receptions at Denver to tie Jerry Rice for the second-most catches in a player's first 200 career games, trailing only Larry Fitzgerald.
Nick Bolton racked up 11 tackles and a tackle for loss in Week 7, making him one of three players in the NFL with 11-plus tackles in four games this season, and he's chasing his fourth straight game against Denver with a pass defensed to go with it.
Xavier Worthy has topped 70 receiving yards in two of his last three games heading into this matchup.
Keys to the game
Kansas City needs to get Kenneth Walker III rolling early, the AFC's leading rusher who has posted at least 70 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in three of his last four games.
The Chiefs' front has to keep Bo Nix in the pocket after he rushed for a season-high 73 yards and a touchdown to go with 222 passing yards in Week 7.
Pressure needs to keep coming off the edge from George Karlaftis, who is chasing his fifth straight game with both a tackle for loss and a pass defensed.
Fantasy angles
Kenneth Walker III (19.5 projected DraftKings points) is a locked-in start, leading the AFC in rushing and tied for the AFC lead in scrimmage touchdowns, exactly the goal-line volume you want in any format.
Patrick Mahomes (16.0) starts with confidence against a Broncos defense he's gone 14-2 against for his career, including a two-touchdown day in the first meeting this season.
Rashee Rice (11.0) stays in the lineup as a solid flex given his role in the Chiefs passing attack.
Travis Kelce (8.5) is a start regardless of the modest number, he's still the volume target sitting on 1,104 career receptions and chasing history in this one.
Tyquan Thornton (9.5) is a boom-or-bust flex piece, treat him as a bench stash unless you need the upside.
Prediction
The market has this one as a near pick'em, with Kansas City favored by just a point and the total set at 40.5, which lines up with a projected final of Chiefs 21, Broncos 20. Expect a tight, low-scoring battle, and after Kansas City's 31-10 win over Denver back in Week 1, the Chiefs look like the safer side of that number.
Injury report
| Player | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|
| L'Jarius Sneed | CB | Questionable |
| Omarr Norman-Lott | DT | Out |
| Mansoor Delane | CB | Questionable |
| R Mason Thomas | DE | Questionable |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Kansas City Chiefs |
|---|---|
| QB | Patrick Mahomes |
| RB | Kenneth Walker III |
| FB | Ben VanSumeren |
| WR | Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, Jalen Royals |
| TE | Travis Kelce |
| LT | Kahlil Benson |
| LG | Kingsley Suamataia |
| C | Creed Humphrey |
| RG | Trey Smith |
| RT | Jaylon Moore |
Defense
| Pos | Kansas City Chiefs |
|---|---|
| LDE | George Karlaftis |
| LDT | Chris Jones |
| RDT | Khyiris Tonga |
| RDE | Felix Anudike-Uzomah |
| WLB | Drue Tranquill |
| MLB | Nick Bolton |
| SLB | Jeffrey Bassa |
| LCB | Nohl Williams |
| RCB | Mansoor Delane |
| NB | L'Jarius Sneed |
| SS | Chamarri Conner |
| FS | Alohi Gilman |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | Wk7 L 3-20 vs Seattle Seahawks, Wk6 W 22-6 vs Los Angeles Chargers, Wk4 W 30-27 vs Las Vegas Raiders |
More league notes: Week 8 NFL Preview & Capsules and What To Look For - Week 8, from the NFL.
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.