Kenneth Walker III ran for 103 yards with the Seahawks against the Broncos in the 2024 season opener, gashing Denver for more than 80 yards in the third quarter alone.
That can now be chalked up as a strong defensive effort for the Broncos compared to what they mustered against Walker on Monday.
A microcosm of the failure came on a fourth-and-1 play early in the third quarter. The Chiefs, leading 14-7, had a fourth-and-1 at their own 40-yard line. Get a stop, and Denver would be set up in a good position to drive for a tying score. The Broncos blitzed up the middle, linebacker Alex Singleton trying to burst inside to blow up the play.
With one swift cut, Walker bounced outside and outran the defense on a 60-yard touchdown that took all the air out of the Broncos. Safety Brandon Jones was in position to tackle Walker inside the 10-yard line, but his attempt to bring the physical running back down barely made an impact.
Dreadful tackling was a theme all night for the Broncos. That can be corrected. But Denver is going to have to adjust to a new normal that coordinator Vance Joseph has been talking about all offseason.
The Broncos have piled up 131 sacks over the past two seasons. Teams are countering, as the Chiefs did Monday, with heavier run packages, misdirection and quick passes to mitigate the pressure.
This is still a defense loaded with talented, winning players at all three levels. That hasn’t changed with one bad performance. But the Broncos better get things corrected quickly with the powerful offenses ahead during this first month of the schedule.
