Four Takeaways from the KC Chiefs' 19-8 Win Over the Denver Broncos

Four overarching thoughts on the Chiefs' Thursday Night Football outing against the Broncos.

The Kansas City Chiefs came into Week 6's matchup against the visiting Denver Broncos heavily favored. While there was no offensive explosion from the home team, the game still managed to serve as a convincing win for Andy Reid's group.

Despite the Kansas City advantage being just three points after the first quarter, things didn't stay that way for very long. The Chiefs were up 13-0 at halftime and ended up securing an 11-point victory over their AFC West rivals, rising to 5-1 on the year. The reigning Super Bowl champions have won five consecutive games this season and with the Thursday Night Football triumph, they've won a whopping 16 games in a row versus Denver. 

Here are four takeaways from Thursday's game. 

Travis Kelce had his best outing of the season

Since returning from his knee bone bruise for Week 2, Travis Kelce has been productive but didn't quite resemble his older self from 2022 and prior. After suffering a low-ankle sprain last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, he ended up giving it a go on Thursday and had all eyes on him with Taylor Swift in attendance. Despite having that ankle heavily taped up and perhaps not being as mobile as usual, the future Hall of Fame tight end stepped up and had what was quite easily his best game of the 2023 campaign.

Kelce finished with nine catches for 124 yards, with most of that damage coming in the first half. In the first two frames alone, he was targeted seven times and converted on every single one of them. Hauling in seven passes from quarterback Mahomes, Kelce had 109 yards and 31 yards of post-catch production. As Mahomes struggled some and the rest of the Chiefs' weapons weren't getting great looks, Kelce consistently stepped up to the plate. That first half was just about all Kansas City needed to keep the chains moving and build a lead, with Kelce delivering a classic performance that could signal things to come for him in future games. 

Harrison Butker is all the way back

The 2022 season was a bumpy one for Harrison Butker, as the Chiefs' starting kicker suffered an ankle injury of his own in the season opener and missed some time because of it. Once he returned to play, he looked somewhat like a shell of himself and even admitted that coming back from the ailment was a legitimate challenge for him. He put the pieces back together in time for a solid playoff run, though, and this year has seen him do nothing but pick up where he left off.

Entering Week 6, Butker was a perfect 10-for-10 on field goal attempts through five games. The Chiefs' offense wasn't firing on all cylinders and needed a boost at multiple points in Thursday's game, and Butker served as that jolt. Knocking down a quartet of field goals — including a very impressive 60-yard boot at the end of the first half — the veteran showed off his range while remaining laser-sharp with accuracy. Kansas City has to be satisfied with what it's gotten from Butker so far this season, as he's playing like the best version of himself. 

The Chiefs' defense put together another stellar game

Under new head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos have fielded a very respectable offense this season. No one would've been able to tell that by watching Thursday night's game, however, as things were extremely difficult all night long. Steve Spagnuolo's defense, once again, flexed its muscles and proved why it's no longer a hypothetical top unit. It has arrived. 

Take your pick of a number to back up what was a great outing for Kansas City's defense. Wilson going 13 for 22 with just 95 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 46.6? Denver being forced to punt five times? The Broncos' offense averaging just four yards per play and Wilson being sacked four times? A sub-10-point allowance on defense? Three turnovers forced? There's plenty to choose from, and it all points to a plus night for a group that has surprised many with its start to the season.

A long week incoming is exactly what the Chiefs need

Not very often does a team have to play three straight games within the division, but it's exactly what the Chiefs are looking at. Thursday marked the first leg of that slate, with a Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Chargers on the docket before a Broncos rematch. One of the downsides of having a Thursday night game is the lack of rest and preparation time beforehand, but one of the pluses of having one is the extra time after it. Now past the hard part, the Chiefs get to reap the "benefit."

With Kelce banged up, safety Justin Reid appearing to get hurt and temporarily removed from the game and wide receiver Justin Watson suffering an arm/elbow injury, the Chiefs could use a few more days to get healthy. It's also documented how well Andy Reid-led teams perform when given more time to prepare, so that's notably good news for him and potentially bad news for the Chargers. The mini-bye is just what the doctor — and maybe the head coach — ordered in Kansas City.