3 Things Still on My Mind After Broncos' Huge Win Over Chiefs

The Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, avenging their season-opening loss at Arrowhead Stadium, and taking a half-game lead in the AFC West.

The Broncos are now the betting favorites to win the division, and all of their goals are still in front of them. At 6-2, the Broncos are poised to extend their four-game winning streak, while the Chiefs have yet to face the toughest stretch of their schedule.

But I'm still sifting through the aftermath of Broncos-Chiefs. Coming off Denver’s sixth win of the season, here are three things on my mind.

1. Bo Nix Got His Confidence Back

Nix’s ankle may have healed and felt good enough to begin the season as the starter, but psychologically, he wasn’t at that same level of recovery. It was clear he didn’t trust his eyes or his weapons to make plays around him.

And yet, the Broncos kept winning, thanks, in part, to Nix stepping up in some critical moments in Week 2 and Week 3. After an ugly showing against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6 (Denver won that game, by the way), the Nix pile-on reached epic proportions around the league, as fans finally rushed to social media to voice their fears that something was indeed wrong with the Broncos’ quarterback.

However, Nix kept plugging away, and in Week 7, we finally saw him take some chances downfield and utilize his legs as the weapon they can be against the Arizona Cardinals. His 62-yard rushing touchdown seemed to snap him out of his funk, as his confidence came flooding back.

Nix had four explosive passing plays against the Cardinals, and he followed that up with four more against the Chiefs. He finished with 200-plus passing yards in both games, passing for three touchdowns with zero interceptions over that span.

Some say we should pump the brakes. That it’s too early to say that Nix has fully returned to his pre-injury form, but he’s clearly taken some big leaps in that direction over the past two weeks. He’s trusting his eyes again, and he’s unafraid to use his legs to help move the chains.

Nix wants to be peaking as the Broncos hit their stretch run, and the signs are pointing in that direction. I’ll say it, Broncos Country, even if some pundits won’t:

Bo Nix is back.

2. Something is Wrong With J.K. Dobbins

Bo Nix and J.K. Dobbins. — Bo Nix hands off to J.K. Dobbins. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I don’t know if, like Nix, Dobbins is struggling with the mental aspects of bouncing back from the Lisfranc injury that ended his 2025 season in Week 10, or if it’s the cumulative effect of having dealt with three major injuries as a pro, but he’s not the same guy we saw last year.

The Broncos re-signed Dobbins in the spring, giving him a 4x raise, and they’ve tried to extract some blood from that turnip, but nothing has worked. He’s having a career-low season as a rusher, and he’s purportedly healthy.

But something isn’t right with Dobbins. Meanwhile, rookie Jonah Coleman has sparked the Broncos’ offense, and his efficiency and productivity have rendered Dobbins a spectator.

Against the Chiefs, Coleman had 41 snaps to Dobbins’s 13. Payton doesn’t typically take the bell-cow approach with running backs, but that’s the way this thing is trending with Coleman.

Dobbins has proven that he can’t be trusted to move the chains. And until he does something to show that he can be a net-positive for this offense, Payton would be foolish to take any snaps away from the ascending Coleman.

I’m not sure if we’re getting the full story with Dobbins. When healthy, he’s always been one of the NFL’s most productive backs, so he’s either nursing a top-secret ailment (unlikely), or Father Time has combined with his injury history to force a rapid decline.

It’s a shame. But the Broncos can’t overthink it. Until and unless they orchestrate a trade ahead of the November 10 deadline, it’s the Jonah Coleman show moving forward.

But it's worth remembering the Broncos are the betting favorites to land Jonathan Taylor.

3. JL Skinner Deserves More Opportunity

With Talanoa Hufanga still out of commission (maybe he’ll return to practice this week), and Brandon Jones now nursing a hamstring injury, the Broncos have relied on Taylor Rapp and Devon Key as the backup safeties, though they left much to be desired against the Chiefs.

However, Week 8 proved that Skinner is deserving of a bigger seat at the table. He’s not the greatest in coverage — okay, fine — but he could be used to devastating effect as a dime-backer and big nickel.

Skinner took on Kenneth Walker III on the goal line, in a situation where the game was on the line, and he single-handedly stopped one of the NFL’s toughest running backs to tackle from scoring. It was impressive, and it showed how big Skinner’s heart is.

JL Skinner is like, "Not today, Kenneth!" pic.twitter.com/v8pcr1BYk6
— Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) November 4, 2026

Skinner is big, he’s physical, and he’s in a contract year. He might not be the best coverage safety, but he’s probably better than linebacker Justin Strnad in coverage.

The Broncos would be wise to reward Skinner with a slightly expanded role, using him as a dime-backer on first and second down when the opponent is in multiple tight-end sets.

I’d trust Skinner to run with a tight end more than I would Strnad, and if the opponent calls a run, he’s more than equipped to sift through the muss and make the tackle, as we saw on the goal line against the Chiefs.

Skinner is in a contract year, and he’s screaming for an opportunity to prove he offers more than mere third-phase value. It’s time the Broncos start giving him a few more snaps each week, even if Hufanga returns this week for the Carolina Panthers game.

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