The Kansas City Chiefs suffered a real gut punch in Week 8. Kansas City lost to Denver 28-24 in a game where they absolutely collapsed during the fourth quarter. To make matters worse, the outcome of this game is disastrous for the Chiefs and their place in the AFC West division race. Kansas City is now behind Denver in the standings and will not play them again during the regular season. If the Broncos simply keep winning games, they could easily outpace the Chiefs and win the division.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke to the significance of the loss after the game.
“Obviously, it was a big game. I mean, I'm not gonna hide from that, but now you're kinda in a dogfight for the division,” Mahomes said.
But forget about the Broncos, the Chiefs showed plenty of vulnerabilities on Sunday that should have their fans worried. They need to be concerned with handling their business more so than catching up with the Broncos.
So what exactly went wrong for Kansas City on Sunday? And should Chiefs fans be worried about the team's viability as a contender after this crushing defeat?
Here are the Chiefs most to blame for their terrible meltdown against the Broncos in Week 8.
Kansas City's offense struggled in the second half
The Chiefs looked quite capable on offense in the first half, scoring 17 points with ease. But the offense completely stalled out after getting another touchdown in the third quarter.
Even key players like Travis Kelce admitted that the offense has a lot of work to do.
“The reality of things is that we got to fix a lot. And the little things, mistakes. And is starts with the person that you're looking in the mirror. And I'm one of them. I've been frustrated with myself on how long I've been in the league and the procedural stuff that's happened for the past three games,” Kelce said after the game.
It's hard to blame Kelce personally, as he turned seven targets into five receptions for 67 receiving yards. That is some solid production, especially for an ancient tight end like himself.
One huge problem was how Denver bottled up Kenneth Walker III on the ground. He had 21 carries for 69 rushing yards, which was only good for 3.3 yards per carry. The Broncos deserve some credit for stopping one of the league's most dynamic runners. Still, it is concerning that Kansas City couldn't find a way to spring him loose.
The message is clear to all of their opponents: slow down Walker and the Chiefs are much easier to beat.
The Chiefs defense crumbled during the fourth quarter
Kansas City played some great defense on balance throughout this game. Unfortunately, they crumbled when it mattered most and played a big role in this tough loss.
On paper, the Chiefs held the Broncos in check in Week 8. Denver finished with only 294 total yards and averaged 5.3 yards per play. That compares favorably to Kansas City's 399 total yards and 6.0 yards per play.
The problem was that the Chiefs allowed two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Realistically, Kansas City needed the defense to step up in the second half with the offense struggling to find a rhythm. They just simply couldn't get the job done.
Of all three units, Chiefs fans should feel most confident about the defense moving forward. If they simply made one more play, the entire outcome of the game could have been much different.
Andy Reid deserves blame for penalties, kicking woes
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Head coach Andy Reid's struggles against the Broncos are perhaps the most concerning part of this defeat.
The Chiefs have been uncharacteristically sloppy throughout the 2026 season. That is really showing up with penalties, with the Chiefs committing 11 for 105 yards in Week 8. What's so devastating about that stat is how much of an impact it has on the game. Penalties can be a huge problem when they account for a massive amount of yardage. But even if they are small five-yard infractions, nullifying a positive play or giving your opponent new life can be catastrophic. So committing a lot of penalties for a ton of penalty yards is the worst possible scenario.
Case in point, the Jaylon Moore false start penalty. Mahomes connected with Rashee Rice on what should have been a game-winning touchdown in the final moments. Unfortunately, Moore was called for a false start penalty for looking back at Mahomes before the snap. That penalty single-handedly lost the Chiefs the game, as Mahomes and the offense were unable to score with the remaining time.
Expand the sample size and the penalty problem looks even worse. Kansas City ranks last in the NFL in terms of net penalty yards at -164.
There was also Reid's decision to trot out Harrison Butker for a 54-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Butker has struggled in recent weeks and missed this kick in the rain. Some have suggested that Reid should have punted the ball instead of attempting a long kick. Remember, the Chiefs had the lead at the time and could have leaned on their defense to get the win.
Reid needs to rally the troops and clean up some of these mistakes.