KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Broncos wore all-white uniforms on Monday night. It made it easier to see their black eyes and bloody noses.

Given an opponent and stage to prove last season was not a fluke, Denver got punched in the face.

A mirror was held up to one of the best teams in the AFC, an organization with Super Bowl aspirations, and the reflection was gag-reflex ugly.

The Broncos fumbled. They bumbled. Their quarterback threw a pick on the first drive. The new offensive coordinator looked miscast. The defense missed tackles like Angel Hernandez missed calls. And they failed to capitalize on a future Hall of Famer treading in mediocrity because they could not stop Kenneth Walker.

“Not a good evening. In all the key factors. … they rushed the ball, we didn’t. That starts with me, the coaching staff,” coach Sean Payton said matter-of-factly. “I thought they won in every phase.”

This set up as a night for the Broncos to creep into Kansas City's head, to let them know that the AFC West runs through Denver. It was supposed to be a memorable humid evening that earned a nickname worthy of the first-ever win over Patrick Mahomes in eight tries at Arrowhead Stadium.

Pity replaced a potential victory.

The Broncos were embarrassed, their offensive approach coming across as impatient and their defensive effort incompetent.

The 31-10 loss was mortifying, the tomahawk chant and pounding drums echoing in ears long after the Broncos boarded their charter flight home.

This wasn't the clumsy performance against Tennessee, a season-opener that went unpunished because of Cam Ward's awfulness. Or the last-second collapses at the Chargers or Colts.

This was the Chiefs, the measuring stick. The Broncos wanted to show off their old roster and their new toy, Jaylen Waddle. Big strikes. Gash plays.

They planned to flip the script and play with a lead after posting an unsustainable 11-2 record in one-score games during the regular season a year ago. To make Mahomes uncomfortable, something they actually did, but it mattered little when Walker transformed into a hybrid of Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson.

"When you invest that much money in a player, we felt like they were going to be under center more," Payton said. "And they did that."

With Walker on the roster, the Chiefs wanted a street fight. And when the Broncos tasted leather, beginning with Walker carrying the ball seven times for 32 yards on the opening drive, they didn't punch back.

Payton lamented the discrepancy in time of possession and the awful field position. Pick a stat and the Broncos got worked.

This was capitulation reserved for the Nuggets against the Timberwolves in the postseason. This was a surrender last witnessed in Las Vegas. At least the Nuggets and Avs had the decency to wait until the playoffs to get pantsed.

The Broncos did it on opening night, which will start a chorus of criticism that they are imposters, their 14-3 record the result of luck and miracles that have reached their expiration date.

The disappointment began to build during the Broncos' initial drive. It brought anticipation because coach Payton had turned over the play-calling to Davis Webb. It could not have gone worse.

"I feel like we let him down," Nix said. "Actually, it was pretty pitiful."

Nix committed cardinal sins for his position: don’t take sacks, don’t throw picks. He did both in the first three plays.

He eschewed an open Waddle -- seriously, he is on the team even if it is difficult to tell from the box score -- in the right flat on first down, and was pulled down for a loss as he attempted to escape. After a two-yard run by J.K. Dobbins, Nix forced a pass on third-and-11, the badly under thrown ball intercepted by cornerback Mansoor Delane.

Nix has played worse, but it was during his rookie season. No one expected him to go 17 for 28 for 131 yards.

Trailing 7-0, the Broncos turned to Pat. Just not that one. Receiver Pat Bryant, not star Pat Surtain II, unlocked the Broncos’ clenched first. He caught three passes on the second drive, all for first downs. But even he spoiled his night with multiple holding penalties.

The drive briefly steadied Nix. And for Waddle to make his first impact. He attracted multiple defenders, leading tight end Evan Engram to get a free release to the pylon for the touchdown, tying his total for last season when the Joker became the Ghost.

In hindsight, it was the last time the game was winnable. Oh, sure they had a chance after Mahomes threw an interception that was returned to the 5-yard line, but even had the Broncos scored a touchdown there is no reason to believe the outcome would have changed.

As the teams settled in, the Broncos began to learn new lessons, the most sobering of which was that they weren't physical enough.

They should have known that Mahomes would not be asked to perform magic nine months removed from ACL surgery on his left knee. But the Broncos rushed with too much aggression, leaving open lanes for him to scramble, as he did on the opening 15-yard touchdown, and Walker to meander through unbothered and undeterred.

Mahomes started the game 2 for 12, more focused on getting rid of the ball quickly than on accuracy. He finished 15 for 27 for 187 yards.

The Broncos were poised to sell out to stop Walker. They knew it was coming. And he still dog-walked them.

With Eric Bieniemy back as the offensive coordinator, the Chiefs did everything but run the CU wishbone from the early 1990s. After his last game with the Seahawks, running back Walker received a trip from Disney. After his first game with the Chiefs, he will need a trip to physical therapy.

Showing the patience of Le’Veon Bell and the power of a sledgehammer, Walker rushed for 173 yards on 23 carries. His 14 attempts at halftime were more than any Chiefs back had against Denver last season.

Per NextGen stats, the Broncos missed 28 tackles, allowing for 247 extra yards, including a pair on Walker's 60-yard touchdown run where he ran through Riley Moss and dodged Brandon Jones.

"They did exactly what they came in here to do. They ran the ball really well," safety Talanoa Hufanga said. "We didn’t do a good job at all."

As Walker left the field, fans chanted, "Kenneth! Kenneth! You are the best!"

No one was compelled to argue.

The Broncos looked stale, their decision to favor continuity over free agent additions now firmly under scrutiny.

The offense looked surprised, if not unprepared.

All the talk of being intentional in the use of Waddle became a mirage. He had one catch for two yards. Dobbins said he was ready for 100 carries. He was not a factor, and rookie Jonah Coleman never touched the ball.

Last season, Nix sprinkled pixie dust when things went wrong. The Chiefs took the wand and broke it over his helmet. He fumbled three times. He was sacked four times. He was indecisive. There was no issue with his surgically-repaired right ankle. His head brought questions, like, "What was he thinking?"

Of course, not all is lost. Not even close.

It was one game.

But if the Broncos want to run it back, they can't get walked over like this ever again.

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