A familiar Kansas City formula had another strong showing in Week 1, but one part of the Chiefs’ offense gave ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith something new to talk about. 

On September 15, 2026, Stephen A. Smith discussed the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 1 win over the Denver Broncos on First Take. While Patrick Mahomes delivered a productive performance, Smith highlighted Kenneth Walker III’s impact, calling his running game new for Kansas City.

“But I haven't seen a running game like that in his entire career in Kansas City,” Stephen A. Smith said. “We've seen Tyreek Hill. We've seen Travis Kelce. We've seen defense. We've seen Spago spearheading that defense...calling.”

Mahomes returned from nine months of injury rehab. Walker, KC's new RB, quickly became a major part of the offense. The two shared the field for the first time in the Chiefs' 31-10 win over Denver, according to Haji Newton’s YouTube video.

Walker finished with a career-high 173 rushing yards, the most by a Chiefs player since Mahomes became the team’s starter in 2018.

He also recorded 191 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns on 26 touches, including a 60-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-inches.

Walker generated 101 rushing yards over expected against Denver and forced 14 missed tackles. The numbers backed up Smith’s point about Kansas City having a different running game.

After halftime, Mahomes also found his rhythm as a passer, completing 7 of 9 attempts for 122 yards in the second half.

However, Walker’s rushing production remained the bigger change for Smith, giving Kansas City a dimension he had not seen during Mahomes’ time as the team’s starter. 

While Smith focused on what Walker’s performance added to the Chiefs, Mahomes also pointed to the running back’s role in setting the tone against Denver. 

Patrick Mahomes highlights Kenneth Walker III’s impact against Denver

In an X post shared by NFL on ESPN, Patrick Mahomes credited Kenneth Walker III and the Chiefs’ offensive line for setting the tone during his post-game conversation with ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the Week 1 win.

“It's a mentality, and it's attitude, you know, he sets the tone,” Mahomes said of Walker. “We talked about it all week long that against this defense, you've got to set the tone...and get a big win.” 

Mahomes also credited Andy Reid and offensive line coach Andy Heck for the Chiefs’ approach, which helped Kansas City create a different look in the red zone.

With Mahomes praising the approach, Walker could remain an important part of how Kansas City handles physical defenses as the season moves forward.

Written by

Divyanshi Raj