After an offseason of hype, the Denver Broncos delivered a dud in their season-opening matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Denver was outscored 17-3 in the second half of a 31-10 loss to Kansas City.

Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II told reporters after the game that the team was served some “humble pie” in the loss.

“We needed some humble pie, for sure,” said Surtain. “I just think that all the offseason talk — all the hype that brought this team together — I think [we] just gotta find a way to cancel all of that out. Find a way to play winning football, which I know we’re capable of playing. We just got to find a way to bounce back next week.”

The Broncos lost before they ever took the field against the Chiefs

I know there will be plenty of hot takes about this game — especially since Broncos quarterback Bo Nix didn’t play well — but I don’t think there’s any reason for Denver fans to panic.

This game was basically over before it started — it was the perfect storm for a big Chiefs win.

Kansas City had a little extra juice in Week 1. It was quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ post-ACL return to action, the KC debut of running back Kenneth Walker III, and Travis Kelce’s (likely) last season opener. It seemed like the Chiefs were eager to make a statement.

When you combine that with the fact the Broncos, as Surtain alluded to, were feeling themselves a little bit, it led to a lopsided result.

But it’s just one game. Sometimes games play out in a weird way. The Chiefs won’t have that same energy every week, and Walker isn’t going to average 173 rushing yards every game. And the Broncos aren’t going to get that type of game from Nix every week.

Don’t make this loss more than it is. The Chiefs were amped and the Broncos didn’t match it.

It’s a long season. This loss will be a distant memory by the time the playoffs roll around in a few months.