Chiefs revamped secondary aced its first test in Week 1 but now faces major question

The Kansas City Chiefs entered Week 1 with more questions than answers. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had multiple new pieces to test against Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos' promising offense.

Rookie first-round pick Mansoor Delane looked sharp early on, even picking off Bo Nix with an athletic diving catch in the first quarter. Unfortunately, that play cost him the rest of the game, as he was ruled out shortly after with a shoulder injury.

But even without the Chiefs' top-10 draft pick, the secondary did an amazing job in Week 1, limiting just about every part of Denver's passing attack. Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton were non-factors, and even though Bo Nix was also coming off an injury, this was an impressive, well-rounded performance by a very young and ever-growing defense.

The Chiefs' secondary looked solid, but Mansoor Delane's health is a growing concern

Sutton and Waddle combined for a grand total of three receptions for 13 yards. The Nix-Waddle connection was supposed to be the next big thing since sliced bread, yet Nohl Williams, L'Jarius Sneed, and even Kristian Fulton in Delane's absence smothered the Broncos' pass catchers all night long.

To be fair, Week 1 should always be taken with a grain of salt. Nix wasn't his usual self, and the Broncos may not have wanted to put that much on his plate. The much-maligned, across-Denver first-time play-caller, Davis Webb, definitely didn't do Nix any favors in this one.

Nevertheless, the Chiefs' defense looked as sharp as ever, with the pass rush keeping the Broncos' otherwise solid offensive line on its toes and getting to the quarterback over and over. With three sacks, countless pressures, and multiple batted passes at the line of scrimmage, Nix rarely had enough time to scan for his guys downfield.

And in the few times he actually had a clean pocket, which happened mostly on third-and-long situations, everyone was covered. Losing Delane certainly puts a sour note on this win, but it also speaks volumes about the Chiefs' secondary depth.

There were some doubts about Fulton after a somewhat disappointing first season with the team, but he looked pretty solid after Delane went down. As for Sneed, it was like he never left. Maybe he just needed to return home to get back to his usual shutdown-corner level.

The Broncos didn't help themselves in this one, but it's not like the Chiefs gave them much of a choice. All in all, the secondary limited Nix to just 115 passing yards, nine first downs, and going 2-for-12 on third down.

The Chiefs will now look to make it 2-0 when they host Daniel Jones and the Indianapolis Colts' dynamic passing game. Delane's status will be something to keep a close eye on throughout the week, as he was the primary candidate to stick with the explosive Alec Pierce.

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