Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 725 - : 724 Stands Out

Chapter 725: 724 Stands Out

From every angle of analysis, the Kansas City Chiefs had firmly grasped their fate in their own hands. As long as they could defeat the Oakland Raiders, the top seed spot in the AFC would belong to the defending champions.

But here, the Oakland Raiders were always an unknown factor. Even though they were strong contenders for the second-to-last place in the league this season, even though the final week’s game was about to take place at Arrowhead Chiefs; one must not forget, the matches between the Oakland Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs, these divisional arch-rivals, can never be judged by the usual standards.

Who knows how the Oakland Raiders would choose between “the draft pick position next year” and “sabotaging the divisional arch-rival’s playoff plans”?

This was why the penultimate week of the regular season was so crucial, the Kansas City Chiefs needed to win, needed to keep the initiative in their own hands.

The result—

The Kansas City Chiefs did it.

...

They had the last laugh in this tough battle of a clash of titans against the Seattle Seahawks, securing an early lead in the competition for the AFC’s number one seed spot.

Now, it was time to see how the rival teams performed in the final sprint of the regular season.

The New England Patriots, who beat their divisional arch-rivals the Buffalo Bills this week, but had previously lost to the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers suffering back-to-back defeats, currently had a record of ten wins and five losses.

The Houston Texans, in a very, very close game, were narrowly defeated by the last Super Bowl’s runners-up, the Philadelphia Eagles, and currently had a record of ten wins and five losses.

In other words, both teams fell behind to varying degrees and in different ways, ultimately unable to keep pace with the Kansas City Chiefs, and consequently bowed out of the race for the AFC’s number one seed spot. Regardless of the results of the final week’s games, they no longer had a chance to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Finally, there were only the Los Angeles Chargers left from the AFC West.

The fight for the top seed spot would be contested by two teams from the same division, an undoubtedly extraordinary spectacle, revealing the fierce competition within the AFC West.

This week, the Los Angeles Chargers were home against the Baltimore Ravens.

Originally, Lynn’s team was full of confidence, ready to carry on the momentum from the last-second victory over the Kansas City Chiefs; but they never anticipated things moving in another direction. After coming out on top in the divisional clash the previous week, the Los Angeles Chargers’ locker room celebrated wildly, their strung nerves finally relaxed, and the most difficult battle being over, they were unable to tighten up for the following week’s game.

During the critical moment of fighting for the playoff seed spots, the Los Angeles Chargers revealed their instability, and the game against the Baltimore Ravens, which should have been a clash of the strong, turned out disappointing.

The game, simply collapsed.

The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Chargers on the road with a score of “22 to 10,” facing little resistance throughout the game, and emerging victorious from Los Angeles.

Such a situation was also something no one could have anticipated.

But this is the NFL; this is competitive sports. Every week’s game is filled with countless possibilities, and until the final moment, no outcome is set in stone.

With the conclusion of Week 15 in the regular season, the Los Angeles Chargers stand with eleven wins and four losses.

The outcome was revealed ahead of schedule.

According to NFL ranking rules, the Kansas City Chiefs had locked down the AFC’s number one playoff seed spot a week early.

Even if in the last week, the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Oakland Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Denver Broncos, the ranking outcome would still be the same.

In the 2018 season, the first big mystery of the regular season was the first to unveil its answer:

As the AFC’s number one seed, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs would set out for the playoffs, not only having a bye for the wild-card round but also enjoying home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the race for the second seed in the American League remained a knife-edge battle, where the victor would get a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and the loser would face the wildcard round. Such intense competition kept the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans under continuous strain, making the final week’s events critical.

The National Conference was no exception, with the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, and Chicago Bears locked in a tight struggle. The rankings for the top three seeds amongst these three teams would be decided only in the final moments. Until the very end, the outcome was unpredictable, and any misstep could lead to drastic changes in the seed rankings.

In other words, in the last week of the regular season, there were still a series of mysteries to be unveiled, and teams still needed to give it their all, the fierceness of battle reaching unprecedented levels.

Only the Kansas City Chiefs were the exception.

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Having locked in the playoff’s number one seed position in advance as they did last season, the Kansas City Chiefs could embrace the final week of the regular season in a relaxed state, preparing for the playoffs while other teams fought tooth and nail, the Chiefs could sit back with a cup of tea and watch the drama unfold.

The treatment was starkly different.

So, was this the posture of the defending champions?

No wonder that after the “devil’s five minutes” at CenturyLink Field, be it the media or social networks, there was nothing but praise, admiration, applause, and cheers.

After enduring a long and arduous regular season, the defending champions had still locked in the American League’s number one seed position ahead of time. Regardless of what anyone said, the Kansas City Chiefs had secured a favorable position for themselves in the playoff battle, even earning precious time to adjust, which was quite remarkable.

“…Oh, you guy, you’re a little moved, aren’t you?”

JJ Watt was on a call with Li Wei, partly to congratulate Li Wei for completing an excellent season and partly because he needed some moral support—

The Houston Texans, this season, had a rare opportunity.

Firstly, they became the first team in league history to rebound with nine straight wins after opening the season with three consecutive losses, making history.

Secondly, it was the second time since the 2012 season that they achieved more than ten wins in a campaign.

Last but not least, they had the chance to win the division title for the third time in the team’s history.

Everything was on the right track.

But because of this, the pressure in the last week of the regular season was unprecedented.

In week 17 of the regular season, the Houston Texans were set to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Jacksonville Jaguars who battled toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs in last season’s American League finals.

At the start of this season, many experts believed the defense-oriented, steadfast Jacksonville Jaguars would still be strong contenders for the American League championship; however, the reality was cruel. The Jaguars’ season fell apart, with only four wins so far, now contending for the position of almost the worst team.

From heaven to hell, a freefall at the speed of light, but that’s the NFL, a different setup every season, with no one assured of their spot.

From every perspective, the Houston Texans were favored to win this game; but precisely because of this seeming proximity to victory, there was a risk of complacency, taking the win for granted, underestimating the opponent, and eagerly looking forward to the playoffs. Such a narrative often leads to a harsh reality check.

The pressure was immense.

As the captain and spiritual leader of the Houston Texans, Watt couldn’t show any signs of faltering in the locker room, not even the slightest crack, as he needed to bear all the pressure himself; and his brothers were not up to facing such a situation.

Perhaps, only Li Wei could.