Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 731 - : Looking back on the 730 season

Chapter 731: Looking back on the 730 season

The plot is intricate and laced with enmity.

Every team is grinding their teeth, sharpening their knives in the dark.

This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.

Los Angeles Chargers are no exception.

It’s all because of the Kansas City Chiefs; the Los Angeles Chargers had miraculously pulled off a spectacular season, but now they must play in the wildcard game. Playing an extra game means more energy spent, which could impact the overall postseason situation. They are itching to drink the blood and gnaw the flesh of the Chiefs—their division rivals to the death—

Seeing the enemy only deepens their loathing.

However, the Los Angeles Chargers have kept a low profile, focusing on the wildcard game. They don’t want to repeat the mistakes of last year’s Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, who overlooked their opponents and prematurely set their sights on the next round, only to both be shockingly knocked out in the divisional games, paving the way for the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars to meet in the AFC Championship Game.

...

No, they refuse.

The Los Angeles Chargers have a belief, a quietly resilient certainty of victory.

For this season, the Los Angeles Chargers clearly have higher expectations.

In the American Conference, the era of the Big Three’s domination, with Big Manning, Brady, and Roethlisberger lasting over fifteen years, was only ever disrupted by the Baltimore Ravens.

But now, with Big Manning retired, Roethlisberger past his prime, and even Brady’s dominance showing cracks at last, and the Baltimore Ravens consistently struggling but staying tough, the American Conference’s landscape has been blown wide open.

Like never before.

Especially after the success of last season’s breakthrough by the Kansas City Chiefs, becoming the second pick, other teams in the American Conference are greatly encouraged, eager to be the next breakout team. This has led to a chaotic landscape in the American Conference this season, with almost every team having a chance—

At least they believe so.

Thus, the playoff atmosphere is lifted to a new high, with everyone having their own goals, every team fighting their own battles.

Immediately, the NFL announced the wildcard game schedule, as there is no rest period from Week 17 of the regular season to the wildcard playoff game.

January 5th, Saturday.

In the afternoon, the Texans, seeded number three in the American Conference, will face off against the number six seed, the Indianapolis Colts.

In the evening, the Dallas Cowboys, seeded number four in the National Conference, will meet the number five seed, the Seattle Seahawks.

January 6th, Sunday.

In the afternoon, the Chicago Bears, seeded number three in the National Conference, will combat the number six seed, the Philadelphia Eagles.

In the evening, the Baltimore Ravens, seeded number four in the American Conference, will confront the number five seed, the Los Angeles Chargers.

The battle curtain rises slowly.

Without rest, without adjustment, without a moment to catch their breath, the aforementioned eight teams have already plunged into playoff preparation without stopping.

Whether it’s the Los Angeles Chargers, who secured their playoff spot three weeks early, or the Philadelphia Eagles, who snuck into the playoffs at the last moment with a little help from the Chicago Bears, now it’s all the same—there’s no time for panic, no time to think. They must shift from regular-season mode to playoff mode immediately.

Just a moment ago, the Philadelphia Eagles were still thanking the Chicago Bears for the huge favor.

The very next second, the two teams would have to battle for a chance to advance.

Competitive sports are just that cruel. No wonder people continuously question whether true friendship can exist on the field of competition.

However, when the teams enter the wildcard playoffs, the league isn’t able to immediately tense up; they need some buffer time—

Celebration. Revelry. Summation. Reflection. Anticipation.

The excitement of the playoffs deserves full attention, but the glory of each regular season should not be forgotten, for the playoffs are about the championship, yet the regular season is the foundation that keeps a sport thriving year after year.

This year was no exception.

Before the wildfire of the wildcard battles was set to ignite the playoff stage, professionals hurried to summarize the season, giving regular season play its due recognition and certifying those uncrowned kings before all eyes were on the playoffs and the Super Bowl.

Last season, the league’s structure was wide open; it was in total chaos, and quarterbacks had a collective setback in performance, which allowed running backs led by Li Wei and defenders led by Aaron Donald to come into the spotlight. The eventual crowning of Brady as the regular season MVP sparked a series of debates—

Perhaps, it’s time for the league to pay more attention to players other than quarterbacks.

The quarterbacks saw all these debates and topics, and they too were eager to respond. This season, several quarterbacks indeed rose to prominence, seizing the public’s attention; but overall, since the retirement of Big Manning, it seemed the quarterbacks’ performance during the regular season entered a leaderless and highly competitive state.

Before the season started, the Green Bay Packers’ Rodgers carried high expectations.

Coming back from an injury, he and the team signed an epic top-tier contract, shattering quarterback salary records in a dominant fashion. This young player, undoubtedly born for the “quarterback rating,” was something to look forward to in the new season.

However, things didn’t go as hoped.

Because of the team’s overall fragmented strength and underperforming wide receivers, Rodgers had all the skills but couldn’t deliver passes into the end zone to finish off games; his passing yards and touchdown passes both hit a personal career low. Despite having only two interceptions in the regular season, suffering forty-nine sacks was a top-tier nightmare for the league.

In the end, the Green Bay Packers missed the playoffs with a record of six wins, nine losses, and one tie, and Rodgers’ quarterback rating, rarely seen, did not break a hundred points.

Similarly, the other two elite quarterbacks, Brady and Brees, due to age, injuries, and other issues, underperformed slightly compared to expectations—

Not bad, and certainly not terrible, but a noticeable drop from their peak performances of previous years. However, they still led the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints to high-ranked playoff positions, a testament to their legacy and power.

But still, the chaos among quarterbacks continued.

This season’s passing yardage king was… Roethlisberger.

Unexpected, but logical; without Bell, the Pittsburgh Steelers switched completely from a ground to a passing offense, with Roethlisberger showcasing his composure and excellence. Among the “Class of 2004” quarterbacks, he remained the most honored.

Following him, Mahomes, Matt Ryan, Goff, and Andrew Luck ranked second to fifth, respectively.

Among them, the comprehensive rise of Mahomes and the continued dominance by Goff made them standout amongst the new generation of quarterbacks, igniting widespread discussion.

And Mahomes, just like Li Wei last season, burst onto the scene—since the first week of the regular season, he continuously wowed the league and fans, leading to exclamations of, “Where did this guy come from?” In the end, he and Roethlisberger were the only two quarterbacks to break five thousand passing yards this season.

The league was in shock.

Looking back at last year’s draft, people finally understood what the Kansas City Chiefs’ Veach was aiming for with his first-round divine move.