Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 741 - : 740 matchups announced

Chapter 741: 740 matchups announced

Buzz.

The game was over, and Nagy’s eyes were filled with sorrow. Victory was only a hair’s breadth away, and he truly believed they could have won the game—

The crux of the matter lay in the fact that the Chicago Bears lacked a decisive player in the final moments who could turn the game around. If it had been Alex Smith or Li Wei on the field, the outcome would have been entirely different.

However, there were no ifs. The Bears had Trubisky.

Looking back at the 2017 draft, when the Chicago Bears paid a steep price to pick Trubisky as runner-up while the Kansas City Chiefs strategically chose Li Wei as the third pick, a single decision had diverged their fates.

Taking a deep breath, Nagy’s eyes gathered resolve:

Next year, they should start from the draft again.

Looking towards the field, Foles once again became the superhero for the Philadelphia Eagles, yet it was uncertain how far Foles could lead them this year.

Nagy’s thoughts spread amidst chaos and disarray.

Following that, the last wildcard game took the stage, which was also the peak of attention:

“Los Angeles Chargers VS Baltimore Ravens.”

However… this game proved the playoff tension in another way.

Facing pressure could either lead to an incredible spark or plunge both into a whirlpool of errors that fragmented the game.

A single-elimination game is no guarantee of a spectacular match.

This game… to some extent, was marred, with mistakes taking center stage.

Both quarterbacks, Philip Rivers and Lamar Jackson, performed so poorly it was painful to watch. Jackson’s performance under pressure was disastrously out of tune. His technical shortcomings were undeniably exposed, and everything from defensive reads, tactical application, timing decisions, to on-the-spot adjustments were all utterly flawed, to the point where critics could hardly bear to comment.

The entire Baltimore home crowd loudly chanted Flacco’s name, while on the sidelines, Flacco was already prepared to take the field at any moment.

Yet, Harbaugh remained unmoved, insisting on keeping Jackson on the field.

In contrast, Rivers’ performance was mediocre, but the veteran’s composure and experience played an important role. Knowing he wasn’t in top form, his tactical choices were significantly wiser, and he managed to control the situation.

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By halftime, “12:0,” the Los Angeles Chargers shut out the Baltimore Ravens, leading with four field goals, though the gap had not widened.

It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that both quarterbacks finally eased the pressure and found their rhythm.

Rivers led the Chargers on a rampage, with a touchdown pass, a two-point conversion, plus another field goal, extending their lead.

At one point, the Chargers were far ahead, “23:3.”

It was only then, standing on the precipice and feeling the threat of death, did Jackson wake up as if from a dream. With risky long passes and read options rushing with the ball himself, he incredibly managed to score two consecutive touchdowns and rapidly close the gap.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

“23:17.”

The Los Angeles Chargers held on to victory, defeating the Baltimore Ravens and advancing to the next round.

After the game, Jackson stood there, dazed and crestfallen.

He had always longed to defeat Li Wei fair and square, to prove his own abilities; but in the regular season’s overtime loss, he had no chance to take the field, and in the playoffs… he didn’t even get to face Li Wei.

Did he not even qualify to stand before Li Wei and compete?

Jackson was bewildered, tasting the bitterness in his mouth.

Harbaugh noticed and was the first to approach, firmly patting Jackson’s helmet:

Lamar, don’t cry. Next season we start over, the future is ours.

With that, the first round of wildcard games has come to an end—

It’s indeed a time of chaos.

Of the four wildcard games, only the Dallas Cowboys managed to hold onto their fourth seed, fending off the Seattle Seahawks to advance to the next round; the other three games saw the lower seeds upsetting the higher seeds, sending the league into a new pinnacle of disorder.

It was a tad exhilarating.

Then, the divisional matchups were all set.

January 12th, Saturday.

In the afternoon, the American League’s top seed, the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the sixth seed, the Indianapolis Colts.

At night, the National Conference’s second seed, the Los Angeles Rams vs. the fourth seed, the Dallas Cowboys.

January 13th, Sunday.

In the afternoon, the National Conference’s top seed, the New Orleans Saints vs. the sixth seed, the Philadelphia Eagles.

At night, the American League’s second seed, the New England Patriots vs. the fifth seed, the Los Angeles Chargers.

The schedule was all set.

It was somewhat surprising that the defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, would play first and not in a night game; but upon reflection, it wasn’t so surprising.

Because from an analytical standpoint, the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Indianapolis Colts was expected to be the least suspenseful of the division games, while the collision between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Chargers was regarded as the most uncertain.

The League’s scheduling was clearly considerate of the issue with viewership ratings and the backlash from last season when the League was unduly in favor of Li Wei, pushing all his games to prime time slots.

This time, the League’s scheduling received universal acclaim from insiders and fans alike.

Perhaps, the only ones who were unhappy were the Indianapolis Colts—

Why assume this game would have the least suspense? Does the entire League really think the Kansas City Chiefs are certain of victory here?

Bart: Yes.

Bart, an “insider” of the league, was no longer the focal point of this season.

In fact, he remained a steadfast “Li Wei hater,” always believing “one season of brilliance means nothing for a running back,” because running backs are like consumables, worn a little each season and not easily recoverable. To measure a running back’s ability, “at least three seasons” were needed, and he made no attempt to conceal his stance.

However, this season, the Kansas City Chiefs kept winning, losing only three games. Bart faced more frequent and harsher rebukes, and he had to admit—

This season, Li Wei broke through the rookie wall, and the Chiefs were a more complete and mature team, “though still with room for growth and not quite a real powerhouse yet.”

The upcoming divisional game, even Bart, a staunch “Li Wei hater,” grudgingly acknowledged that the Indianapolis Colts would find it difficult to stop the Chiefs’ march forward.

Indianapolis Colts:… Roll.

On this, Bart had his own opinion. The Indianapolis Colts were a team with weak defense relying entirely on offense. Facing the Chiefs, it would be a classic “high-scoring shootout,” but the crux of the matter was that the current Chiefs’ offensive group was indeed exceptional.

Of course, some would say that the Los Angeles Chargers managed to defeat the Chiefs relying on their offense.

But that game was an exception as Hunter’s incident disrupted the Chiefs’ game plan; at the same time, the Chargers’ last-minute bold move, driven by Lynn’s audacity, brought a win that was somewhat lucky.

What works once may not work again.

Just look at the Chiefs’ games this season. The New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Pittsburgh Steelers all contested the Chiefs by clamping down on their offense with their defense.

The Indianapolis Colts?

Not feasible.