Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1153 Home Advantage
During the offseason, when the schedule was released, the difficulty of the Kansas City Chiefs' schedule was among the highest in the league, and it was full of dangers at every step.

The actual situation is indeed like this, but it is slightly different from expectations.

As expected, the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers are the highly anticipated strong matchups, while the Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans are opponents that can give them a little breathing space.

However, now, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Tennessee Titans have become tough guys to deal with, and the Los Angeles Chargers have become the weak and sick who are bullied by everyone.

This is something I never expected. I can really feel the charm of the NFL from the side:
There is no absolute underdog.

Before the regular season officially kicks off, all judgments, predictions and speculations are just paper talk and cannot be counted. Only by actually stepping onto the field and competing with real swords and guns can the truth be revealed; moreover, the league structure continues to change, and everything is possible before the end of the regular season.

The gap between the so-called strong teams and the so-called weak teams is far from being that obvious.

In fact, the same is true for the Los Angeles Lightning.

The poor record of four wins and six losses was indeed something that the Los Angeles Lightning had not anticipated before the start of the 2019 season, and it completely disrupted their plans.

But, is it true?
Don’t judge numbers by their surface.

First, let's look at the Los Angeles Chargers' six losses, all of which were within a touchdown; and four of those losses were decided by three points or less.

Looking at the four victories of the Los Angeles Chargers, they defeated the Indianapolis Jazz in overtime, beat the Miami Dolphins by 20 points, narrowly beat the Chicago Bears by one point, and upset the Green Bay Packers.

So, what does this prove?
The Los Angeles Lightning still has the strength and ability, but they just lost the momentum that allowed them to hold on and win last season when the game was close and stalemate; but that doesn't mean they have completely disappeared, it's just that their performance has been a little unstable, which has been the case in all ten games so far.

In other words, the Los Angeles Lightning still has the strength to make the playoffs. If anyone thinks that the Los Angeles Lightning are easy to bully because of their record of "four wins and six losses", then the outcome will be a failure, which will add fuel to the Los Angeles Lightning's playoff hopes.

For example, the Green Bay Packers.

The Green Bay Packers, who were unstoppable in the first half of the season, never expected to be sniped repeatedly when playing against AFC teams. After losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, they lost to the Los Angeles Chargers, and their smooth momentum was disrupted.

The Green Bay Packers are a prime example:
Once the winning streak is interrupted, the team may fall into chaos. They need to find the rhythm and state again, and the subsequent momentum may be different. This is why all the coaches and professionals in the league are thinking about the same question -

Who can beat the Kansas City Chiefs?
If there is a first, there will be a second. The situation and trend of the 2019 season may be completely different.

Now, all eyes are on the Los Angeles Lightning.

Indeed, judging from various situation analyses, the Los Angeles Lightning are indeed lagging behind, and Rivers in the 2019 season is no longer the same as he was in the 2018 season; but the Los Angeles Lightning may not be without hope.

Don't forget, this is a divisional war.

The Cleveland Browns are a typical example of a team that is good at civil wars but not good at foreign wars. Even though their record is terrible, they are always able to create trouble in the divisional civil wars. The Oakland Raiders are no exception. They are struggling in the trough, but they burst out 200% of their energy in the divisional civil wars.

Last week, the Oakland Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Chargers.

Of course, this also sets an example for the Los Angeles Lightning:
Look, look at me, now it's your turn, you should also challenge the Kansas City Chiefs with the same spirit, who knows, maybe the victory will belong to you?

The Los Angeles Chargers, who still have the foundation and strength, will boost their morale and ignite their fighting spirit and overthrow the leading Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional civil war?

Who could say no to that?
What's more, the Los Angeles Lightning has an advantage: home field.

In the 2018 season, after the Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Los Angeles Chargers on the road, Levi said the famous quote: I hate Los Angeles. The entire league burst into laughter.

At the same time, everyone knows that the Kansas City Chiefs have remained undefeated at home for two seasons, and Arrowhead Stadium has become the most terrifying and top home field in the league. The hope of defeating the Kansas City Chiefs lies on the road, and the game in front of them is an away game.

What if the away game is still not enough?
The Los Angeles Lightning also has an "extra advantage", an enhanced version of away games: overseas games——

In the eleventh week of the regular season, the Los Angeles Lightning will be at their "home court", London's Wembley Stadium, to face the two-time defending champions and division rivals the Kansas City Chiefs.

Wait, why is this an enhanced version of away games?

As for overseas, aren't the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs back to the same starting line?

The situation is not that simple.

Because this is the Kansas City Chiefs' first overseas game, and it is also the first overseas game for young players such as Holmes and Levi.

Last season, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams were supposed to play a game in Mexico, but it was canceled due to severe rainstorms. However, the two teams still completed a wonderful and historic half-time Super Bowl in Los Angeles.

Ultimately, two of the Chiefs’ three losses in 2018 came in Los Angeles.

This season, the NFL has made adjustments and arrangements and once again arranged overseas games for the Kansas City Chiefs.

According to the original plan, the game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers should be held in Mexico, but after careful consideration, Goodell finally chose London.

The reason is very simple. Levi is no longer the same as before, and the Kansas City Chiefs have also made great progress. If the league hopes to seize the opportunity to open up overseas markets and maximize the positive impact of the Kansas City Chiefs and Levi, then they must go to the most mature and excellent markets currently operated by the NFL to open up the situation:
London!
So, this scene happened.

However, it is a severe challenge for young players such as Holmes and Levi.

As mentioned earlier, due to the different preparation periods for Monday Night Games, players may experience fluctuations or even abnormalities, or even suffer unnecessary injuries.

According to official league statistics, the injury rate of Monday night games is indeed higher than that of other games. This is an objective fact.

As for overseas games, they go a step further based on Monday Night Games. If it was Mexico, it would be fine, as there is no time difference and two hours of travel time, and it would be basically no different from an away game in North America; but London is different.

The more than ten hours of travel time across the ocean and the time difference of day and night, all of which had to be adjusted within a week, were challenges.

Imagine that the team went to Denver to compete on a mile-high plateau. They would need to arrive in Denver two or three days in advance to adapt to the plateau environment. What about London?

Some people may say that it is just jet lag. Who hasn’t experienced it when traveling?
But the point is, this is not tourism.

This is a competitive sport, and players need to maintain their best competitive form. Nothing can be taken lightly, from three meals a day to rest, sleep, and training arrangements.

However, NFL players only have one day or two to adjust.

The difficulty can be imagined.

(End of this chapter)