Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1307: Calculating People's Hearts
There are cold hits every year, but this year there are especially many.

First, the New England Patriots lost to the Tennessee Titans after 25 years, and then the New Orleans Saints became the first 13-win team in NFL history to lose in the wild-card game.

Furthermore, although the Philadelphia Eagles were not considered upsets, they inexplicably suffered three consecutive losses at home in the wild-card round, which completely destroyed their home-court advantage.

If you add in the ups and downs and thrills of the Houston Texans and Buffalo Bills in the final moments, the AFC's fourth seed almost lost.

An unusual atmosphere hangs over the NFL this season——

with no exceptions.

Regardless of the team or stadium, even Gillette Stadium, which made the New England Patriots dynasty, has not been able to escape this gloomy curse.

This... is no trivial matter.

When the wild-card game ended, a rumor quickly spread throughout the league, and everyone heard it, regardless of whether they were paying attention or not.

The "home curse" means that in this unusual season of 2019, during the playoffs, the better the home performances in the past, the more likely the players will suffer backlash at home and fall into a vicious circle of poor performance.

Don't be superstitious, Brady and Brees have become the first sacrifices.

At the end of the regular season, who could have predicted that Brady and Brees would both be eliminated in the wild-card game? The speed of "veterans dying on the beach" was too fast and the posture was too neat, revealing a weird atmosphere everywhere.

Perhaps someone has raised an objection at this point. What about the Houston Texans? How did they escape the disaster? Don't say that Watt performed an exorcism.

The answer lies not with the Houston Texans, but with the Buffalo Bills.

Since the early 1990s, when the Buffalo Bills advanced to the Super Bowl for four consecutive years, an unprecedented achievement, but tragically lost all of them, the team's luck seemed to have been exhausted, and the next thirty years have been shrouded in the curse of "four consecutive runner-up".

Over the years, the Buffalo Bills have worked hard to break through the blockade of their division rivals, the New England Patriots, and make it to the playoffs, but then lost the game inexplicably and strangely. Isn't it enough?
Let’s not talk about the distant past. Let’s just talk about the wild card game against the Houston Texans. The Buffalo Bills had already won the game, but they lost the game inexplicably.

If it's not a curse, then what is it?
The only thing that can be said is that the "four consecutive runner-up curse" that has lasted for thirty years is more experienced than the "home curse" that only hovers over this season.

Before the "home curse" defeated the Houston Texans, the "four consecutive runner-up curse" had already grabbed the Buffalo Bills by the throat.

This is the correct answer.

What's more, in the professional league, although everyone says not to be superstitious and not to be superstitious, one should believe in science, this is true for training and the same is true for games. The era when games were driven by intuition and inspiration is long gone. Now the league believes in data analysis and tactical layout.

However, in reality?

Competitive sports should be the most superstitious circle in all walks of life. Almost every player has his own little superstition and firmly believes that this little superstition can bring him victory or even the championship.

“It is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not exist,” right?

There was a hustle and bustle, and everyone in and out of the league was watching. They made jokes and pretended not to believe it, but the rumor spread privately at an unprecedented speed, and surrounded Kansas City like an isolated island.

After all, the "home curse" is aimed directly at Kansas City.

Since losing to the Buffalo Bills at home on November 2017, , for more than two years, Arrowhead Stadium has continued its -game winning streak in the regular season and playoffs, and has deservedly become the strongest home court in the league. This is the ultimate stage that everyone wants to shake and challenge.

If - just a hypothesis, if the "home curse" that worked briefly in the playoffs this season really exists, Arrowhead Stadium will bear the brunt of the biggest backlash, and the Kansas City Chiefs may face unprecedented challenges. So, will this become a variable in the playoffs?
Whether others believe it or not, the Tennessee Titans are the first to believe it.

"Hey, Derek."

The crowd was buzzing with arguments when AJ Brown, a rookie wide receiver selected by the Tennessee Titans with the 51st overall pick in the second round, called out to Henry, who was about to go to the locker room to wash up.

"Do you believe?"

AJ Brown asked, and everyone's eyes turned to Henry.

There is no doubt that "Henry the Great" has become a flagship figure of the Tennessee Titans, and this super running back has become the team's most solid pillar.

At the same time, the Tennessee Titans are about to travel to challenge the Kansas City Chiefs in the "Crimson Tide Showdown 3.0". The clash between Henry and Levi has already caught the attention of the league. Who would have thought that in a league where passing is king, the running back showdown would one day become the biggest attraction?
Henry stopped and met AJ Brown's gaze, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he stood there, seemingly thinking about the question temporarily.

The air is a little quiet.

Henry himself didn't feel anything, but the other players around him were almost suffocating.

Quarterback Tannehill saw this scene and hesitated a little.

When he was in the Miami Dolphins, he was the starting quarterback, he was the team leader, he was the core of the locker room, he needed to make his voice heard, but he was too young at that time, he didn't know how to express himself, let alone how to lead the team. If managing the locker room was a course, he obviously failed.

Now in the Tennessee Titans, he is a substitute quarterback. He is uncertain about his future. Who knows how long Mariota will be on the bench? His age is insignificant in the face of the youth storm. Although he has experience in locker room management, he doesn't know whether he should step forward.

"I do. Of course I do."

Finally, Tannehill spoke up. He told himself that even if he was not a leader, he was still a member of the locker room and he needed to make his voice heard.

All eyes turned to Tannehill.

Including Henry, who looked slightly confused.

Tannehill took a deep breath. "The whole league believes it. We don't have to be unique. Obviously, we believe it just like everyone else."

AJ Brown looked at Henry, then at Tannehill. Why did this sentence sound so strange? He clearly said he believed it, but it seemed like he didn't believe it.

"But why?" AJ Brown asked.

Tannehill, "These superstitions are never about whether they are true or not, but about the mentality of the players."

“Once you convince yourself that you believe it, and draw energy and confidence from it, it will be able to unleash energy and drive your potential in the game and in the confrontation.”

"At the same time, this can also be a lever to shake the opponent's confidence and determination. If the opponent believes it, they may doubt themselves at a critical moment."

"Superstition. Rumors. These calculations are all based on human nature."

(End of this chapter)