Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1638 A world of difference
The filing of a civil lawsuit by a massage therapist was just the beginning, but it was like a signal that stirred up a hornet's nest, inspiring others to step forward as well.

One by one, more and more massage therapists came forward, and all indications suggested that it was not an isolated case; Watson was simply a repeat offender!
Watson faces 22 civil lawsuits.

The situation took an instant turn for the worse; now it wasn't a question of whether Watson was applying to leave the Houston Texans, but rather whether the Houston Texans were willing to keep Watson.

But the problem is, timing is a different matter.

Now, the Houston Texans are finally willing to trade Watson. They no longer have two star players, Hopkins and Watt. If the team continues to use Watson as their cornerstone quarterback, it will likely be detrimental to the team's marketing. The team's image cannot continue to be tarnished, and Watson needs to leave.

However, due to these civil lawsuits, coupled with the league's establishment of an investigation team, other teams have all slowed down and are watching closely. Watson's market value has plummeted. If the Houston Texans force a trade now, the result may be a complete loss, losing both the big picture and the small details.

Left with no other option, the Houston Texans had to temporarily freeze their market trading activities, finding themselves in a dilemma.

Throughout the 2021 season, Watson sat on the bench, practically invisible.

In March 2022, a Houston jury dropped the criminal charges against Watson—but the civil charges continued. This meant the market was thawing and teams were finally willing to make offers. The Houston Texans were eager to get rid of Watson as if he were a hot potato and couldn't wait to trade him.

On the other hand, one has to admit that the Houston Texans did an excellent job of making amends after the fact. Even though they were eager to do so, they held back and made an excellent deal, trading Watson away and bringing the Houston Texans a rich reward.

After a protracted negotiation, the Cleveland Browns acquired Watson in a trade for five draft picks—including three first-round picks—at a hefty price. Subsequently, the Cleveland Browns and Watson signed a five-year, $230 million fully guaranteed contract, setting a new record for the most fully guaranteed contract in league history.

What happened next?

Cleveland Brown has proven to be a fool with too much money, once again playing the role of a sucker.

Watson's 2022 season was effectively wasted after the league concluded its investigation and he was suspended for eleven games. When he finally managed to return to the court, he was plagued by injuries, spending most of his time bedridden.

Injuries, recovery, struggle; and again, injuries, recovery, struggle. It's like the movie "Triangle," trapped in a nightmare, endlessly repeating the same cycle.

Cleveland Browns: ...

But all of this is no longer relevant to the people of Houston, Texas. Fortunately, they haven't slid further into the abyss amidst the misfortune.

Whether it's the Houston Texans or the Cleveland Browns, they have once again demonstrated through their actions that a wrong decision can have disastrous chain reactions.

Did it all stem from the Houston Texans' crushing 7-47 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs?

No, the crisis and conflict had already surfaced the moment O'Brien chose to trade Hopkins due to personal grudges.

However, it is undeniable that the shocking result of the 2020 season opener did indeed have a strong impact, becoming a driving force for the tragedy and chaos of the Houston Texans; at the same time, in stark contrast, the Kansas City Chiefs relied on a resounding victory to establish themselves.

For Reed, this victory was also unexpected, so easy and so dominant.

The term "slow starter" isn't a simplistic way of putting it; the Kansas City Chiefs weren't fully prepared. Rookie players and offseason signings didn't fully adapt to Reed's intricate and dazzling tactical system, and rookie cornerback Diggs's interception of Watson was largely due to Watson's own mistakes.

At the same time, the new defensive playbook also needs to be refined and practiced. They need time—time to practice, time to gel, and time to play games. But now the entire league must face new challenges, and what it lacks most is time for practice and real games.

The Kansas City Chiefs' season opener was far from as easy as it seemed.

Li Wei's early touchdown was a game-winning start that quickly helped the team establish a foothold and boost morale. He once again demonstrated his leadership at a crucial moment, and the team subsequently found their rhythm on both offense and defense. The final victory was a huge relief for the coaching staff.

In the world of competitive sports, confidence is something like this.

When confidence is lacking, one can often only exert part of their strength, and a poor state of mind may further plunge them into a chaotic vortex during a confrontation.

When you are full of confidence, you can not only unleash your full potential, but even exceed your usual level, and unleash more potential in clashes between strong opponents.

The Kansas City Chiefs in the 2020 season were a case in point. Lacking warm-up and cohesion, their teamwork was somewhat inconsistent and they lacked confidence. However, their quick establishment in the opening game gradually dispelled their anxiety and hesitation, restored their confidence, and allowed them to fully enter the game. In fact, they found a way to improve their teamwork through the game.

The 7-47 victory was just the beginning. No one expected that this one-sided opening match would become a crossroads for the two teams' future development. But that's exactly what happened. One went left and the other went right, or to be more precise, one went up and the other went down.

They went to two extremes, heaven and hell, and clearly, the one in heaven wasn't a Houston Texan—

In the second week of the regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the Los Angeles Lightning on the road.

As it turns out, Levi did have reason to dislike Los Angeles. Even without Rivers, the Los Angeles Chargers, led by rookie quarterback Justin Herbert, still put the three-time defending champions in a tough fight.

In overtime, the Kansas City Chiefs secured a dramatic victory on the road thanks to a 23-yard touchdown pass combination between Mahomes and Levy, ultimately preventing the Los Angeles Chargers from achieving their goal again.

"26:20".

The score was extremely close; in fact, the game was far more intense and suspenseful than the score suggested, almost breathtaking.

It is precisely because of this that the alliance saw hope, the hope that the Kansas Chiefs were not invincible, and the hope that the Kansas Chiefs would show signs of weakness.

The Los Angeles Chargers, who had plummeted to rock bottom last season, under the leadership of the young and ambitious rookie quarterback Herbert, underwent a complete transformation and were completely revitalized. They truly gave the three-time defending champions a real scare, and despite their defeat, they earned a standing ovation from the entire league.

Although Mahomes is still young, only a fourth-year student, he has already become a "veteran" to meet the challenges of the younger and fresher Herbert.

Among this year's draft quarterbacks, Herbert is slightly ahead of Burrow by half a step, sparking a wave of "rising stars" both inside and outside the league. At this moment, the atmosphere of a new season and a new atmosphere has become clearer than ever before.

(End of this chapter)