Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 1646 Never to Return

The 2020 season kicked off with the three-time defending champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, securing a strong three-game winning streak, including victories against the Houston Texans and the Baltimore Ravens, two playoff teams from last season, showcasing excellent form and continuing their strong performance.

However, in the three games, Li Wei's performance... was neither bad nor good. He was average and had a stable start, which would be considered mediocre for other players; but for Li Wei, it was abnormal.

After all, in the previous three seasons, Li Wei had amazed the league with his incredible performances, setting one unsurpassable benchmark after another and igniting the market.

Now?

"Is Li Wei finally finished?"

"So, even the wild beasts are tired?"

"The truth: Madden's curse is at work!"

"As expected, even Levi was ultimately unable to resist the power of Madden's Curse."

"Has the Levi era finally come to an end? The running back ultimately couldn't withstand the continuous onslaught."

The room was bustling with noise, and there were constant criticisms, complaints, and even malicious attacks. But in reality, compared to previous years, there weren't as many negative comments as one might expect. They had been repeatedly proven wrong by Li Wei and were afraid to speak rashly.

Nevertheless, some netizens are still like pigs that don't fear boiling water, with only a seven-second memory like goldfish, forgetting the pain once the wound heals and starting to cause trouble again.

Of course, Li Wei remained as composed as ever, chatting and laughing in front of reporters, even jokingly saying that "I'm getting old and need to conserve my energy to avoid embarrassing myself in front of younger rookies," showing no signs of worry at all.

As it turns out, Li Wei really didn't need to worry.

Just like last season, the Kansas City Chiefs are simply testing tactics, and Levi's role as bait is entirely to help the team make adjustments.

When the team needs Li Wei, he is always able to step up immediately.

For example, right now.

Reed needed Levi to break through Gilmore head-on, so Levi broke through Gilmore head-on.

It wasn't just a breakthrough; to be precise, it was a complete and utter domination. He proved once again with his actions why Levi had an overwhelming advantage in the regular season MVP voting, while Gilmour could only grumble and complain on the sidelines.

Not only did Levi make four ground runs from Gilmore's side, showcasing his ability as the league's top running back in a high-stakes running offense matchup, but he also caught the ball three times in one-on-one situations against Gilmore, then broke free to continue advancing the ball for yards, achieving a 100% catch success rate and accumulating 47 yards in those three catches. This directly made Gilmore's side the weakest link in the New England Patriots' defense, rendering a cornerback completely ineffective in passing defense against a running back, no different from a sieve.

Total collapse!

Last season's declaration of aiming for the regular season MVP came back like a boomerang, slapping him in the face. Gilmore wished he could disappear on the spot and erase his own existence.

Gilmour completely lost the keen sense of smell, accurate prediction and excellent form of last season. He was completely different before and after the season, and he was no match for the crowd. He was completely powerless in front of Levi who was unleashing his full power.

This is a disaster, an absolute disaster.

Horrible!

"Li Wei! It's Li Wei again! It's still Li Wei!"

"In the one-on-one duel, Levi completely blocked Gilmour's position and overpowered him, using his back to block Gilmour to receive the ball, and then immediately made a 360-degree clockwise turn to get rid of him. Gilmour was like a piece of wood!"

"Gilmore tried to foul by pulling on the jersey, but even that was a beat too slow, only managing to catch a fleeting glimpse of Levi." "Wow!"

"Gilmore was completely crushed and became nothing more than a background character!"

"In the head-to-head matchup between the best offensive player and the best defensive player last season, Gilmour performed like a baby just learning to walk, completely powerless. The difference was simply a one-sided massacre."

"It's too painful to watch any longer."

Anger and shame were no longer enough to describe Gilmore's feelings; they had far exceeded his limits. The urge to escape reality was like a black hole, devouring all his energy. He didn't even have the courage to face himself.

On the sidelines, Bilicek remained calm and composed as always, his hands clasped over his chest as he closely observed every move of the game, a poker mask covering his face to prevent revealing his true emotions.

However, unusually, Bilicek neither redeployed his troops nor changed his tactics—

Does this mean they're prepared to remain unchanged in the face of all changes?

No, it's more like saying they've exhausted all their options and are at their wits' end.

The New England Patriots were prepared with their strongest weapons on both offense and defense. Billy Cecke had shown all his trump cards without reservation, but he was still powerless to fight back.

This isn't just about the score; the overall competitiveness of the game fell far short of the expected tension and sparks, let alone a back-and-forth clash between strong teams.

It wasn't that Bilicek didn't want to make changes, but that he had run out of options; it wasn't that he didn't want to adjust his tactics on the spot, but that he had already tried everything.

If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

Bilicek stood on the sidelines, silently watching everything unfold before him, his mouth full of bitterness.

On social media, the sentiment was equally divided: those hoping to witness the complete demise of the New England Patriots dynasty and those hoping to see a team capable of challenging the Kansas City Chiefs' continued dominance were roughly equal, but both were ultimately stunned into silence.

The audience in front of the TV had already lost most of their viewers due to the one-sided game. By the start of the second half, there were only 20 million viewers left, and the number was still declining. But whether they were viewers who continued to watch the live broadcast or those who left early but saw some updates on social media, they were all stunned.

When had the invincible, unstoppable, and arrogant New England Patriots in their memory ever been so pathetic and humiliated? When had Billy Cecke, who always seemed to have the answers to every question, ever been so bewildered and dazed?

This scene is akin to "ruining childhood memories." Even though many people look forward to seeing it happen, when it actually occurs, something deep inside them begins to crumble, and that innocence and simplicity are gone forever.

So, is it that the Kansas Chiefs have become so powerful that no one can touch them, or... have the former New England Patriots vanished with the wind and will never return?
Considering that the Los Angeles Chargers just dragged the Kansas City Chiefs into overtime in the second week of the regular season, and only one possession away from their first victory over the Chiefs in two seasons, the answer seems obvious.

At that moment, something deep inside me seemed to have truly shattered.

Let alone the general public, even Brady, who watched the live broadcast on TV, went from ecstatic to bitter and then to dejected. He slumped into the sofa, speechless, and remained silent for a long, long time.

He probably couldn't tell whether he was happy or... unhappy. It was a mix of feelings, and it would take some time to process them.

On this night, things finally became a reality—

The NFL's dynasties have changed hands.

(End of this chapter)