Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 361 Rejecting the Cold Open
On January 7, the playoffs continued with the third and fourth wildcard games.

Refer to the fierceness of the first two wild card games, the NFC's sixth seed Atlanta Falcons overturned the third seed Los Angeles Rams, and the AFC's fifth seed Tennessee Titans almost overturned the fourth seed Kansas City Chiefs. This once again proves the greatest charm of the NFL -

The strength is close and difficult to predict.

This is the case every season. The gap between strong teams and weak teams is not that obvious. Once entering the playoffs, every team has a chance. In one sentence:

“It’s anybody’s game.”

What's more, this year is generally considered by professionals to be the year with the most open competitive landscape, and the intensity of the playoffs may be higher than expected.

So, will the other two wildcard games also bring surprises?
Yesterday, the National League game was first played and the American League game entered the night game; today the positions will be switched and the American League wild-card game will be played in the afternoon.

"Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills".

Both teams were weak teams that had been weak for a long time and returned to the playoffs after many years; and in the American League, which was dominated by passing offense, they unexpectedly opened the game with defense, bringing a new atmosphere to this season. This playoff game is evenly matched and both sides have the opportunity to continue to make history.

When all the media's attention was focused on the Kansas City Chiefs, enthusiastically discussing their upcoming matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers or the New England Patriots, this wild-card game was neglected. Obviously, both teams were holding their breath and trying to grab the spotlight back.

The competition was extremely intense.

But it doesn't look good.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles and Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor are not very good quarterbacks, even below the league average, and the performance of both quarterbacks can be said to be a disaster.

Bortles, 23 of 12 passes, 87 yards.

Taylor, 37 of 17 passes, 134 yards.

The quarterback's passing attack played at the level of the ground attack. From this set of data, we can see how dull the game was. Even the ground attack seemed clumsy, so the game kept wasting time with strikeouts and punts.

The defensive team becomes the protagonist.

In football matches, "0:0" draws are also divided into different categories. There are circus performances where both teams attack each other but are in poor condition and anti-aircraft guns are flying all over the sky, and there are dull draws where continuous mistakes and continuous defense become the protagonists. The same is true for rugby.

This game falls into the category of dull.

"3:10".

The Jacksonville Jaguars continued their strong performance this season, defeating the Buffalo Bills, another strong defensive team, at home. Linebacker Telvin Smith acted as if he was assisted by God, making eleven tackles, two effective hits and one forced fumble, setting a new record in the history of the Jacksonville Jaguars and becoming the biggest contributor to the victory.

Instead, it was running back Fournette's performance that was disappointing.

Before the game, Fournette, who was selected with the fourth pick in this year's draft, became the focus.

He was the running back selected second only to Levi. He was not only one of the top three players in the NCAA last season, but also the strongest competitor for Henry in the NCAA last season.

After entering the professional league, when McCaffrey's performance in the Carolina Panthers was below expectations, Fournette naturally stood at the cusp of the storm, and Jacksonville was still waiting for him to realize his talent.

After the Kansas City Chiefs' comeback win over the Tennessee Titans, Fournette became the target of media scrutiny and he vowed.

“It’s coming.”

The day was coming when he would realize his talent, the day was coming when he would prove that he was no less capable than Henry and Levi.

Unfortunately, it’s not this wildcard game.

21 carries for 57 yards, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.

After the game, Fournette refused to respond to any of Levi's questions. Under the siege of reporters, he blushed and muttered to himself,

"It's coming, it's on the way."

Their faces were flushed like a little girl wearing a skirt for the first time. However, no matter what, the Jacksonville Jaguars withstood the impact and refused to be upset. No matter how difficult and ugly it was, they still successfully advanced.

Victory is the only thing that matters.

In the night game, another National League wild card game was played.

"Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints".

Compared with the game in the afternoon, the game in the evening lived up to expectations. The two quarterbacks, Newton and Brees, raised the banner of offense and launched an offensive against each other. The two teams joined forces to present a wonderful offensive battle.

Newton, who has always been criticized for only being able to run the ball but not pass it, finally took out his trump card, played with high accuracy, and completed a high-quality passing offensive game; but this time, he faced Brees, the league's top passer. Under the leadership of head coach Sean Payton, Brees' passing ability has been magnified to the extreme, which is a nightmare for any defensive team.

"26:31".

Although the Carolina Panthers fought to the end and took the lead at one point in the fourth quarter, the New Orleans Saints still defeated their opponent in a wave, and struggled to defeat the Carolina Panthers who were trying to return to the Super Bowl stage at home, and strode into the next round.

In the post-game press conference, quarterbacks Newton and Brees were undoubtedly the focus of attention, but Carolina Panthers head coach Rivera seemed a little absent-minded.

Returning to the playoffs is worth celebrating, but the result of being eliminated in the wild-card game is not satisfactory. At the critical moment, Newton was still alone. If the ground offense could provide some support...

Rivera's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, revealed some sadness.

In addition, there is another player who unexpectedly became the focus.

"How would you rate your performance in this game?"

"Do you still think you are the only rookie player who can be compared with Levi, because based on the data alone, the only rookie running back who can compare with Levi is Hunter."

The subtext is that you are not even as good as Hunter and are not qualified to be Levi's substitute.

New Orleans Saints rookie running back Kamara had red cheeks and wet eyes, and it seemed like he might break down and cry in the next second. He was helpless as reporters surrounded him.

But what can he do?
10 carries for 23 yards, an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

Even worse than Fournette.

The more arrogant and overbearing he was before, the more brutal and rude he is when he is slapped in the face now.

Before the game, the duel between the two rookie running backs, McCaffrey vs. Kamara, should have been one of the highlights of the game, but the result was disappointing.

McCaffrey had only 16 yards on the ground. Under Rivera, he was completely used as a wide receiver, catching the ball for 101 yards, at least showing some potential. Unfortunately, he still can't be compared with Levi.

And Kamara, who was full of confidence and boastful, was even more dim.

After mumbling some words at the corner of his mouth, Kamala finally spoke with his neck stiffened.

"This is just the first playoff game, and I'm going to show what I can do next. Levi, I'm looking forward to facing him head-on in the Super Bowl."

No matter what, we can't lose our momentum!
However, the reporter was not buying it.

"Kamara, once the playoffs come, you become...weak?"

Seeing this news headline, Kamala spat out a mouthful of blood -

Nonsense, all nonsense!
Anyway, whether it is the American League or the National League, the biggest focus of the wild card game is always Levi, and countless topics finally focus on Levi.

Sure enough, Levi is the current traffic guarantee!

(End of this chapter)