Chapter 1354: Chapter 1353: No Longer a Novice
“10:27” –
Is that it?
The entire League is in shock, hardly believing their eyes, as the Minnesota Vikings collapse completely like the Tennessee Titans, scoring not a single point in the second half.
After an interception, they faced an onslaught of eight consecutive running plays, unable to recover from the impact.
But…
At least the Tennessee Titans played a brilliant game until the fourth minute of the second quarter, even once suffocating the Kansas City Chiefs. What did the Minnesota Vikings have?
At least the Kansas City Chiefs, awakened, played a thrilling game, completely suppressing the Tennessee Titans. The victory was wholeheartedly accepted. What did the San Francisco 49ers have?
Disappointing!
Expectations shot up high only to come crashing down hard. This division game finale completely failed to meet expectations, letting down the fans’ burning gossip.
Criticism, attacks, complaints, ridicule, all poured down on Cousins, who confidently claimed victory before the game. Those words transformed into face-slapping comments since the team only scored one touchdown in the entire game, yet wanted to punch Li Wei and kick Rodgers. It’s laughable.
“A bust, still a bust.”
One sentence is already enough to completely negate all of Cousins’ efforts for the season, a hallmark of social media’s consistent behavior.
And this time, Garoppolo barely escaped.
19 passes with 11 completions, a completion rate of 57.89%, passing for 131 yards, one touchdown pass, and one interception.
Such stats are neither here nor there. In an era where a quarterback’s single-game passing of 300 yards is the minimum, Garoppolo’s performance indeed lacked presence. Eagerly prepared to prove himself, he ended hastily, lacking the chance to perform, practically insignificant.
But fortunately, the San Francisco 49ers won, and they won very easily, facing nearly no real challenge or threat in the second half.
In the world of competitive sports, there’s an eternal law: “Victory can solve all problems.”
Moreover, for the San Francisco 49ers, this is a victory like rain after a long drought, also marking a turning point in Coach Shanahan’s career—
It’s the first playoff win for the San Francisco 49ers since the 2013 season; the first advancement to the National Conference Finals since the 2012 season.
At that time, during the peak period of Harbaugh and Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers were undoubtedly the most vital team in the National Conference, representing the future. Former No. 1 quarterback Alex Smith quietly left for the Kansas City Chiefs, with everyone believing the era belonged to the San Francisco 49ers.
Yet, no one anticipated it would be nothing more than a flash in the pan, with two short seasons of brilliance and bloom passing quickly. The speed at which the disintegration occurred caught everyone off guard, waiting for the San Francisco 49ers to completely rebuild and return to the top competition tier. It’s now.
Six whole seasons, in the blink of an eye.
With this victory, Shanahan and his modern outside zone offense system gained fame. Everyone is marveling and cheering for the San Francisco 49ers’ return to the summit of the world. The boisterous voices temporarily focus on the San Francisco 49ers, allowing Garoppolo to thoroughly enjoy the victory.
Finally, the division games are all over, and the conference finals matchups are drawn.
National Conference, “No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers VS No. 2 seed Green Bay Packers.”
This will also be a direct showdown between Shanahan and Lafleur, two close friends. The strong collision of modern outside zone offense systems will see both young coaches doing their best to prove themselves, trying to break into the Super Bowl—
Following McVay’s footsteps from last season.
No matter who ultimately advances to the Super Bowl, this means that for two consecutive years, a modern outside zone offense system will have won an important seat on the Super Bowl stage. Against the backdrop of the League’s focus on passing offense, the importance of ground offense is being revived.
Moreover, both teams have the same regular-season record of thirteen wins and three losses. They dominated the fourth quarter in their division games with absolute strength, easily winning each in their own way, adjusting their competitive state to the best.
It can be imagined, this conference final will be filled with highlights, worthy of anticipation.
American League, “No. 1 seed Kansas City Chiefs VS No. 4 seed Houston Texans.”
The situation couldn’t be more perfect; just like the National Conference finals, the American League finals will also be the destined clash of coaching staff, with Reed and Crennel meeting again.
The previous meeting in the regular season already sparked widespread discussion in the League. Crennel, who left a deep mark as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, is now an assistant coach and Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans. It was only after Crennel left Arrowhead Stadium that Kansas City Chiefs entered their prime under Reed’s leadership, a complete face-slap.
This season’s regular season, the Houston Texans traveled to Arrowhead Stadium for an away game, fought hard, but ultimately played well for only two quarters, losing by a large margin of fifteen points, failing to upset the Kansas City Chiefs.
In this rematch, the entire atmosphere and momentum are entirely different; Watson’s growth and transformation in the latter half of the season have become the biggest highlight for the Houston Texans. How Crennel’s defensive group will thwart Mahomes and Li Wei will be the key showdown determining the game’s victory or defeat.
After all, the Houston Texans are no longer mere understudies—
Stunningly defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card game, suppressing Jackson the entire game. The regular season’s unstoppable Harbaugh and Jackson unexpectedly had no power to fight back, lauded as the perfect quarterback model, yet Jackson stumbled throughout the game, showcasing Crennel’s management and the defensive group’s energy.
The anticipation index for this American League final is definitely no less than that of the National Conference final.
Anticipation, soaring high, blowing the top off the charts!
Reflecting back on the “home curse” rumor post-Wild Card game, the more you think, the more absurd, the funnier it gets, the insubordination turned out to be only an interlude. The division’s top teams took reins to restore order with determination and displayed state, swiftly correcting course, bringing the season’s development back on the right track.
Just look at the conference finals matchups, everyone agrees, despite being the same as last season, with high-ranking seeds coming together smoothly. But this season’s playoffs, full of magnificence and suspense, are entirely different. Various signs prove the League is ushering in a new era.
Oh, wait, something’s not right, someone has fallen behind—
Baltimore Ravens.
Looking back, whether it’s the regular season record of fourteen wins and two losses, with Jackson standing above all others, or the universally praised perfect quarterback model, the expectations placed on Jackson and Baltimore Ravens had early on ascended to a new height.
The result… Abruptly halted.
Especially after the division games concluded, with high-ranking seeds resting in the first round winning. The Baltimore Ravens’ falling behind was particularly conspicuous.
It’s truly outstanding, bestowed with all the love in the world, after all, winning as a high-ranking seed is a matter of course, losing is the actual news.
So, is this the ultimate quarterback model representing the League’s future direction?