Chapter 1028: Third Time's the Charm Against the Seahawks
In this year's playoffs, only one lower-ranked seed beat a higher-ranked seed in the Wild Card round, and that was when the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Washington Redskins. But to be fair, this wasn't really an upset. The two teams were evenly matched, and the outcome was within the expected range.
In the Divisional Round, the first two games were played yesterday, and the results were shocking. It's not entirely accurate to describe them as shocking, but rather that the direction of the games didn't go as people expected.
In the AFC, the top-seeded Denver Broncos faced the fourth-seeded Baltimore Ravens.
The two teams were inseparable, and the entire game was a roller coaster ride. In the first quarter, the score was "14:14." In the second, "7:7." In the third, "7:7." And in the fourth, "7:7."
The game was incredibly even. No matter which side took the lead, the other side would quickly catch up. The stalemate in the score lasted for the entire game.
The Denver Broncos had a chance to seal the game in the regular season, but their defense, which was ranked fifth in the league this season, made a crucial, fatal mistake. With only 75 seconds left in the game, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw a miraculous 70-yard Hail Mary pass to his wide receiver Jacoby Jones for a touchdown, tying the score.
In overtime, the Ravens won the coin toss, but they went three-and-out, handing the momentum over to the Broncos. Unfortunately, the Broncos couldn't capitalize on the opportunity either. Both teams went back and forth, making mistakes and failing to score.
With 61 seconds left in overtime, Peyton Manning's pass was intercepted by opposing cornerback Corey Graham, giving the Ravens the ball at their opponents' 45-yard line. Unfortunately, Flacco was not able to score right away.
The first overtime period ended. Since it was a playoff elimination game, both teams went into a second overtime period.
Flacco scrambled for six downs but still went three-and-out. However, he was able to set the Ravens up for a 47-yard field goal. Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made the kick, eliminating the top-seeded Denver Broncos and advancing to the AFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year.
Manning's brilliant and incredible comeback season ended tragically with a loss in double overtime.
In the NFC, the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons faced the third-seeded Green Bay Packers.
The two teams also played a game of two halves.
In the first half, the home team Atlanta Falcons showed an excellent attitude. They were fast and explosive on both offense and defense, and they completely shut out their opponent "23:0," which was incredibly surprising.
In the second half, the visiting Green Bay Packers made a full comeback. Aaron Rodgers led the offense and exploded with three touchdown passes in the third quarter, closing the gap to "21:23" in one fell swoop.
In the fourth quarter, both teams had a scoring battle. Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers both showed their top form and threw two touchdown passes each. Rodgers's Hail Mary pass with 53 seconds left in the game successfully kept the score difference at two points.
The Packers then attempted an onside kick and unfortunately failed. The ball went back to the Falcons. Ryan didn't make a mistake and ran out the rest of the clock. They ultimately won with a score of "37:35" and advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
Last season, the Atlanta Falcons' offense completely stalled in the Wild Card round, scoring only two points from a safety on defense. That was all. Ryan threw for 24 out of 41 passes for 199 yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions, making him almost invisible throughout the game. This season, Ryan finally proved himself with a spectacular performance.
And the Green Bay Packers lost in the Divisional Round for the second consecutive year. Last year, they lost to the hot-handed Eli Manning, and this year, they lost to the hot-handed Matt Ryan. Even though Aaron Rodgers himself was also on fire, the defense's weakness at key moments and the special teams' shortcomings ultimately led to their loss.
Before the Divisional Round began, Sports Illustrated was trying to paint a beautiful picture of the "four elite quarterbacks making it to the Conference Championship Game." Although this was mainly to praise Lu Ke, it's undeniable that neutral fans started to look forward to it. It was a beautiful thought.
But the ideal was full, and the reality was bony. The first two elite quarterbacks to play both lost, and those unrealistic dreams immediately turned into dust.
Now, fans were left with another question: Does Matt Schaub of the Houston Texans have a chance of beating Tom Brady? And can Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks defeat Lu Ke and pull off the ultimate underdog victory?
After some careful thought, the fans' heated brains gradually calmed down. Obviously, it was too early to call a second-year player like Lu Ke an "elite quarterback." This has nothing to do with winning a Super Bowl ring but rather with having a consistent performance over multiple seasons.
At this point, people realized that the difference in skill between Schaub and Brady was relatively obvious, while Lu Ke and Russell were still newcomers to the league.
Schaub is a veteran who entered the league in 2004 and made it to the Pro Bowl once in 2009. But last year, he had a season-ending injury, and his starting quarterback position was taken by rookie quarterback T.J. Yates. This year, he returned from his injury, reclaimed his starting spot, and delivered the best performance of his career.
If it weren't for Manning, Schaub would have won the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
Schaub still has a chance against Brady, as the Texans' defense will determine the outcome of the game. Especially when comparing the two veterans, the youthfulness of Lu Ke and Russell stands out even more.
One is a second-year player, and the other is a rookie. Relatively speaking, they are both "fresh-faced" newcomers to the league.
However, because Lu Ke's performance in the past two seasons has been so amazing and polished, people always thought he had been in the league for a decade. So, when Sports Illustrated started hyping him up, the idea naturally took root, and it's only now starting to cool down.
Manning lost to Flacco, and Rodgers lost to Ryan. So, is it possible that Brady could also lose to Schaub? As for Lu Ke and Russell, the outcome is even more unpredictable. Even if Russell wins, it wouldn't be a huge, earth-shattering upset. After all, anything is possible in the playoffs, right?
The last fan's words meant exactly that. Everyone was hoping the top quarterbacks would win, and the Conference Championship Games would be an epic showdown, but Lu Ke is nowhere near a perfect, established player yet. After two upsets in the Divisional Round, no one can say for sure who will win.
Li Monian immediately understood.
Lu Zhengze and Jiang Younin exchanged a knowing glance. In competitive sports, nothing is 100% certain. There's always a 1% chance of an upset in any game. But they couldn't let this seed of doubt take root and grow, as it would more or less affect the atmosphere of the home stadium today.
But what should they say?
"All we can do is talk about it here. We'll only know who is better once they get on the field and compete, right?"
A clear and bright voice came from a woman nearby, and everyone turned their heads and saw Candice's radiant smile.
"We should believe in ourselves, because the 49ers fans are the most united. We will never give up in the face of any difficulty or setback. Do you remember that sea of gold? Do you remember Ryan Baldwin? Even Death himself had to step back. That's the spirit and soul of Candlestick Park! Our faith and our persistence are the most important things!"
Candice shouted, raising her right hand into a fist. "Fight! Forever!"
The familiar and simple chant rang out again. Li Monian, Lu Zhengze, and Jiang Younin exchanged glances, all with big smiles, and joined in. Then, the other fans around them started to follow suit. It was like a small stone being thrown into a lake, and the ripples began to spread and eventually created a huge wave.
Other fans walking in the aisle heard the chant, clenched their fists, and started cheering as well. With just a cheer and a look, they could connect with each other and become one. One by one, their faces started to blur, and everyone shared the same name:
49ers.
At this moment, they were a drop of water in this red ocean, creating a huge wave at Candlestick Park.
Facing an opponent who had just won the Wild Card round and whose morale was at an all-time high, an opponent who had made great strides this season, an opponent with high spirits who was charging forward... they would not be afraid or back down.
Not because they had defeated their opponent twice this season, but because they are an invincible team that will stop at nothing. No matter who stands on the other side of the field, they will go forward without hesitation! For the third time this season, they are ready to face the Seattle Seahawks with everything they've got!
"Fight! Forever!"
"Fight! Forever!"
"Fight! Forever!"
The cheers and roars became more and more intense, more and more powerful, and more and more magnificent. The entire Candlestick Park could feel the resonating sound wave echoing under the Bay Area sky!
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!