American Football: Domination

Team sports always present the same dilemma—when praising a player, one must determine whether their success is due to individual ability or the team's system.

In soccer, when Barcelona wins, people praise Messi. But when Argentina loses, should Messi be blamed, or is it the team's failure?

This subtle distinction exists in all team sports, and football is no exception.

And for running backs, this question becomes even more pronounced.

On paper, Lance had indisputably dominated the rushing statistics this season. The gap between him and the rest of the league was undeniable—even Todd Gurley looked second-tier in comparison.

However, before declaring him a legend, experts and seasoned fans remained cautious. They focused on two key metrics.

First—yards per carry.

Lance: 5.8 yards.

Gurley: 4.9 yards.

Bell: 4.0 yards.

McCoy: 4.0 yards.

Numbers don't lie.

This was the second-best single-season yards-per-carry average in the past five years—only trailing Adrian Peterson's historic 6.0 yards per carry in 2012, when he went on a superhuman run.

Lance was dangerously close to reaching that level.

It was also important to note that Lance and Bell had nearly identical total carries—both surpassing 300, making them the only two backs in the league to do so. Gurley, McCoy, and the others had all carried the ball fewer than 280 times.

Yet, despite the workload, Lance had maintained this level of efficiency.

And it didn't stop there.

Kansas City's second-string running back, Hunt, had also rushed for over 600 yards. Under Andy Reid—who had always been known for his pass-heavy offenses—this was an astonishing shift in identity. No wonder Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith had the best statistical season of his career.

At this moment, every critic fell silent.

Remember when the Chiefs were ridiculed for selecting two running backs in the first and third rounds of the draft?

Now, at the end of the regular season, the Chiefs led the entire NFL in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and yards per carry.

The so-called "ridiculous" draft strategy had turned out to be pure genius.

Second—fumbles.

Lance: 0.

Bell: 2.

McCoy: 2.

Gurley: 5.

This statistic was perhaps the most shocking of all.

Not only was Lance the only player with over 100 carries who had not fumbled, but he also became the first rookie in NFL history—with at least ten starts—to complete a full season without losing the ball.

Not just efficient, but flawless.

Bell and McCoy had been impressive in ball security, but compared to Lance, they still fell short. Gurley's five fumbles, meanwhile, made his statistical performance look downright sloppy.

Hunt, for his part, had only fumbled once all season—proving that Kansas City's ground game was built on both power and reliability.

This also meant that in the single-elimination playoff format, the Chiefs' offense would be more stable and less prone to costly mistakes.

One statistic after another solidified the reality—Lance wasn't just the best rookie this season.

He was one of the best offensive players, period.

His dominance wasn't just evident—it was historic.

A phenomenon had arrived.

His performance had elevated him beyond the usual rookie discussions. Even in a year where quarterbacks and defensive players had struggled to shine, the emergence of Lance as an unstoppable force had become the biggest story in football.

Naturally, this led to an unprecedented debate—

Could Lance be the league MVP?

In NFL history, dating back to 1957, no rookie had ever won the MVP award.

There had been second-year MVPs—Dan Marino, for example, had won in just his second season. But rookies? Never.

The divide was clear—rookies were considered separately from veterans in awards discussions. That was just the way it had always been.

But this year was different.

Lance's dominance was so overwhelming that excluding him from the MVP conversation felt like an act of willful ignorance.

And so, for the first time ever—

A rookie running back was not just in the MVP discussion but a legitimate contender.

This was true prestige.

At the beginning of the season, the debate about Lance had been driven by his unique background, his unconventional transition from mixed martial arts, and the league's marketing efforts.

As the season progressed, his commercial appeal and off-field stories had continued to generate buzz. Usually, when a player's media presence begins to overshadow their on-field performance, it spells disaster.

With the NFL, Nike, Pepsi, and other sponsors heavily promoting Lance, it had seemed inevitable that he would become more of a brand than a player.

But Lance refused to let that happen.

He brought every discussion back to the field.

He silenced critics with an undeniable, relentless performance—one that didn't just demand attention but forced his name into MVP conversations.

The league's media machine had already made Lance its biggest star.

Now, his play had made him a legend.

Still, the true test remained.

Because in professional sports, only one thing truly matters—championships.

Naturally, all discussions led to one final question.

Could the Chiefs make it to the Super Bowl?

At Old Oak Tavern, home to Kansas City's most passionate fans, the answer was clear.

"We can do it! Of course, we can!"

The bar erupted in agreement.

Then, from the corner of the bar, a quiet voice spoke.

"Are you sure?"

The enthusiasm in the room instantly cooled.

Dozens of eyes turned toward the source of the interruption.

"Chris, shut the hell up. No one owes you money."

"I hate fake intellectuals like you."

"Chris, have a little faith in this team. If we don't believe, who will?"

"Get out. If you're not supporting the team, we don't need you here."

"Shut your mouth. No one asked you."

"How about brushing your teeth before you start talking?"

One sentence—just one—had drawn the wrath of the entire bar.

But Chris Provost remained unmoved, slouched over the bar, seemingly unaware of the hostility around him.

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Powerstones?

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