American Football: Domination

From every angle, the Kansas City Chiefs held their fate firmly in their own hands. Beat the Oakland Raiders, and the AFC's number one seed belonged to the defending champions.

But the Raiders? They were always a wildcard. Even if they were bottom-feeders this season, even if the finale was set for Arrowhead, you could never predict a matchup between bitter divisional enemies.

Who knew? Between "draft position for next year" and "ruining the Chiefs' playoff plans," what choice would the Raiders make?

That's why Week 16 carried such weight. Kansas City needed the win to keep control.

And—

They did it.

In crushing fashion, dismantling the Seattle Seahawks, the Chiefs walked out of the war of attrition smiling, and seized pole position for the AFC's top seed.

Now, it was time to watch their rivals.

The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills this week, but back-to-back losses to the Dolphins and Steelers left them at 10–5.

The Houston Texans fell in a heartbreaker, edged by just two points against last year's NFC champion, the Philadelphia Eagles—also 10–5.

In short, both fell off. Neither could keep pace with the Chiefs. No matter the final week's outcome, they were out of the race for the number one seed.

That left one contender: the Los Angeles Chargers.

Two teams from the same division, vying for the top seed—rare and telling of just how fierce the AFC West really was.

This week, the Chargers hosted the Baltimore Ravens.

Lynn's team brimmed with confidence, riding high off their last-second win over Kansas City. But instead of building momentum, the locker room exhaled. The tension that carried them through the gauntlet loosened. When it mattered most, they slipped.

What should've been another heavyweight clash unraveled.

Baltimore rolled into LA and walked out untouched, winning 22–10. The Chargers never mounted real resistance.

No one saw it coming. But that's the NFL. That's competition. Every week is chaos. Nothing is locked until the final whistle.

Week 15 ended with the Chargers sitting at 11–4.

The result? Already decided.

By league tiebreakers, Kansas City locked the AFC's top seed a week early.

Even if they lost to Oakland and the Chargers beat Denver, the standings stayed the same.

The 2018 season's first big mystery closed its curtain:

The defending champion Kansas City Chiefs would march into the playoffs as the AFC's number one seed. A bye in the Wild Card round. Home-field advantage throughout.

Meanwhile, the battle for the two-seed raged on. Patriots and Texans—winner rests, loser fights on opening weekend. No one could afford a slip.

The NFC was no calmer. Saints, Rams, Bears—three giants tangled for the top three seeds. One stumble, and the entire order could flip.

In short, Week 17 still held plenty of suspense. Everyone had to fight tooth and nail.

Except Kansas City.

With the top seed in the bag, they could coast into the finale, rest, regroup, and prepare for January.

The perks of being a defending champion.

No wonder, after that five-minute storm at CenturyLink, the media and the internet drowned in praise, awe, applause, and cheers.

A grueling season, full of battles, and yet—Kansas City still claimed the AFC's throne early. Say what you will, but they'd earned their prime position and precious recovery time.

"…Oh, you bastard, I'm a little moved."

JJ Watt was on the phone with Lance. Part congratulations on an excellent season. Part reaching out for support—

Because this year's Houston Texans had a golden chance.

They were the first team in history to start 0–3, then rattle off nine straight wins.

They had their second double-digit win season since 2012.

They had the chance to clinch only the third division title in franchise history.

Everything was in place.

But that made Week 17 all the heavier.

The Texans were staring down the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Last year's AFC finalist, the one that had battled Kansas City to the brink.

Preseason, many experts still pegged them as contenders. But this year? A freefall. Four wins, clawing at the bottom.

From heaven to hell. But that's the NFL—one year, one universe. Nothing's guaranteed.

On paper, the Texans were favorites. But that was the trap. Too easy, too obvious, and suddenly you overlook the opponent, peek too far ahead, and get smacked with reality.

The pressure was real.

As captain and heartbeat, Watt couldn't show a crack. Not in the locker room. Not at all. His teammates weren't built to bear it.

Maybe, just maybe, only Lance could.

----------

Powerstones?

For 20 or 10 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates