American Football: Domination

The final week of the regular season was pure agony for the Oakland Raiders.

As mentioned before, the Raiders were set to move to Las Vegas before the 2020 season, making this their second-to-last year in Oakland.

For players and fans alike, the bond between team and city was inseparable. Players wanted fans' support. Fans wanted players to leave behind good memories.

But in the face of business interests, those emotional ties didn't mean much.

So, the Raiders faced a tough choice:

Should they go all out against the Kansas City Chiefs?

Even if the Chiefs had already secured the AFC's No. 1 seed, with the result meaningless, the Raiders could at least spite their division rival, adding fuel to the eternal feud between Oakland and Kansas City—something future generations could laugh and argue about.

Or should they just give up?

Throw in the towel and tank, because the Arizona Cardinals were clearly ready to bottom out too. The whole "race for the bottom" suspense had already become meaningless. The Raiders' win or loss wouldn't change their draft order. The last week was nothing but a chicken bone—no meat, no flavor.

A dilemma with no easy answer.

From the fans' perspective, it was obvious: victory. Absolutely, victory. The team was moving to Las Vegas anyway—why care about the future draft? Better to get one last jab at the Chiefs.

From the team's perspective, though, Oakland was already the past. Their focus was Las Vegas. Draft picks mattered. Even if the No. 1 overall pick was out of reach, they didn't want the Jacksonville Jaguars stealing their second pick. That, they couldn't accept.

So the answer became clear—

Tank.

That said, even if they'd gone all out, this year's Raiders were a scattered, broken squad. The odds of upsetting the Chiefs were slim. But once the decision was made, the game turned into a farce.

"35–3."

Game over. The Chiefs swept the Raiders at home, closing their season with style.

Mahomes threw another interception, but he also connected with Sammy Watkins and backup tight end Demetrius Harris for touchdowns. The first one came in the opening quarter: a 53-yard strike to Watkins, who then sprinted another 13 yards into the end zone. One dagger, and Arrowhead erupted.

Running backs Damien Williams and Darrel Williams each added a rushing touchdown.

On defense, safety Daniel Sorenson picked off Derek Carr and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

The season finale had turned into a glorified scrimmage.

The Raiders collapsed completely. Afterward, they didn't even have the strength left to be angry—just walked off, heads down.

But for Arrowhead, especially for the Gallas family, this was pure bliss. Their very first live football game had turned into a wild party, adrenaline flooding every vein.

Cheering. Jumping. Singing. Letting it all out.

After the game, the Gallas family once again met Lance in the locker room.

Annie threw her arms around him in a huge hug, her voice trembling with excitement.

"...Amazing. That was amazing. Now, the only regret is not seeing your touchdown."

Annie hadn't forgotten her wish list.

Lance, spotless and sweat-free, spread his hands. "Looks like we'll have to wait for the divisional round."

Annie raised her pinky.

Lance tilted his head, confused.

"Promise," Annie said, holding her hand up.

Lance burst out laughing, hooked his pinky with hers, then turned to his teammates. "You all saw that. I might need some help later, so be ready."

Laughter roared through the room.

Jenna and Jeff exchanged a look. Only now did they truly understand—it wasn't just about victory. It was about the spirit, the fire, the blood boiling so hot it burned the soul awake.

That was the encouragement Annie needed.

The Gallas parents traded another glance, hiding the sorrow in their eyes, forcing smiles, and joining the locker room celebration.

When Felix and Karen arrived, they caught only the second half of the promise, but that was enough.

Felix stumbled forward, slapping palms with Annie, then Lance, before shouting hoarsely, "I'm the witness! The witness!"

Jenna glanced at Karen and noticed Felix's voice was nearly gone. "Is he okay?"

Karen took a deep breath, worry clouding her face though her words were steadier. "This is good. Better than him sitting silent in his room."

Their eyes met, a silent bond passing between two mothers who knew too well the bitterness of watching their children suffer cancer.

"Woohoo!"

Lance, Annie, and Felix shouted together.

Jenna and Karen joined in, their voices echoing in the noise of the locker room.

The 2018 regular season was done.

The Chiefs had closed it with a resounding win. Even with the second string, they'd shown growth and maturity. The Raiders may have had no fight left, but a win was still a win—an exclamation point on the season.

And it meant the playoffs were finally here.

Months of buildup, suspense, chaos, and grind had ended. All the answers revealed. And now—

The sprint to the finish began. The one-game knockouts, where a single night decided everything.

Not like the NBA's seven-game series. Not like Europe's home-and-away format. More like the World Cup: one shot, one chance, life or death.

Randomness. Surprise. Shock. Upsets. All magnified tenfold.

Anything could happen. Giants could fall. Nobodies could rise. Brackets could burn.

Just like last year, when no one expected the Chiefs and Eagles in the Super Bowl—no one expected Kansas City to actually win it all.

Unpredictability. That's why the NFL stood as America's No. 1 sport. The best time of year had arrived.

Now, standing at the gate of the playoffs, the most nerve-wracking and thrilling stretch of the year was about to begin.

The season's second act was here.

The stage was set.

The first question: who would survive the wild-card gauntlet and earn a ticket to Round Two?

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Powerstones?

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