American Football: Domination

"…Welcome to NBC, everyone. It's game day—the 2018 NFL Divisional Round is about to kick off, one step closer to the Super Bowl."

"But… today doesn't look like a good day for football."

"At this very moment, snow is falling steadily across Kansas City. The flakes are still coming down as we speak."

"The temperature isn't terrible, right at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (zero Celsius). But the real problem is the unrelenting snow."

"If this were a snowball fight, neither team would be happy."

"Snow, like rain, doesn't just bring cold and wet—it interferes with passing vision, grip, footwork. It drags down throwing accuracy and hurts the passing game."

"The cold alone is bad news. Add snow, and it's worse."

"With fifteen minutes before kickoff, we'll see if the flakes lighten up."

Strangely, falling snow often feels less cold than when it melts later—that's when the chill bites. But the real danger isn't the cold, it's the unpredictability.

Snow means fumbles, slips, dropped passes, even ballcarriers going down. Every play becomes a minefield. Constant vigilance is the only way through.

That's why in these conditions teams usually lean on the run—less risk, easier to control even if things go wrong. But that also disrupts the entire offensive strategy.

Both Kansas City and Indianapolis are built for explosive passing. Fans wanted fireworks. A shootout. Now? Maybe not.

Especially Indianapolis.

For two decades, the Colts were Peyton Manning. Manning was the Colts. Together, they defined each other. With him, Indy was always in the Super Bowl conversation, no matter the injuries, no matter the roster.

From 2003 to 2010, they won at least ten games every year—seven straight seasons, an NFL record.

Then 2011: Manning out for the year. The Colts made a ruthless choice—cut ties, rebuild, draft a new quarterback. They didn't even give Manning the chance to prove himself healthy. The decision shook the league.

Fans were furious. Manning had earned at least the chance.

But the front office pushed ahead.

And when Manning joined Denver, lit up the league in 2012 and 2013, shattering records, proving he wasn't done? The Colts looked like fools.

Still, they held firm—because they had drafted Andrew Luck, the "chosen one."

In their eyes, Luck wasn't just the next Manning. He was better. He would lead them higher.

And Luck did burst onto the scene—his first career pass a 63-yard touchdown bomb. He won eleven games as a rookie, then took Indy to the playoffs three straight years. By 2014, he beat Manning's Broncos in Denver, stepping into his own spotlight.

Three years, three steps:

2012: Wild Card exit.

2013: Divisional exit.

2014: AFC Championship loss.

The arc was clear. Colts fans dreamed of the Super Bowl.

But it never came.

Injuries wrecked the next three seasons. No playoffs. A slide into irrelevance.

For comparison: in Manning's fourteen seasons in Indy, he missed the playoffs just twice—his rookie year and 2001. Luck's "chosen one" aura started to fade.

This season, though, the rebound came. Ten wins. Back to the playoffs. A Wild Card upset of the Texans. Hope flared again.

Only to arrive in Kansas City to face the snow.

From Manning to Luck, Indy had always been a passing team, a pocket quarterback team. Luck fit the mold—strong arm, accurate, poised. If Manning was a tactical genius who overcame doubts about his arm, Luck was the total package: power, touch, timing, decision-making. Not the best in any one trait, but excellent in all of them.

But in snow? In rain? Those gifts dulled.

And this was Arrowhead's welcome for him.

So the showdown everyone expected—a passing duel—might vanish in the storm.

Disappointment loomed before kickoff even arrived.

Yet when the game began, Luck made his statement. Snow or not, he was ready to challenge Arrowhead.