Dominate the Super Bowl

Hundreds of flowers bloom, and a hundred schools of thought contend. The brawl extended until the last week of the regular season, and the suspense finally revealed, with all playoff spots in the National Conference confirmed.

Number one seed, National Conference West Division Champion, San Francisco 49ers, thirteen wins and three losses.

Number two seed, National Conference North Division Champion, Green Bay Packers, thirteen wins and three losses.

Number three seed, National Conference South Division Champion, New Orleans Saints, thirteen wins and three losses.

Number four seed, National Conference East Division Champion, Philadelphia Eagles, nine wins and seven losses.

Wildcard.

Number five seed, National Conference West Division second place, Seattle Seahawks, eleven wins and five losses.

Number six seed, National Conference North Division second place, Minnesota Vikings, ten wins and six losses.

If the AFC Pittsburgh Steelers squandered their chance at the last moment and missed the playoffs, the offseason chaos had already laid the groundwork early on, so it's not a surprise; then the National Conference Los Angeles Rams missing the playoffs is undoubtedly this season's most shocking, impactful, and unexpected upset.

No injury troubles, no roster losses, still young and maintaining competitiveness, a season start with three consecutive wins, everything indicated that, after last season's Super Bowl loss, the Los Angeles Rams were ready to regroup and prepared to make another push for the Super Bowl.

The League held anticipation for this——

In this year's offseason draft, the Los Angeles Rams selected Chinese safety Taylor Rapp (Chi Youjun) with the 61st pick in the second round.

This means that Li Wei is no longer alone, and the NFL finally sees a second Chinese player.

During an interview, Rapp did not hide his admiration and respect for Li Wei: "I long to tackle Li Wei on the field."

Goodell stated, raising his hands and feet in welcome.

If Li Wei and Donald could battle at the Summit of the Forbidden for the second consecutive year, there is no doubt they would officially replace "Big Manning vs. Brady" as the League's primary rivals, which is something Goodell would be delighted to see. Moreover, the "Chinese showdown" would explode with full topic interest.

Unfortunately, things turned out contrary to expectations.

On one hand, Goff, after experiencing a short glowing season, lost his brilliance this season, leading coach McVay to be unable to showcase his offensive talent.

After the Kansas City Chiefs introduced the "Cheating Motion," the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers were the first in the League to follow suit. McVay attempted to help Goff continue his performance from last season, but Goff repeatedly disappointed McVay, plunging him into his own anxiety.

Rumor has it that the Rams' locker room atmosphere was terrible this season because McVay firmly believed he was right, but the match results proved otherwise. This led him into a self-blaming cycle of depression, disappointment, anger, and anxiety. Though he did not vent it on other coaching staff or players, his self-blame engulfed the entire workplace in a storm of impatience and unease.

That, is not good news.

On the other hand, Aaron Donald, after two seasons of peak performance, experienced a rapid decline in form.

The signs were already evident at the start of the Super Bowl, as Donald relied on one move to dominate, this one-step lightning attack ability swept through the League for two seasons, becoming an unsolvable problem; however, once his body could not handle the burst and speed, he would be left baffled and helpless, like a trapped beast.

The efficiency of Donald's pressure rush declined, and the impact of the Rams' entire defensive group diminished far more than 50%.

Finally, the Rams' offensive group dropped to eleventh place in the League, while the defensive group fell to seventeenth.

Of course, the camel's back breaks, but the Rams' background remains, and they still can win games, which sustained their playoff hopes to the last week; however, when colliding with top teams, they lost the critical spark to break open at clutch moments, losing consecutive season games to the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Seattle Seahawks, among other direct competitors, which led to losing their playoff initiative.

In the last week of the regular season, the Rams needed to win and for the Minnesota Vikings to lose to secure a playoff spot.

However, Vikings quarterback Cousins, after a season-long onslaught of criticism and abuse, aimed to prove himself this season. He refused to miss the opportunity and led the Vikings back to the playoffs after a one-year hiatus, relying on his own hands.

Thus, the Rams missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.

An upset!

Simultaneously, the cliché of the previous year's Super Bowl runner-up struggling the following season continued once again.

"Li Wei vs. Rapp," this might need to wait a bit longer.

Admittedly, the Rams indeed… disappointed. In the 2017 season, "Li Wei vs. Donald" didn't materialize due to the Rams' wildcard upset loss; in the 2019 season, the timing, momentum, and stage for "Li Wei vs. Rapp" were all set, yet again, it was missed.

Goodell: Angry at their lack of ambition.

However, no need to worry, as Rams' fans in the Los Angeles area have been doused with cold water again, but other teams in the National Conference remain strong.

From the 49ers and Packers with undefeated early-season records, to the continuously stronger Saints, and the Eagles, Seahawks, and Vikings who carved their way through adversity and chaos, this playoff lineup is considered luxurious.

Compared to the young generation's full rise in the AFC, in the National Conference, despite the rising momentum of youth, the performances of veterans and middle-aged players remain solid.

Brees and Rodgers, two elite quarterbacks, continue their strong performance, jointly defending their League status; it's too early to expect a replacement.

Wilson and Cousins, two middle-aged quarterbacks, are making their voices heard in fierce competition. Any underestimation would lead to a backlash; they are the backbone of the current League, carving their own niche in the post-four elite quarterback era.

Wentz and Garoppolo, two young quarterbacks, both join the League's next wave craze. They are controversial and questioned, lacking top-level performance and consistency, yet they are considered the League's future backbone; this season both have earned their breakout.

Be it Wentz or Garoppolo, these young and ambitious quarterbacks possess the determination and fighting spirit, with an unprecedented desire to prove themselves, especially in the context of the AFC youngsters' full rise; the young forces of the National Conference seem not to have formed a climate, leaving the responsibilities resting on their shoulders.

In the American League, people are asking who can defeat the Kansas City Chiefs?

Whereas in the National Conference, people are asking who can break through?

After all, the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints all share the same record, yet the Saints must fight in the wildcard round; and neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the Minnesota Vikings are easy targets, with the regular season brawl extending into the playoffs.

Full of suspense, anything is possible.