Dominate the Super Bowl

Sweat poured down like rain, face flushed red, the whole person steaming; yet, Lamar Jackson stood in place, with only a look of bewilderment in his eyes.

The Baltimore Ravens' offensive group and the indomitable Lamar Jackson, who had swept through the regular season with unstoppable might, were compared to the 2013 Denver Broncos and the 2018 Kansas City Chiefs' offensive groups, and the perfect progression of the ultimate quarterback, were now utterly at a loss.

They were completely disoriented before the strong defense of the Houston Texans, with JJ Watt seemingly invincible, exhibiting an extraordinary performance that firmly suppressed Jackson.

It was not until now that Jackson finally understood why people always said Watt was more terrifying than Donald, even if Watt's physique was not as it used to be; nonetheless, Watt's tactical awareness and high spirits remained pervasive, always appearing in the right place at critical moments to complete the defense.

Tough. Dominant. Valiant.

Standing in front of Watt, Jackson felt like a lost dog, with nowhere to flee.

Twisting and turning, dodging left and right, gritting his teeth tightly, he barely managed to shake off the inevitable tackle from Watt, yet he still seemed to be tottering in the gale of pressure Watt exerted, stumbling along and finally sending the football flying out; Jackson craned his neck, eagerly watching the football.

However, it headed towards no man's land.

Jackson was stunned. Just now he clearly saw a black silhouette; but with a blink, the passing direction was void, with only an afterimage swirling around.

The parabolic descent of the football pulled Jackson's heart into an abyss, despair, and bitterness erupting instantly, making the world spin——

Li Wei, damn Li Wei!

The dream of perfect revenge, proving himself, and achieving the championship collapsed into infinite darkness with that missed pass, the entire season's effort and struggle all turning into nothing, the confidence and ambition before the divisional playoff all dying prematurely.

Eyes vacant, wondering how exactly did everything happen.

He shouldn't have... how did he stop here, at the divisional playoffs... how did a breakthrough season end so disgracefully like this...

Boom!

Jackson fell heavily on the ground, spreading out his limbs, gazing blankly at the Baltimore afternoon sky, all thoughts in his mind extinguished.

Unable to breathe.

"28:12".

The match ended, victory belonged to the Houston Texans.

It was not just an upset, but the Baltimore Ravens had no power to fight back, there was not even a close contest nor suspense, the Baltimore Ravens' struggle hadn't managed to create much chaos or waves, conceding victory hastily, looking like a seven-year-old child before the united Houston Texans——

A lost child.

Boom, boom boom boom.

The entire league went crazy, in a certain sense, it was even more shocking than both New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints losing in the wild card round.

After all, whether Brady or Brees, age and injuries were apparent, and although their regular-season performance was outstanding, they regrettably lost under the impact of the younger players during critical postseason moments, which could at least be understood; but what about the young Baltimore Ravens?

This season, traditional defensive strong team Baltimore Ravens continued to maintain their advantage; meanwhile, the youthful and vigorous offensive group exploded with unparalleled potential, even hailed as the ultimate version of modern football, fully capable of challenging Kansas City Chiefs, and also the strongest contender for defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.

And yet, just this?

A silence descended.

Just a week ago, the league was abuzz with adoration for Jackson, focusing almost all praise, admiration, and worship on him, as everyone believed Jackson could replicate the historical feats achieved by Li Wei last season——

Winning the Regular Season MVP, then the Super Bowl MVP, and seizing the championship in one go.

Seamlessly!

All aspects were expecting a showdown between Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, yet... everything came to an abrupt halt, ending without any warning.

Craziness, utter madness, so, what happened exactly?

Houston Texans? That team which had never broken through to the divisional playoff round in their team history? Unexpectedly creating an upset to overthrow one of the American League powerhouse trio, Baltimore Ravens, writing an unprecedented history?

Is this, normal? Is it correct?

Everything seemed crazy and absurd, could it be... yet again the home curse?

Despite not wanting to believe it, despite trying to disregard disturbances, despite trying to extinguish wild thoughts, the facts before us made it... impossible not to believe.

"Victory, Houston Texans! Ah ah ah, the Houston Texans win!"

"Finally!"

"Since joining the league in 2002, after eighteen full seasons, the Houston Texans have finally advanced to the American League finals for the first time, breaking barriers, creating team history, JJ Watt has finally led the team to a breakthrough!"

"Unbelievable!"

On the radio, the commentator's passionate and exalted voice erupted like a volcanic eruption, vividly conveying the on-site madness and shock even through the airwaves.

Meanwhile, at Arrowhead Stadium, fans were methodically entering, as the second American League divisional game was set to unfold in a few hours; and in the home team's locker room, the lively bustle momentarily froze into silence.

The shadow of the 'home curse' struck again, choking around the throat tightly——

Otherwise, what other explanation was there?

Even Baltimore Ravens inexplicably lost, without resistance, this divisional playoff was undoubtedly the ultimate upset of the season.

Reflecting on the entire season, Baltimore Ravens only lost to Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns in week three and four of the regular season, suffering two losses; while among the teams they defeated were top league teams like the Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Francisco 49ers.

Most importantly, in week eleven of the regular season, the Baltimore Ravens hosted the Houston Texans and they utterly demolished the opponent with a "41:7" scoreline, not only rendering Watt completely invisible but also thoroughly humiliating Watson.

Yet now, on the same turf, they faced complete domination by the opponent.

If it wasn't the playoff home curse, what was it?

In the Arrowhead Stadium locker room, the anxiety and fear that was barely extinguished began resurfacing again, growing rampantly with unstoppable momentum.

The air silently tightened, and between crossing glances, a sense of unease pervaded.

Subconsciously, eyes quietly converged towards Li Wei, only to notice that Li Wei, rarely seen, was checking his phone with a relaxed expression, a slight smile playing on his lips.

No words were needed, the kind of calm and confidence radiating from within settled the turbulent atmosphere, letting emotions stabilize a bit.

Kelsey couldn't hold back, teasing, "What, text from Ariana?"

It was a sincere inquiry, not pre-arranged.

Li Wei chuckled lightly, "I'll make sure to tell JJ next time, he's being mistaken for Ariana. Look, JJ is eager to send a challenge, they've already started sharpening their knives."