Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 748 - : 747 Mine Sweeping Scene
Chapter 748: 747 Mine Sweeping Scene
“…Dear viewers, welcome to NBC; it’s game day, and the 2018 NFL Divisional Round is about to kick off, a step closer to the Super Bowl.”
“But… today doesn’t seem like a good day for football.”
“Right now, Kansas City is experiencing snowfall, and as we speak, snowflakes continue to fall from the sky.”
“The temperature isn’t too bad, currently at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit (zero degrees Celsius); but the real trouble lies in the constant flurry of snowflakes.”
“If this were a snowball fight, it wouldn’t be good news for either team.”
“Like rain, snow affects temperature and humidity objectively, as well as passing visibility, passing touch, and foot mobility, all of which directly impact pass quality. It’s a significant hit to passing offenses.”
“Low temperatures are bad news, and snow is another.”
“With fifteen minutes to go before the game starts, let’s see if the snowflakes will get any smaller.”
In fact, when it snows, the perceived temperature isn’t as cold, until the snow starts to melt—that’s when the real cold sets in.
But the point is, like rain, snow can be a disruptive factor, leading to a series of uncontrollable accidents; that’s the problem.
Not only quarterbacks, but receivers might also experience slippery hands leading to fumbles, or slip and fall, as can running backs with ground rushes.
These emergencies, akin to minesweeping, require constant vigilance.
That’s why, in order to reduce the risk of accidents, teams often focus on ground rushing. Not only are accidents less likely, but even when they do happen, the damage is more controllable.
This could disrupt the overall strategic deployment.
However, whether it’s the Kansas City Chiefs or the Indianapolis Colts, both teams possess passing offenses capable of explosive energy, and everyone is looking forward to a head-to-head offensive battle. But now—
Is this it?
Especially for the Indianapolis Colts.
For the past twenty years, the Indianapolis Colts were Big Manning, and Big Manning was the Indianapolis Colts—they were inseparable, each achieving greatness with the other.
Under Big Manning’s leadership, the Indianapolis Colts were consistently one of the strongest and most unshakeable teams in the league. With Big Manning at the helm, the Colts were always contenders for the Super Bowl crown, no matter how broken the team roster or how bad the injuries and mishaps were.
From the 2003 to 2010 seasons, the Indianapolis Colts achieved at least ten regular-season wins for seven consecutive years, a record in NFL history.
For this reason, in 2011, when Big Manning was sidelined for the season due to injury, after weighing their options and struggling, the Indianapolis Colts decided to let go of Big Manning. They chose to draft a quarterback as a complete rebuild, fully distrusting that an injury-recovered Manning could return to his peak, not even giving him a chance. This decision shocked the entire League.
No matter what, Big Manning at least deserved a chance to prove himself; that much was owed to him by the Indianapolis Colts.
This decision faced an onslaught of attacks from Colts fans that year.
Later, Big Manning joined the Denver Broncos, and with epic performances in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, he carried out a magic attack on passing offenses, breaking league records, and proving that he was still as sharp as ever.
The Indianapolis Colts became the laughingstock of the entire League.
Yet, the Indianapolis Colts refused to admit their decision was a mistake because, in the 2012 draft, they chose “The Chosen One” Andrew Luck with the first overall pick.
The team unwaveringly believed that Luck was the next Big Manning, no, that’s not the right way to say it. The team believed that Luck was more outstanding and superior to Manning and that he could lead the team to even more glory and peaks.
As for the fans?
As long as Luck could lead the team to victory, they would turn their backs on Big Manning in a heartbeat.
At least that’s what the Indianapolis Colts’ management believed.
In fact, Luck truly was The Chosen One: his very first pass in his first official professional game was a 63-yard touchdown bomb that set the League on fire.
The first overall pick of the 2012 draft, he led the Indianapolis Colts to an eleven-win season in his first year, bringing them back to the pinnacle, and then made it to the playoffs for three consecutive years, proving his talent and ability.
Even though Big Manning was thriving in Denver, Indianapolis had fully entered the Luck era.
This momentum continued until the 2014 playoffs when the Indianapolis Colts pulled off an upset victory over the American League’s top seed, the Denver Broncos, climaxing their ascent. Luck proved himself by defeating Big Manning.
And moreover, three years, three steps—
In 2012, they were knocked out in the wild-card round.
In 2013, they were eliminated in the divisional round.
In 2014, they fell in the conference championship.
The entire city of Indianapolis was brimming with joy and hope. Could they make it back to the Super Bowl stage the following season?
Unfortunately, it was not to be.
The next three seasons were disrupted by injuries that derailed the Indianapolis Colts’ rhythm, missing the playoffs for three years straight and hitting rock bottom.
It’s worth noting that Big Manning, in his fourteen seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, missed the playoffs only twice: his rookie season and the 2001 season.
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Without comparison, there’s no hurt. Luck’s “The Chosen One” halo seemed about to fade, and the self-deception of the Indianapolis Colts’ management could not go on, but the team nonetheless bounced back!
This season, Luck led the team to ten wins and six losses, storming back into the playoffs. They upset the Houston Texans in the wildcard game, and it seemed like the Colts’ Chosen One was ready to blow the horn of his return to divinity.
But then, they faced Kansas City’s magic attack—
Since the Big Manning era, the Indianapolis Colts have been a typical passing offense team, led by a traditional pocket quarterback.
Luck was a standard pocket quarterback as well.
If Big Manning was considered a tactical master, his entire career was doubted for not having a strong arm. Nevertheless, he proved himself time after time with deep pass bombs. His wisdom on the tactical front was akin to that of an offensive coordinator on the field; then Luck dominated the game with his exceptional passing skill. From strength to accuracy to control, including pass judgment, maybe not elite in any single attribute, but he was well-rounded with outstanding overall abilities.
In snowy or rainy weather, Luck’s capabilities were inevitably constrained. Kansas City welcomed the Indianapolis Colts from afar in such a way.
Understandably, this potential offensive battle might get messy because of the weather.
It was bound to be disappointing.
The game hadn’t even started, and various concerns had already begun to spread rapidly.
Yet, once the game began, Luck proved his determination and belief with his actions. What did he care about the heavy snow? He was ready to conquer Arrowhead Stadium.
