American Football: Domination

Chapter 401: The Higher the Stakes



What a show—what an absolute spectacle.

One moment, reporters were wondering why Caldwell was even here. The next, Lance's smiling humiliation flipped the entire story upside down—

It was like something straight out of a soap opera.

Unexpected? Yes. But for the spectators, it was delicious entertainment.

Caldwell could feel the eyes on him. For a brief second, he held his breath, controlled his emotions, and then restored his expression.

After all, this wasn't his first encounter with Lance's sharp tongue. Besides, the Jaguars already had one big talker in Ramsey. Adding another one? No problem. He could manage it—

Young players with attitude? Perfect.

But that didn't mean Caldwell wouldn't strike back.

"So, are you curious? If you are, you can come over and try it yourself."

Casually, he laid a trap—dangling bait right in front of Lance. If Chiefs fans thought their rookie superstar was already looking elsewhere in just his first season, how would they react?

Heh.

If they turned on him, if they started questioning him, Lance would hesitate. And if that happened, the Jaguars could swoop in.

A silent but deadly move—Caldwell had set the trap, waiting for Lance to step in.

Mahomes didn't catch the subtlety at all. He just looked at Caldwell with a face full of confusion, as if asking: What the hell are you talking about?

However—

Lance remained utterly unfazed. Instead, he laughed loudly.

"Hah, my mom would be so upset—she keeps complaining that I live too far from home."

Caldwell: Huh?

Mahomes and Veach also looked completely lost. What kind of response was that?

But the reporters? They got it immediately—

New York.

Lance was from New York. While he lived in Kansas City now, his family was still back home.

So when Caldwell extended an invitation to Jacksonville, Lance's response was clear—if he ever did move, New York would be his priority, not Jacksonville.

New York Giants: Did we just win the lottery?

New York Jets: Hello? There's more than one team in New York, you know.

And the best part?

Caldwell didn't even realize he'd been hit.

He stood there, completely unaware that Lance had just sidestepped the trap and made him look ridiculous.

The conversation ended abruptly, without direction or closure.

Caldwell had come here to make a statement. To plant a seed in Lance's mind. To disrupt the Chiefs' focus before the AFC Championship. To generate media buzz around the Jaguars.

Instead—

Before he knew it, the whole thing had collapsed into nonsense.

As he stepped out of the hotel lobby, standing in the golden Florida sunshine, a cold breeze crept down his collar. A shiver ran up his spine.

And suddenly—

Caldwell realized something.

What the hell just happened?

Was this what they meant by "the higher the stakes, the greater the game"?

For the first time, Caldwell began questioning his own life choices. He had come here for a reason. But now, his mind was completely blank.

Was that… normal?

"Caldwell: A die-hard Chiefs fan in disguise?"

"AFC Championship looms—did the Jaguars' GM just forfeit the mind games?"

"Another high-profile recruit for the Lance Fan Club: David Caldwell."

"Caldwell warmly invites Lance to Jacksonville, but Lance's heart belongs to New York."

"Lance—the one dream Caldwell could never achieve."

Caldwell had intended to stir trouble in the Chiefs' locker room.

Instead, his blunder had set off a bomb in Jacksonville's.

A storm was brewing.

Fournette: …

He hadn't said anything, but suddenly, his own teammates were looking at him with a mix of sympathy and amusement—like he was wearing an invisible crown of betrayal.

Fournette: I swear to God, I did not get cheated on.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The drumbeats grew louder, faster, marking the final march toward the Super Bowl.

And Lance, along with the Chiefs, was no exception.

Many believed that Pittsburgh's early exit had robbed the playoffs of a true rematch—Chiefs vs. Steelers, Week 6 all over again.

Instead, the AFC Championship was a clash between two teams that lacked traditional star power. The Jaguars didn't have any household names, which led to widespread disappointment.

So when the league announced the scheduling—

NFC Championship in the afternoon.

AFC Championship in prime time.

Fans were furious.

The general consensus? Vikings vs. Eagles was the real showdown, the better matchup. That game deserved the night slot.

But the NFL had other ideas.

The message was obvious.

They were pushing Lance. Hard.

Goodell was milking this cash cow for all it was worth. The favoritism was shameless, sparking heated debates across social media.

Even Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie voiced his frustration in an interview.

"We're ready. And I believe we deserve better treatment."

No direct attacks, but the meaning was crystal clear. Fans and neutral observers quickly rallied behind him.

Everyone had their own opinion on which conference final was truly the main event.

Then—

The Eagles backed up their words.

They refused to let their owner's comments turn into a joke.

With an absolute statement victory, they made their presence known.

From the very first drive, Vikings QB Case Keenum came out on fire, leading his team to an early lead with a 25-yard touchdown pass.

For a brief moment, it looked like Keenum's Cinderella story was still alive.

But then—

That was the end of it.

From that point on, the Eagles took over.

Against the No. 1 defense in the league, Philly's offense went into overdrive.

The much-maligned, often-dismissed quarterback, Nick Foles, played the game of his life.

456 total yards. Passing, rushing—didn't matter. The Eagles shredded the Vikings' defense.

Final score? 38-7.

A massacre.

Foles' stat line: 33-of-26, 352 yards, 3 touchdowns.

For the first time in his career, on the biggest stage yet, Foles shined.

In stark contrast—

Keenum, who had been riding high, crashed and burned.

His final numbers? 28-of-48, 271 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions.

One game.

And just like that, Keenum was sent back to reality.

The entire league was in shock.

No one could believe it.

The NFC Championship…

Had turned into a blowout.

Unbelievable.

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Powerstones?

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