Chapter 1026: A Fated Encounter

The 2012 NFL playoffs began with a bang. Every game of every week was a major talking point, with the buzz getting louder and louder without any sign of stopping.

Two games were played on January 5th!

In the AFC, the Houston Texans faced the Cincinnati Bengals. The two teams met for the second consecutive season in the Wild Card round. The offense, led by Matt Schaub, performed as expected, while the defense, led by J.J. Watt, was at its peak. In a somewhat dull game, the Houston Texans defeated their opponents for the second year in a row with a score of "19:13" and advanced to the Divisional Round.

Because the Houston Texans were the third seed, a relatively high ranking, they would challenge the second-seeded New England Patriots in the next round, and the sparks were already flying.

In Week 14 of the regular season this year, the Texans suffered a crushing "14:42" defeat to the Patriots on the road. Now, in the playoffs, they are heading north to Foxborough again, and the defense led by Watt will be the key to winning the game.

In the NFC, the Green Bay Packers faced the Minnesota Vikings, two division rivals who had just played each other in the final week of the regular season. Both teams were in top form and played fiercely. The game’s outcome was both expected and unexpected. The fully powered Aaron Rodgers led his teammates to an easy "24:10" victory, advancing to the next round by stepping on their division rival’s dead body.

Similarly, the Green Bay Packers were the third seed, and their game against the second-seeded Atlanta Falcons would also be a major matchup. Last year, the Falcons lost to the New York Giants in the Wild Card round with a humiliating score of "2:24" and failed to meet the Packers in the Divisional Round. Their situations were reversed this year, and both teams were eager for a fight.

This season, the two teams did not play each other. Last season, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Atlanta Falcons with a score of "25:14" on the road, but times have changed, and their form and strength have also changed. It’s anyone’s game now.

Two more games were played on January 6th!

In the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens faced the Indianapolis Colts.

The main focus of this game was whether Andrew Luck could lead the Colts to victory, as they would then face Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos. The media was already rubbing their hands in anticipation of a new rivalry and old grudges.

However, the Baltimore Ravens’ defense gave Luck a brutal lesson. With a decisive "24:9" victory, they completely defeated the Colts without a single chance for them to make a comeback, creating the largest scoring difference in the Wild Card round and easily advancing. Luck was suppressed throughout the game, and the anticipated new-versus-old matchup never came to be.

As a result, the Baltimore Ravens would go on the road to challenge the number one AFC seed, the Denver Broncos. The Ravens versus the Broncos would be a battle between offense and defense. In Week 15 of the regular season, the Broncos easily defeated the Ravens with a score of "34:17" on the road. Now, as they face each other again, the Ravens’ defense will have to shut down Peyton Manning to win.

Interestingly, both Divisional Round games in the AFC will be battles between offense and defense. Whether the two rivals, Manning and Brady, can meet again in the AFC Championship Game is undoubtedly the ending the entire league is hoping for.

In the NFC, the Washington Redskins faced the Seattle Seahawks.

Simply put, this was a showdown between Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson! Although the two rookie quarterbacks had not played each other in the regular season, their current form was a head-on collision, with neither willing to back down.

The Redskins ended the season on a seven-game winning streak, coming back from a 3-6 record to a 10-6 record and making it to the playoffs. Their morale was at an all-time high. The Seahawks had a 7-2 record in the second half of the season, going from 4-3 to 11-5, also on a hot streak.

In addition, the playing styles of the two teams had many similarities, which made the outcome of the game even more unpredictable. But overall, Griffin, who had just completed the second-best rookie season in history, might have a slight advantage.

The harsh reality was that the Seahawks’ defense dominated the game. They seemed to have been prepared for Griffin’s read-option offense. With an overwhelming performance, they completely shut down Griffin, and the Seahawks easily defeated their opponents with a score of "24:14" on the road.

When all four Wild Card games were over, the Seattle Seahawks were the only lower-ranked team to win, and naturally, they were the only team to win on the road.

This season, the huge difference between the Seahawks’ home and away performance was obvious to the entire league. Four out of five of their losses were on the road. But in the playoffs, the Seahawks proved themselves with an excellent performance and were ready for a tough fight.

So, the opponents for the last Divisional Round matchup were set: The Seattle Seahawks would challenge the number one NFC seed, the San Francisco 49ers!

With the Wild Card round over, all the Divisional Round spots were confirmed.

January 12th.

Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens.

Atlanta Falcons vs. Green Bay Packers.

January 13th.

New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks.

The second round of the playoffs is about to begin!

It’s said that rivals are destined to meet, and the matchup between the Seahawks and the 49ers is undoubtedly the most anticipated of the four Divisional Round games. This is because they are two division rivals who hate each other, because they just played a fierce game in the second-to-last week of the regular season, and because all the sparks will be amplified in the playoffs... No one wants to miss this game.

Interestingly, among the four Divisional Round games, three elite quarterbacks—Manning, Brady, and Rodgers—are all playing in their respective games, so there’s no shortage of things to talk about or get excited about. But the most popular, most exciting, and most tense game is the one that doesn’t have an elite quarterback.

So, Sports Illustrated launched a new topic on social media: "Lu Ke has temporarily filled Drew Brees’s spot and completed the puzzle of the four elite quarterbacks, just like he temporarily filled Peyton Manning’s spot last year. So, does this mean that he has become the successor to the new elite quarterbacks?"

If Harry Waynes hadn’t brought it up, people wouldn’t have made the connection. But now that a spark has been lit, all sorts of theories are starting to pop up.

In last year’s Divisional Round, Brees, Brady, and Rodgers were all in action. The injured Manning was absent, and his spot was filled by Lu Ke of the San Francisco 49ers, Schaub of the Houston Texans, and Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens. Coincidentally, all three of these quarterbacks made it to the Divisional Round this year as well.

Logically, in terms of experience and track record, Schaub and Flacco would have been better choices for the title of "elite." Schaub had a strong season, and Flacco has made it to the playoffs five consecutive times since he entered the league in 2008. Even if you compare them side by side, they would be better choices. But Harry cleverly shifted all the attention to Lu Ke.

Especially with the narrative of "the four elite quarterbacks facing four different opponents" in this season’s Divisional Round, the final piece of the puzzle was completed. This also made people start looking forward to the Conference Championship Games with matchups like "Manning vs. Brady" and "Lu Ke vs. Rodgers." The thought of it alone was beautiful.

Then... all the praise and all the criticism started to get out of control again.

Obviously, for a second-year quarterback, such praise was a bit too much. The social media backlash and criticism were overwhelming. With their undefeated regular season, the San Francisco 49ers had undoubtedly become the public enemy of the entire league.

The ’killing with praise’ strategy worked!

Sports Illustrated’s crazy connection to Lu Ke was like adding fuel to the fire, making the focus even more intense. But the truth is, even without Harry Waynes’s instigation, the San Francisco 49ers were already the target of the entire league’s hatred, and their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks was a highly anticipated and popular one.

No one needed to be motivated. Both teams, players, and fans were full of fighting spirit. What could be better than advancing to the next round by stepping on a division rival? What could be more satisfying than eliminating a division rival in the playoffs? The answer is obvious.

For the San Francisco 49ers, they wanted to continue their undefeated streak against this opponent for two seasons, push them further into the abyss of shame, and confidently advance to the NFC Championship Game for the second consecutive year.

And for the Seattle Seahawks, they not only wanted to break their losing streak but also wanted to make it to the NFC Championship Game by upsetting their opponent, hoping to return to the final stage for the first time since 2005.

In the 2010 Wild Card round, with a regular-season record of 7-9, they faced the New Orleans Saints, who had a regular-season record of 11-5. They had also lost to the Saints with a huge score of "19:34" in the regular season, but in that Wild Card game, they defeated their opponent "41:36." That game was called "the impossible miracle." They had created one miracle, and now they could create a second one.

Both teams had plenty of motivation for the game!

What’s more, the difference in strength between the two teams this season was much closer than their records showed.

In offense, the San Francisco 49ers were ranked third in the league, only behind the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos, while the Seattle Seahawks were ranked ninth. In defense, the Seattle Seahawks were ranked first in the league, and the San Francisco 49ers were ranked second.

From offense to defense, and even special teams, the two teams were relatively evenly matched, which meant the game would be a great one to watch!

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