Chapter 729 The Season Ends
In the 2018 season, the regular season has come to an end, and the top players are ready.
Let’s talk about the digression first, the “deputy squad leader dispute”.
Last season, the team's legendary quarterback Carson Palmer announced his retirement, and the Arizona Cardinals entered a comprehensive reconstruction.
At that time, many people said that in fact, Palmer was not a very good quarterback. He had only led the team to the playoffs a few times in Arizona over the years, but his performance in the playoffs was always weak. "Retired." That's fine," "Don't even think about the Hall of Fame," and "The Cardinals are just starting over." There are endless sarcastic remarks.
But soon, people realized how difficult it was to rebuild; at the same time, they also realized how good and important the mediocre quarterback they said was "meh" really was.
The Arizona Cardinals had only three wins and 13 losses in the season. They dominated the competition for vice president and won the position of vice president without any suspense.
At the same time, not just the Arizona Cardinals, but other teams are also struggling.
The San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and New York Jets fell into troughs due to different reasons, and their record of four wins and 12 losses was also embarrassing.
The records of the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of five wins and 11 losses are not far behind, but in a way they are even more shocking——
Before the start of the season, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers were considered to be strong contenders for the playoffs, but ended up falling to this point; the New York Giants suffered more from themselves after experiencing the quarterback crisis last season, and failed to do so last season. Sober, the season continues to sink.
For a moment, I don’t know whether it’s more disappointing to lament that the Jacksonville Jaguars fell from the American League Finals to the bottom, or I should be shocked that the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants fell apart far faster than expected.
However, every family has its own problems, and every team has its own troubles.
The regular season is over and the offseason for these teams has begun early. Team managers and even team executives should be busy now.
However, even these teams have their sights set on the playoffs——
Which players are performing well, which teams are likely to be liquidated and sold, which coaches can be their saviors, should they repair or rebuild, and what should be the balance between the free market and the draft?
Part of the answer lies in the final battle of the playoffs.
Bustling and bustling, everyone’s attention——
First up was the League of Nations.
The League of Nations has always been a competition between heroes. You sing and I appear on the stage. There are new faces and new patterns every year, which is difficult to predict.
This year is no exception. The competition continued until the last week, and the teams that successfully broke out of the siege all fought bloody battles.
No. 1 seed, NFC South champion, New Orleans Saints, thirteen wins and three losses.
The second seed, NFC West champion, Los Angeles Rams, 13 wins and 3 losses.
The third seed, NFC North champion, Chicago Bears, twelve wins and four losses.
The fourth seed, NFC East champion, Dallas Cowboys, 10 wins and 6 losses.
Wild card.
The fifth seed, second in the NFC West, Seattle Seahawks, 10 wins and 6 losses.
The sixth seed, second in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles, nine wins and seven losses.
It can be seen from the record that it is tragic. Except for the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams, who have the same record, all other teams are only one win apart.
The fundamental reason is that other teams that regretted not being able to pass the finish line also performed well. The line between strong teams and weak teams is not clear. Every team that advances to the playoffs is biting and pulling at its competitors. After losing two layers of skin, I stumbled across the line.
The League of Nations is indeed the League of Nations. In the melee, there is a story behind each promoted team.
The Los Angeles Rams, who were leading the pack at the beginning of the season, also encountered strong attacks. The New Orleans Saints, led by Sean Payton and Drew Brees, showed their maturity and sophistication and snatched the No. 1 seed seat.
The Los Angeles Rams, who had swept thousands of teams in the first half of the season, exposed some loopholes in the second half. It was a pity to miss out on the entire home court advantage of the No. 1 seed, but more importantly, it laid hidden dangers for the playoff prospects.
Of course, this is just nitpicking, a relative shortcoming. There is no doubt that after entering the playoffs, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints are still the strongest contenders for the National League championship.
However, other teams should not be underestimated.
The Seattle Seahawks, who withstood the huge pressure of their rivals in the same district, the Los Angeles Rams, fought their way out, and the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, who were also in the NFC East and crawled out of the dead, are all killers.
Among them, the most noteworthy one is undoubtedly the Philadelphia Eagles. The runner-up in last season's Super Bowl, their top performance in the final stage gave fans a powerful collision that will go down in history. It is still unforgettable.
This offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles front office faces happy troubles——
How should they handle the two quarterbacks Wentz and Foles?
In the end, the Philadelphia Eagles delivered a perfect answer. They gave Foles a new contract and successfully kept Foles on the team as Wentz's substitute.
It's a win-win.
Because Foles could have gone to other teams to serve as the starting quarterback, there were many olive branches in the offseason; but Foles still stayed.
When the media asked about the reason, Fowles gave a series of answers, including a very important point, "The game between Levi and I is not over yet. We both have our own battles and are looking forward to fighting at the top again."
As it turned out, the Eagles' move saved their season.
In the first and second weeks of the season, Wentz was not ready to return, and Foles continued to serve as the starting quarterback, with one win and one loss in two games; Wentz returned in the third week, becoming the cornerstone quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles The position still belongs to the third-year quarterback.
However, after returning from injury, Wentz seemed to have lost his magic. He was not as magical as the MVP last season. His performance was always struggling, and his team's record was only five wins and six losses, which was really disappointing.
When the whole league was busy discussing whether the Philadelphia Eagles should continue to start Wentz, the debate ended in a dramatic way when Wentz injured his back in the fourteenth week and was out for the season again.
Foles then took over the starting duties.
And, they once again worked magic, winning the last three weeks, pulling the Philadelphia Eagles back from the brink, and catching the last train for the playoffs at the last minute.
A record of nine wins and seven losses is very ugly; but as long as we enter the playoffs, it is enough, because everything on the playoff stage will be overturned and rewritten——
Start from scratch.
The point is, Foles once again saved the Philadelphia Eagles, earning him "Saint Nick" honors and undoubtedly the most talked-about story of the season.
However, compared with "Saint Nick", the most exciting story in the National League this season is someone else.
Chicago Bears.
Cinderella of the year, dark horse of the year, surprise of the year.
In other words, the Chicago Bears are this year's Kansas Chiefs.
(End of chapter)