When the Jacksonville Jaguars traveled to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, nearly every dia outlet and analyst picked Pittsburgh to win.
Yes, Jacksonville had beaten the Steelers in the regular season, but they lacked superstar players and were making their first playoff appearance in nine years. Over the past few seasons, there had been no real signs of a sudden rise—making the playoffs was seen as a stroke of luck, and their Wild Card win over Buffalo wasn't exactly convincing.
Besides, the Steelers' Big Three going up against Kansas City's "Hail Mary Duo" of Smith and Lance? That was the kind of showdown that drove ratings.
Naturally, the Steelers were the overwhelming favorites.
Sound familiar?
Kansas City got the sa treatnt before their ga against New England.
But the Chiefs had silenced the doubters with a legendary coback against the Patriots.
Could Jacksonville do the sa?
Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell smirked. "Oh, and by the way, Kansas City—we still have so unfinished draft business to settle."
Then, the Jaguars made their statent.
45-42.
Another stunning upset.
Jacksonville took down Pittsburgh for the second ti this season, mirroring Kansas City's dramatic triumph over New England.
But this ti, the ga played out differently.
Instead of a defensive showdown, as many expected, both teams' vaunted defenses collapsed, turning it into an offensive shootout.
And at the heart of it?
Jacksonville's rookie running back—Leonard Fournette.
The fourth overall pick in this year's draft put on a show, both as a runner and receiver, determined to prove he could go toe-to-toe with Lance. His explosive presence dominated the field, leading the Jaguars to a 28-14 halfti lead.
The Steelers never gave up. They fought back in the second half, cutting the lead to just three points with under two minutes left.
But the Jaguars stuffed a fake punt and held on for the win.
And Fournette? He was the undisputed MVP of the ga.
109 rushing yards, 76 receiving yards, three touchdowns.
A statent performance at the perfect ti.
After the ga, Fournette tried to keep his emotions in check during interviews.
"I said I'd prove myself. Now, here I am."
He didn't call out anyone specifically, but everyone knew who he was talking about.
All season long, the dia had been waiting for any rookie to step up and challenge Lance's dominance.
Finally, the playoffs were heating up.
Caldwell: "Hey, Kansas City—let's settle our score."
But Fournette was too reserved, too quiet. No real rivalry had developed between him and Lance.
Instead, it was the losing team that sparked the biggest controversy.
Tensions were already high in the Steelers' postga press conference when a reporter asked Ben Roethlisberger:
"Ben, before the ga, you didn't think much of Lance."
"In fact, your exact words were—"
The reporter pulled out his phone, reading a direct quote from last week's Washington Post:
"Everyone has a mouth, but unfortunately, not everyone has a brain. It's fine if he doesn't know his place—next week in Pittsburgh, I'll teach him a lesson. To be honest, I don't even think about him. Our real opponent is in Foxborough."
"So, do you have anything to say now?"
Roethlisberger's face darkened. He looked like he was about to explode.
Co on! Did they really have to read the entire quote? Did they have to rub it in like that? Who hasn't said sothing dumb before?
But reality was reality.
Furious and humiliated, Roethlisberger forced a response through gritted teeth.
"Hmph."
"Lance? He's just a system player."
"The Chiefs are a great team. They have a talented roster. Lance is surrounded by playmakers. So no, I'm not surprised they won. But please—stop hyping up that rookie. You're embarrassing yourselves. This is what you call professional journalism?"
Roethlisberger had never cared about being politically correct. Even in Pittsburgh, he had a reputation for burning bridges—he'd clashed with fans, teammates, and even police on multiple occasions.
Would he back down from a rookie?
Not a chance.
The tension in the room spiked.
The dia exchanged glances—seriously?
Lance? The guy who had single-handedly won two straight playoff gas at the last second? The guy responsible for "That Catch"?
A system player?
But of course, they weren't going to correct Roethlisberger.
Instead, they imdiately took his words to Lance.
And that's when Lance delivered the most iconic clapback of the season.
"I don't really care."
"Because I'm preparing for the AFC Championship."
"And he's wearing a Louis Vuitton tracksuit, sipping a White Claw, curled up in his boyfriend's arms, crying on the couch."
Absolute. Nuclear. Fire.
White Claw—a low-alcohol hard seltzer that had exploded in popularity this year, mostly among young won.
Lance had said it so calmly, so matter-of-factly that it painted an unforgettable image.
Roethlisberger—a giant, hulking QB—huddled up, sniffling like a heartbroken teenage girl.
The dia broke.
They could see it.
Pfft.
But this ti, no one was dumb enough to go back to Roethlisberger for a response.
That would be suicide.
Nobody knew how he reacted to the comnt—and nobody wanted to find out. Even inside the Steelers' locker room, nobody dared bring it up.
But then—attention turned elsewhere.
The final Wild Card ga.
Saints vs. Vikings.
…Wait.
Was this about Lance, too?
Lance: "I'm off duty. Leave alone."
Yes, Lance was on fire right now. The NFL was pushing him hard as the next face of the league. Even the smallest spark beca a full-blown wildfire.
But did everything have to involve Lance?
His na was everywhere—to the point where even the dia was getting sick of it.
"Can we switch things up? Seriously, we need a fresh angle."
But the problem?
This ga actually was connected to Lance.
For the first ti, Lance truly understood that old quote from pop legend Faye Wong:
"My biggest problem? I'm too damn famous."
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon/michaeltranslates
Reviews
All reviews (0)