"…If you don't want to experience this gut-wrenching pain again, then you must remember exactly how this feels right now."
Bitterness. Anguish. Struggle. Frustration. Rage. Regret.
By all rights, they had given everything, left no regrets. Win or lose, they should have been able to hold their heads high.
But reality's cruelty lies in this: your heart and gut still burn, and no remedy can soothe it. You still feel awful.
Damn!
Mahomes swore to himself he wouldn't forget—no matter what.
Following Lance's gaze, Mahomes caught sight of Donald—
A man who inspired dread.
Like Watt in his prime, Donald possessed the rare ability to single-handedly alter a game's outcome. The difference?
Football is, ultimately, a team sport. Houston's offense had let Watt down too many times; even now, he still hadn't sniffed a championship—not even an AFC title. That's what Watt had been chasing this offseason.
But now, the Rams' offense seemed ready.
"Sherlock," Lance's voice snapped Mahomes back to the present.
"This wasn't a game we lost because we played poorly," Lance said.
"It's a game we lost because our opponent played better—fair and square."
"You were brilliant, absolutely brilliant. But their MVP was even better."
"Do you know what that means?"
Mahomes shook his head, bewildered.
Lance fixed his gaze on Donald, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit reigniting.
"It means we have a new target, a new challenge."
"Isn't that exciting?"
Mahomes: …
Uh, what kind of twisted logic is this? How could you look at things this way?
But the more he thought about it… maybe, just maybe…
This mindset made sense.
Why wallow in self-pity?
Why not acknowledge your opponent's excellence, recognize your own shortcomings, and move forward with renewed determination?
Mahomes froze briefly.
Had Lance just "tricked" him into feeling better?
"…Can we really think about it that way?" he murmured.
Lance turned back to him, calm but assured. "Of course. Why not?"
Quietly, a new fire ignited.
Mahomes' blood started to stir.
A strange thought crept into his mind:
Maybe… maybe losing this game was a good thing.
A clash with an elite team that exposed their weaknesses. A wake-up call.
At least it's better to lose now than in the playoffs, right?
"Yeah…" Mahomes nodded, a faint smile creeping onto his face. "Yeah, that's right. We should be excited—a new target, that's a good thing. A good thing!"
Beside them, Kelce blinked in confusion: ???
Why did Mahomes and Lance suddenly sound… weird?
Is this mindset contagious?
—
With the conclusion of the Monday night showdown, Week 11 of the 2018 NFL season wrapped up—and what a spectacle it was.
Even though the Mexico City game hadn't gone forward, the "Midseason Super Bowl" exploded onto the scene, igniting social media like wildfire.
Every detail of this game became the subject of endless debate.
Statistics showed that the tag "Chiefs vs Rams" stayed atop the trending list for 72 straight hours—until Week 12's Thursday night game began, this matchup was the story in football. The conversation simply wouldn't die down.
If there was one regret, it was this:
Dragons clashing, titans colliding—there had to be a winner.
Both teams performed at an elite level, battling until the very last second, perfectly showcasing the full spectrum of football's beauty and drama.
A game must have a winner.
But competition itself?
That's about respect and admiration—there are no real losers.
Both the Rams and the Chiefs had shown their true brilliance.
And they won big off the field too.
After Monday Night Football, Rams jersey sales surged 50%.
Donald, in particular, shot into the top 3, surpassing the movie-star-handsome Goff to become the "Galactic Rams'" biggest star.
Even more surprising: Chiefs jersey sales skyrocketed 120%—despite the loss.
The thrilling, free-flowing spectacle had won over legions of fans.
Mahomes, in particular, had finally cemented his name on the national stage: his jersey ranked No. 2 in sales.
But—
Neither Donald nor Mahomes could outsell Lance.
Once again, Lance emerged as the biggest beneficiary.
A head-scratcher, considering his relatively quiet performance this game.
He hadn't been a key difference-maker.
That's precisely what made this so interesting.
The entire league—media, insiders, casual fans—had spent months hyping Lance. Many casual observers didn't even truly follow football; they didn't care about his stats.
But now, with the Chiefs losing and Lance's record streak of 100-yard rushing games snapped, people suddenly realized he'd surpassed Barry Sanders' legendary mark. The discussion exploded.
And ironically, the fact that his play seemed "average" only highlighted just how extraordinary his usual performance must have been.
Awe.
Shock.
Praise.
Lance's market influence kept climbing—something few could have predicted.
The conversation kept roaring on.
One hot topic quickly became a favorite among pundits:
After such a bruising battle, how would both teams recover and adjust?
Could they get ready in time for next week?
That's one of the tests of a true contender.
And context mattered—
The Mexico City drama had left both teams in limbo, uncertain how or where they'd play.
That distraction had weighed on everyone's minds until the last minute.
In the end, the Chiefs had to rush to Los Angeles and hurriedly acclimate.
Physically, maybe not a huge deal.
But mentally?
A true test.
Even after the epic clash, there would be no rest—
The relentless schedule continued. The next game was right around the corner.
For both the Rams and the Chiefs, this was a challenge.
The tests would only get tougher from here.
Week 12 was looming: the final round of November.
Playoff races were heating up.
Every game would now crank up the intensity and difficulty.
Desperate teams would swing for the fences.
Margin for error would shrink even further.
One challenge after another.
For both the Rams and the Chiefs, there was only one way forward:
Put this epic behind them—win or lose—and focus on what's next.
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Powerstones?
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