Ah, ah, ahhh!
Madness. Total madness. The entire Gillette Stadium plunged into utter chaos.
Cheering, jumping, roaring—as if they'd just won the Super Bowl.
Even though this was only a regular-season game, with three months still to go before the playoffs, for the New England Patriots, this was a monumental breakthrough.
First, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs—their first victory in three matchups over two seasons, the perfect revenge for last season's playoff heartbreak.
Second, defeating Lance. In the absurd, laughable "GOAT vs. Rookie" narrative, they had finally landed a heavy blow.
Third, maintaining an undefeated home record. If they secure the number one seed, guaranteeing home-field advantage in the playoffs, this win against the current AFC top seed gives them crucial leverage in that battle.
This wasn't just revenge—it was a carefully calculated victory.
And it wasn't just the fans.
Tom Brady immediately raised his arms, sprinting onto the field to embrace Stephen Gostkowski. At this moment, appearances no longer mattered. Joy and passion burst from him uncontrollably, fists pumping, voice roaring:
Did you see that? Did you see that!
Who's the real king of the league now? Can this aging, half-buried quarterback still fight? Has the NFL truly entered a new era yet?
Did you hear my answer?
Again and again, eighteen months of suffocating frustration and humiliation finally exploded, raw and unfiltered.
Inside and outside Gillette Stadium, it was an inferno of celebration.
The world itself seemed to shake.
On the field, Lance finally collapsed in exhaustion, falling back in a spread-eagle position—
Just like Week 6 of last season, they faced a similar crisis. But this time, there was no miraculous comeback.
Defeat. Not the first, surely not the last. But each one felt like hell—bitter, suffocating, unbearable.
This never gets easier. The anger, frustration, and urge to set the whole stadium ablaze always linger.
He hated losing—despised it with every fiber of his being.
Especially in games like this—neck and neck, both sides with chances—only to watch victory slip through your fingers at the final moment.
Closing his eyes, Lance's mind flooded with haunting "what-ifs." If they had played this differently, run that differently, could they have changed the outcome?
A deep breath. Lance forced himself to reopen his eyes—
No regrets. No second-guessing. No what-ifs.
They had given everything. They fought until the final whistle. The better team today won. They could hold their heads high and walk off the field. The next time they met, they'd battle head-on once more.
They refused to bow their heads, refused to surrender—always awaiting the next fight.
Above, the sky glittered with stars, blanketing the heavens—just like every trip to Foxborough: fierce, tangled, suffocating. Nobody yielded victory easily. Regardless of the outcome, both sides poured everything they had onto the field.
A long, deep breath.
Then—
Lance pushed himself up, still captain, still responsible.
One glance, and Lance spotted Tyreek Hill near the end zone, pacing like a caged animal, consumed by self-blame. He was about to approach but saw Travis Kelce beat him to it.
There were others too: dazed faces like Fuller, Jones, Ragland. Lance walked to each of them, patting shoulders, offering silent strength to help them stand tall again.
Finally, Patrick Mahomes—frozen, motionless, lost in a trance—surrounded by teammates patting his helmet and shoulders. Mahomes responded robotically, his eyes vacant, disconnected from reality.
"Sherlock…" Lance called softly.
Mahomes stared blankly, unresponsive.
"Sherlock, we played an incredible game. We fought to the final second—"
But this time, Mahomes interrupted, "It's my fault."
His eyes finally focused, locked onto Lance. "Rookie, it's all my fault."
Suddenly, Mahomes collapsed to the turf, shoulders and spirit crumbling, his desperate gaze clinging to Lance.
"I lost us the game."
"Oh, God."
Tears welled in Mahomes' eyes. He stubbornly held them back, but his vision blurred with the flood.
For Mahomes, this wasn't just a loss—that interception was a personal demon.
Fail to overcome it, and Mahomes might fade like countless forgotten players. But conquer it, and he'd emerge transformed—inside and out.
Growth demands pain, scars, and endless stumbles. Only after healing can one truly learn courage.
Mahomes searched Lance's face, lost and helpless.
Lance inhaled deeply.
"Sherlock, we all make mistakes. No one's perfect. What matters isn't the mistake—it's how we respond after."
"Remember this—remember the bitterness, the frustration, the lessons. Don't bury them away."
"This is how we decide the player we become."
"We hate losing—but we face it head-on. We don't cower from defeat."
Lance offered no sugar-coating, no empty platitudes. He knew this was the crucible—without the storm, there's no rainbow.
Pain must be remembered.
Only then can it be avoided.
Last time, they beat the Patriots. Belichick and Brady learned. They struck back, seizing the next opportunity. Tonight, they claimed victory.
That's how this works.
In sports, no one wins forever. Defeat is inevitable. What matters is the response.
Blows traded, victories shared, competitors growing together—until they clash again on the grandest stage.
Indeed, they lost tonight—a narrow, heartbreaking loss. But it's not the end. It's the beginning of the next chapter.
From today, their story remains theirs to write.
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Powerstones?
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