The much-anticipated showdown that had everyone’s eyes, in the end, turned out to be an unexpected blowout, with the Kansas City Chiefs grinding the Oakland Raiders into the dirt. But this also proved one thing—
The games between these divisional rivals are always unpredictable.
Just as people hadn’t foreseen the Oakland Raiders pulling off a cold upset over the Kansas City Chiefs six weeks ago, ending their own four-game losing streak, neither had they anticipated the Chiefs utterly demolishing the Raiders this time around to end a six-game skid and make a strong comeback.
Both encounters this season between Kansas and Oakland ended up being surprises that continued an excellent tradition.
"What exactly happened this past week?"
At the post-game press conference, journalists couldn’t wait to ask the question on everyone’s mind, as this week’s Kansas City Chiefs seemed like a completely different team.
Li Wei, standing once again under the spotlight, face calm and composed, "Nothing happened."
"Huh?" The journalist didn’t believe him.
"We stuck to our normal training, our normal preparations; there were no special changes; we kept our belief, still confident that we are one of the most competitive teams in the league, still preparing for the playoffs."
"That’s all there is to it."
Although people are always prone to look for a key moment that turns the tides, in the world of competitive sports, such twists are often invisible:
A touchdown, an interception, a moment of standing firm against the opponent in adversity—all it takes to ignite belief and overturn the situation.
Whether it’s the players or the team, they don’t become stronger overnight. It’s the intangible yet real factors—belief, condition, feeling—that are key to making transformative changes in the sporting arena.
Li Wei was being honest, but clearly, the journalists didn’t believe it:
Yeah right, as if they would believe it.
During the past six weeks, as the Kansas City Chiefs were in a slump, all sorts of media had taken the opportunity to kick them when they were down, dissecting the team both inside and out, as hard on Li Wei now as they had praised him before.
Now, however, with the calm and composed Li Wei before them, the journalists felt guilty as if they were criminals, steadfastly believing this was Li Wei’s revenge.
But, what goes around comes around, and after the Chiefs’ exuberant victory, even they softened their rhetoric.
That does not mean the journalists would give up.
"Li Wei, in this game, you appeared twice as a wide receiver and played a key role. Is this a secret weapon you’ve been honing?"
"Oh, I thought in the fourth quarter of the game, our ’star of tomorrow’ had proven that he alone deserves that title. Saying that might make him feel quite sad."
Having said that, Li Wei opened his hands in a mockingly distraught gesture, paired with an upward gaze and the pretense of hiding non-existent tears, which was hilariously comical.
Journalist: Are we putting on a performance now?
At this moment, a hand shot up high in the crowd, standing out sharply and drawing all eyes, followed by a bombshell question.
"Li Wei, in this game, you once again put on a spectacular performance, running for 133 yards, receiving for 122 yards, and scoring four touchdowns. Now some say you’ve entered the MVP of the season competition. What are your thoughts?"
A rookie being discussed in the context of the regular season MVP—a bombshell indeed!
Generally, rookies have nothing to do with the MVP selection of the regular season; considering the different challenges rookies face, they often compete in a separate category altogether.
Even if a rookie performs splendidly, it has little to do with the regular season MVP, Of course, more importantly, rookies often fail to demonstrate such competitiveness.
Moreover, we are discussing a running back, not a quarterback!
So, when that reporter threw out his question, the other journalists all looked shocked, and the press hall buzzed with hushed, excited whispering. The atmosphere was so lively that Li Wei, the subject in question, was left almost out of the loop, which was rather amusing.
Li Wei was in no hurry—
When he first heard the news, he was momentarily taken aback, never having expected his name to be linked with the regular season MVP. It was a surprise, his professional career’s first season indeed full of astonishments, But soon after, seeing the scene before him, he smiled:
It seemed that the other journalists were just as stunned as he was.
This meant that they too were hearing about it for the first time, and he guessed someone must have been stirring the pot behind the scenes, throwing Li Wei into the regular-season MVP discussion, and thrusting him back into the spotlight.
Then, when the bustling gaze of the room refocused on Li Wei, he had already regained his composure, his smile lightly lifting at the corners of his mouth.
"Looks like I should step it up a notch," he said.
One could interpret "step it up a notch" as Li Wei gearing up to compete for the regular season MVP, or as Li Wei penetrating the surprise and disbelief of the reporters, emphasizing that he should continue to push forward.
Whether the former or the latter, the buzzing conversations filled the room, and the press conference, like a stone thrown into a pond, quickly rippled throughout the entire League.
Li Wei, rookie, running back, are you serious?
But then again, why not?
By the thirteenth week of the regular season, Li Wei’s performance was undoubtedly top tier, with on-field achievements serving as his best credential, while the League had already given its acknowledgment.
Firstly, concerning rookie achievements.
Li Wei won the Rookie of the Month for September and October, and the November award went to quarterback DeShaun Watson.
Next, in terms of League-wide recognitions, which include all players, there are awards for the Player of the Week and Player of the Month; these are awarded separately for the National Conference and the American League for Offensive Player, Defensive Player, and Special Duty Group Player.
From the American League, Li Wei earned four Offensive Player of the Week honors, leading over quarterback Brady, who claimed it three times.
Moreover, Li Wei also secured both September and October Offensive Player of the Month honors, becoming the first rookie in half a century of the NFL to simultaneously sweep the Rookie of the Month and American/National Conference Offensive Player of the Month awards for two consecutive months.
Every single achievement was historic.
If these were not enough, the actual statistical records revealed even more historical feats, leaving aside Li Wei’s Asian identity, every step he took on the NFL field was history in the making.
Rushing yards, 1,636; rushing touchdowns, 18.
Records in all aspects.
In terms of ground yards, Li Wei surpassed Peterson, becoming the running back in NFL history to accumulate over a thousand rushing yards in the fewest games—
Peterson did it in eight games; Li Wei managed in just seven.
Also, Li Wei became the running back with the most yards gained in a rookie season without a single fumble, not only efficient and powerful but also error-free.
Of course, that still wasn’t all; with three weeks left in the regular season, Li Wei still had the opportunity to continue setting records and etching a resplendent mark in the long annals of NFL history.
Don’t forget, this is the era of passing, an era where running backs are undervalued.
This is what’s truly astonishing.