New and Old Grudges

The 2018 regular season schedule was released early.

As per tradition, the season opener featured the defending champions—the Kansas City Chiefs—at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, immediately sparking massive discussion.

Last season's Week 6 clash between the Chiefs and the Steelers was undoubtedly one of the most thrilling and entertaining games of the year.

The tensions from that game spilled into the playoffs, triggering off-field controversies and elevating the rivalry between the two teams to an entirely new level.

So, when the league announced this matchup as the season opener, social media exploded with chatter and memes galore.

However—

The league never anticipated that Bell's contract standoff would spiral so far out of control, eventually becoming a full-blown crisis.

In an instant, all running backs were caught in the storm.

At the forefront were Kansas City's two backs—Lance and Hunt.

New grudges and old animosities piled up, and the air was thick with gunpowder.

No words were needed; the season opener was already crackling with explosive intensity—

Roger Goodell: brilliant, simply brilliant!

People thought last year's "GOAT vs. Rookie" opener was sensational enough. Who knew this year's storyline could be even bigger?

This time, it wasn't just a clash between two players or two matchups—it was a head-on collision of philosophies, values, and ideologies.

On one side: Running backs are disposable, interchangeable, and no one is irreplaceable. Represented by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On the other: Running backs have unique value. Elite talents are irreplaceable. Represented by the Kansas City Chiefs.

This debate had already become one of the hottest in the league—and could also be phrased in simpler terms:

In a successful ground game, is the credit owed more to team tactics or to elite running backs?

The former camp believes great schemes matter more; the latter insists there's a sharp difference between elite and average backs.

Though the tactical camp had the upper hand—and was gaining ground—there were still plenty of voices in defense of elite backs.

Now, the league chose to spark the conversation with a game.

The hype reached the stratosphere.

Goodell: No, no, no. This time, I swear I'm innocent. I didn't plan this. I don't know anything. It wasn't me.

Goodell hadn't anticipated that the Steelers' negotiations with Bell would completely collapse, nor that Bell would take such a drastic stand. He also didn't expect Lance and Hunt to support Bell publicly—Lance even drawing the Steelers directly into the fire.

And then…

Well, here we are.

Even Goodell was dumbfounded.

This time, he was truly innocent. But like the boy who cried wolf, no one believed him anymore.

Unexpectedly, a rumor began to spread like wildfire:

Maybe Goodell was preparing to rehabilitate the status of running backs.

After all, Lance was a running back.

Last season, Lance's meteoric rise turned him into the league's newest sensation. He helped boost football's popularity, especially in the Asian-American market—a vital demographic with immediate impact. While expanding overseas markets took time, boosting domestic engagement was already paying off.

Unlike other regions where market development had stalled, a breakthrough at home delighted the league—

The NFL grew its audience, advertisers increased investment, teams received more revenue, owners got richer, salary caps rose, and players could negotiate better contracts.

Everybody won.

Under these circumstances, promoting running backs' value didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Of course, this might clash with the league's emphasis on the passing game—and potentially affect ratings.

So, the league had to test the waters—

Lance was the pilot project, and "Chiefs vs. Steelers" was the test case.

If Kansas City won and the ratings were strong, it would boost the league's confidence in elevating the running back position.

The rumor gained traction across social media, spreading at lightning speed and turning running backs into the center of the league's conversation.

Goodell: ?

Rarely speechless, Goodell had no defense—but he remained silent.

Donald Yu wasn't surprised. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had anticipated.

He knew Goodell wouldn't confirm or deny anything. Even if running backs, safeties, and linebackers were increasingly marginalized, and football talk shows were buzzing with debate—Goodell would never take a side.

He didn't want to be seen as the enemy of the players.

So Goodell would go with the flow, watch how public opinion developed, and evaluate the broader sentiment toward running backs.

Who knows? Maybe this really could be a turning point in their struggle.

Donald's assessment proved spot on.

And then—

Tensions steadily rose. Amidst the growing noise, all eyes across the league turned toward Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

Whether by chance, coincidence, or fate, the Chiefs found themselves opening the season for the second year in a row.

Exactly one year ago, the under-the-radar Chiefs stunned the defending champion Patriots in the season opener, launching a miracle season.

Exactly one year later, the Chiefs were in a completely different position—now hosting the opener, facing a formidable challenge.

During the offseason, both the Chiefs and Steelers experienced varying degrees of upheaval. Their rosters had changed.

For the Steelers, although Bell only announced his boycott at the last moment, catching the team off guard, Tomlin had anticipated this and started preparing during the preseason.

The head coach's excellent handling of the situation reassured the front office: even without their star back, the Steelers were still contenders.

In the preseason, they went 3–1—routing the Eagles, narrowly losing to the Packers, and defeating both the Titans and Panthers.

Their performance was convincing.

Despite a brief scare, the Steelers arrived in Kansas City full of confidence, ready to kick off the season strong.

In fact, Bell's dramatic stance seemed to have galvanized the locker room. Under Tomlin's fiery leadership, the team's morale was high, united in their goal to vent all frustration and rage on the Chiefs.

For the Chiefs, things weren't easy either. A new quarterback. A new offensive scheme. And a young, inexperienced second-year signal caller at the helm.

Throughout the preseason, the team struggled to find rhythm. They beat two strong teams—Atlanta and Green Bay—but lost to weaker opponents in Houston and Chicago. Inconsistency plagued them.

Now, as the season began, all the pressure was on "Rookie No. 2" Mahomes; at the same time, Lance faced a brand-new challenge. Still young, still raw, the defending champions stumbled into battle against a fully mobilized and vengeful opponent.

Maybe the only good news—

Was that it was all happening at Arrowhead Stadium.

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Powerstones?

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