Chapter 623
Chapter 623
Chapter 623: Fuming with rage Chapter 623: Fuming with rage Deadlock.
The situation remained difficult to resolve, whether for the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots, both now relying on sheer willpower to battle on.
Although the Kansas Chiefs Offense, fueled by the energy-burning synergy of Mahomes and Li Wei, took the lead in breaking the stalemate towards the end of the game, sheer excitement was not enough to completely overturn the deadlock.
And so,
The tension in the battle continued to mount.
The New England Patriots Offensive group and the Kansas City Chiefs Defense had reached the stage of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with all their might, throwing punches without any set pattern.
The Kansas City Chiefs forced the New England Patriots into a Third Gear crisis three times; however, a combination of yellow flags, luck, and Brady’s composure allowed the Patriots to complete all the crucial conversions amidst the peril.
Stumbling forward, the Patriots shoved their way up to the opponent’s 36-yard line, where the intensity of the confrontation escalated yet another level.
...
Then, the Kansas City Chiefs finally succeeded in striking out—
Hunter knocked down Brady’s quick short pass.
Brady’s pass, made in a bit of a hurry, didn’t arc as usual, allowing Hunter to rely on his experience for a crucial defensive play.
But everyone knew, it wasn’t over yet.
With the game at this point, the New England Patriots had no way but forward, and it was expected that Belichick would choose a forceful fourth-down-and-one.
Fourth and one, the entire field held its breath.
Not just the fans at Gillette Stadium, but the players from Kansas City Chiefs on the sidelines as well, knew that if they could just succeed in defending this play, it could be...
However, the New England Patriots displayed the audacity and temperament of champions.
On fourth and one, Brady pretended to go for a “sneak” —
That’s when the quarterback tries to push forward behind the Center, rushing for one yard by himself.
But it was only a feint, attracting all of the Defensive group’s strength upfront, Brady then stood up and with a light lob, found Tight End Gronkowski standing just outside the protection pocket of the offensive line.
Gronkowski, the one who you “look for on first down, second down, third down, and still look for on fourth down.”
Even though the Patriots had a major turnover in their receiving corps this season, as long as Gronkowski was on the field, Brady wouldn’t lack a trusted target for his passes.
This time, a clever offensive play succeeded in fooling the Kansas City Chiefs Defense.
Gronkowski only had to take one step forward, and the fourth-and-one was converted.
Mahomes looked at Li Wei, wanting to say something but hesitating.”
Li Wei didn’t avoid his gaze and looked into Mahomes’s eyes, “The initiative is in our hands now.”
That one sentence was enough.
Mahomes took a deep breath.
Whether entering a battle of attacks or a deadlock on defense, the game had not yet seen a gap widen, which meant they had to maintain their rhythm and focus as the outcome could hinge on the slightest margin.”
“I’m ready.”
Mahomes gave Li Wei a firm nod, and together they took the field—
In the kickoff, the New England Patriots tried to pull a trick to push back the starting position of the Kansas Chiefs offense, but now both sides were physically exhausted, and the tactical execution was far from satisfactory.”
The Kansas Chiefs Offense started their drive on their own twenty-three-yard line, and the Special Duty Group’s work was practically null.
Clearly, both Reed and Belichick knew that now was the time to be more cautious, searching for that delicate balance between risk-taking and stability as the decline in physical strength and energy could easily lead to mistakes—for both sides.”
But that’s precisely why the defense could gain a slight advantage, seizing the offense’s cautious attitude to make some risky attempts.
If the offense was too conservative, they might strike out.”
There is a fine line here, all depending on how well the head coach can manage and grasp it.”
Both Reed and Belichick, savvy coaches through and through, knew strategy would be tested most at such a time.”
“45:45.”
Reed made the first move—
Three run plays, two pass plays, balancing running with passing, but slightly favoring the running game; of the three run plays, Li Wei took two, and Hunter took one.
This created a unique balance, and the Kansas Chief’s offense actually recaptured the lightness from the first half of the game.
If it weren’t for the severe energy depletion, their momentum would have been completely unleashed by now.
Still, despite this, the Kansas Chiefs effortlessly secured their first three downs, crossing the midfield line,
Following up, Li Wei was pivotal once again.
Even when dealt a tackle by Bentley, he took advantage of Bentley’s diminished strength, breaking free from the hold and advancing, falling to the ground amidst a tight encirclement of three defensive players.
Yet, what should have been a four-yard run turned into a ten-yard first down conversion.
The momentum climbed higher and higher!
bookpower