Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 367 366 days are graced by beautiful weather

Cold, piercing to the bone.

The game hadn't started yet, but Li Wei had already unlocked a brand-new experience in his professional career.

Last season in the NCAA, the regular season wrapped up before December, and subsequent games were all scheduled in the sunny, spring-like warmth of the south, completely free from concerns about cold temperatures and rainy or snowy weather.

And!

For Li Wei, mixed martial arts events almost always took place indoors; while cross-country running indeed required facing weather changes and environmental impacts, event organizations aimed to avoid the influence of sudden adverse conditions, and the events were typically concentrated between March and November.

In other words, outdoor competitions in winter were a whole new thing to Li Wei.

His first NFL season was a fresh challenge in every way.

Last month, the Kansas City Chiefs' four games—three in Kansas City and one in Miami—only hinted at winter outdoor events; however, stepping into the below-freezing Foxborough for the playoffs was a different story altogether.@@@@

At first glance, the temperature wasn't frightening, and there weren't any accumulating clouds in the sky; but the moment he stepped onto the pitch, goosebumps swept over his body in an instant, and screams were released as every patch of skin felt the onslaught of the cold wave's magic attack—

During the warm-up phase, he could deeply sense the stark difference of Foxborough tonight.

Li Wei had a premonition that this would be an arduous game.

And indeed, he was right.

...

"Danger, the pocket has broken down again!"

"Van Noy! New England Linebacker Kyle Van Noy brought out 120% form in this game, he's gone completely mad, unstoppably charging past the offensive line and cutting into the pocket."

"Li Wei, Li Wei is trying to block, but Belichick has already foreseen this scene; cornerback Malcolm Butler's rush is undoubtedly a surprise. Li Wei is outnumbered, he must choose one or the other."

"Li Wei and Butler!"

"Van Noy is charging at Smith."

"Smith is dodging, Smith is scrambling, Smith refuses to give up and surrender!"

"Ah!"

"Van Noy! Sack!"

"Wait, fumble!"

"God, Smith was about to throw the ball when Van Noy's sack took him by surprise, his arm couldn't raise in time, and the fierce collision caused a fumble."

"Bad news!"

In the end, Belichick specifically designed tactics, gaining the upper hand in the pre-game battle of wits with Reed—

Rush.

To be precise, it should be a pass rush. Rushing is just one part of pass rushing.

After analyzing, Belichick precisely targeted the throat of the Kansas Chiefs Offense.

Although the Chiefs' Offensive line's stats this season are indeed impressive, the new heights of Smith's passing data come from the solid Pocket.

But that's just a superficial phenomenon.

A deeper analysis will show you that Smith's ratio of long passes is among the lowest for starting quarterbacks in the League, meaning Smith's impressive passing stats come from his quick release, with short passes making up the absolute majority, and the Offensive line's role not as significant as imagined.

At the same time, almost all of the Chiefs' gains over twenty yards come from Hill and Li Wei, relying more on individual ability to break through—

Especially Li Wei.

As a running back, Li Wei led the League with nine ground rushes over fifty yards this season, demonstrating exceptional performance.

So, where lies the crux? Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

The short passing area.

Furthermore, it's the three seconds after the kick-off.

If during these three seconds, one fails to suppress the Chiefs' Offense, one might find themselves in trouble.

And so!

Belichick increased the Defensive group's proportion of pass rushes.

It's more than just blitzing.

Blitzing aims to take down the quarterback, which can only be done occasionally.

Pass rushing aims to build up pressure on the front line, increasing the overall density of the defense, and wreak havoc on passing and rushing; it's a comprehensive strategy.

Of course, the optimal outcome of a pass rush is to either take down the quarterback or stop the running back.

In fact, this season, the Patriots' proportion of pass rush has only been middling in the League; their Defensive group is not one of the teams known for their pass rushing.

But precisely because of this, Belichick's defensive strategy completely caught the Kansas City Chiefs off guard, and any bloated stats from the Offensive line were quickly squeezed out—

Before the second quarter was even over, the New England Patriots had taken down Smith six times.

A full six times!