Dominate the Super Bowl

Li Wei, again and again, it was Li Wei.

In the wildcard playoff face-off between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans, with no one able to get into the game or open up the situation, Li Wei stood up—

He relied on his personal ability to break free from four tackles and sprint twenty-four yards into the Red Zone, breaking the deadlock. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

Despite the intensity the Tennessee Titans displayed in the Red Zone, the first two stages of the offense did not yield much ground, but on third gear and one yard to go, Li Wei still broke through the defense.

The Kansas City Chiefs scored first.

"0:7".

Just like in the regular season's fourteenth week home game against the Oakland Raiders, the Kansas City Chiefs were completely invigorated from top to bottom after Li Wei opened the deadlock at the start, and both the offensive and defensive ends fully entered the game.

First up against Mariota's Read Option Offense, they put up high-quality, intense defense, harshly admonishing the third-year quarterback, forcing the Tennessee Titans to opt for consecutive punts.

Then, with Smith cleverly using Li Wei as a decoy, the passing offense finally opened up the situation. Facing the Tennessee Titans' cornerback duo of Williams and Orakpo, who both had Pro Bowl level performances this season, he managed to deceive and break through them with successful plays, culminating in a fourteen-yard pass to Tight End Kelsey—

Kelsey overpowered Orakpo, tackling his way to a touchdown.

The Kansas City Chiefs continued to widen the lead.

The entire first half felt familiar, as in the last four weeks of the regular season, the Kansas City Chiefs swept through their opponents in a similar fashion, effortlessly advancing into the playoffs, and now they continued this momentum, leaving no room for the Tennessee Titans to perform.

During the two-minute warning of the first half, Mariota finally had a breakthrough moment, depending on his own legs to lead the team and continuously pushing forward, with the Special Duty Group finally scoring a forty-nine-yard field goal.

Yet unexpectedly, the Kansas Chiefs Offense, red-hot in the first half, went on a rampage in less than two minutes. The passing offense driven by Smith went wild, continuously making sideline passes to stop the clock, pushing forward, and connecting with Hill for a thirteen-yard pass touchdown in the last seconds of the half, leaving the visiting Tennessee Titans completely baffled by the fluidity of the offense.

"3:21".

At the end of the first half, the Kansas City Chiefs led with an overwhelming advantage.

The live broadcast room was full of exclamations and admiration; the progression of the game broke expectations, the one-sided dominance completely uncharacteristic of the playoffs.

"There is no doubt, the Kansas City Chiefs came prepared."

"Up to this season, the Kansas City Chiefs have faced five consecutive playoff home game defeats, which is the longest ongoing losing streak in NFL history. If they lose this game, they will push this record to a new high. This is obviously something the Kansas City Chiefs do not want to see."

The 2015 season wildcard match, where the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Houston Texans in the playoffs, was away.

Being at home for the playoffs means that the team is a higher-ranked seed, whether it's a wildcard or divisional game, and the home team is often the one that performed better in the regular season and should be favored to win.

However,

The Kansas City Chiefs are currently experiencing a five-game home losing streak in the playoffs, which in a sense, is even more embarrassing and humiliating than a twenty-four-year playoff winless record—

After all, twenty-four years without a playoff win could mean the team has always been in the dumps, rebuilding, or perhaps not even qualifying for the playoffs; but a five-game home losing streak means the team could open the regular season and even rank as a high seed, only to underperform come playoff time.

No one wants to maintain such a record.

No wonder professionals led by Bart were consistently skeptical about the Kansas City Chiefs.

At the critical moment, they falter.

So.

"But today, the Kansas City Chiefs' pre-game preparation was sufficient and comprehensive, with multiple players shining on both offense and defense, completely suppressing the opponents."

"In the first half, the Kansas City Chiefs' three touchdowns came from three players, using three different methods; and the Defensive group also restricted Mariota's Read Option offense on various levels, with outstanding ground defense."

"Without a doubt, the Kansas City Chiefs have truly shown the demeanor of a strong team."

"The current situation for the Tennessee Titans is indeed extremely difficult. In NFL playoff history, there aren't many instances where a team has come back from an eighteen-point deficit..."

Derrick Henry stood on the sidelines, watching Hill celebrate his touchdown in the end zone. With just two seconds left until halftime, the Kansas City Chiefs scored again, driving another knife into the heart of the Tennessee Titans; but his gaze couldn't help but fall on Li Wei standing nearby—

A feint.

This time, everyone almost believed Smith's pass would make Li Wei play the role of wide receiver once again, even Henry standing at the edge of the field thought so, not to mention the defensive group who were in the dark.

As it turned out, Li Wei was a smoke bomb, with Smith and Hill completing the connection.

Li Wei, whether he had the ball or not, could play a role in breaking the balance, becoming the core of the Kansas Chiefs offense's diverse tactics, redefining the position of running back in a way that demands attention.

But what about him?

Henry's heart involuntarily clenched.

All this time, he had been complaining and ranting because the head coach didn't give him opportunities, because star running back Murray wouldn't look his way, because the team focused on Mariota... blah blah blah. He hadn't been given the chance to shine, and for two seasons in the professional league, he'd been relegated to the role of a cleaner.

In contrast to college, it was as if one was in heaven and the other was on earth.

Once the pride of heaven, now he had to beg for chances to carry the ball; he had always struggled to adjust his mentality and accept this role.

This game was no exception.

Mulkai's tactics were completely centered on Mariota. He buzzed around Mariota like a headless fly—where was there any opportunity for him to shine?

He longed to carry the ball, to break the deadlock, to confront the defending players head-on, to maintain his status as a genius and king in front of his Crimson Tide Storm brethren. However, harsh reality made him look utterly disheveled.

Down and out. Ashamed. Struggling.

Without needing to compare statistics, Henry knew his performance in the first half had been a mess; but Li Wei was still shining—

That rookie.

So, give up? Surrender? Admit defeat?

No.

Of course not.

From Li Wei, Henry saw what he had long forgotten to focus on.

Don't shirk responsibility, don't blame others or the heavens.

Perhaps they were stars, cores, the soul of their teams in college games, but in the professional arena, it's a different story. He needed to become a member of the team, understand that shining with his teammates is also a form of glowing and warming, and accept that a complex strategy can trump individual strength to win.

It was only now, from Li Wei, that he finally learned this lesson.

Henry couldn't help but recall his mentor Burns's words.

"Indeed, he's a rookie, but exactly because of that, he can re-examine the sport without any burdens or baggage. That's his advantage. Derrick, there are things on him worth your learning."

Once, Henry had scoffed at those words; but now, he seemed to finally understand their meaning.

It wasn't too late.