Dominate the Super Bowl

Ten yards in one down, three yards from the front line of our end zone.

This was an extremely tricky and dangerous position to begin an offensive, with the Kansas City Chiefs' offense all standing in the end zone, feeling the oppressive aura of the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense closing in.

The danger and tension from the first quarter continued into the second, escalating progressively to new heights, with the Kansas City Chiefs teetering on the brink of errors and seemingly about to give in.

Both teams faced off, their momentum starkly different—

In such a scenario, there was no secret in the Kansas City Chiefs' first down strategy. To avoid the risk of a safety, choosing a ground attack was highly likely—running the ball to gain some distance and escape the predicament of the end zone front, enabling more freedom in their offensive tactics.

In such situations, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, teams would choose to run.

Moreover, the passing attack of the Kansas City Chiefs hadn't been effective thus far, and considering that the current Jacksonville Jaguars were among the top sack machines in the league, the tactical choice was even less surprising.

So.

The Jacksonville Jaguars knew the Kansas City Chiefs would choose to run, and the Kansas City Chiefs knew that the Jacksonville Jaguars knew they would choose to run. So, how should they break through when the tactics were no secret?

Li Wei remained calm—

Although he was very excited and his blood was boiling, his attention was completely focused, entering a state of self-forgetfulness.

He was reading the defense.

Li Wei could tell that the fighting spirit of the Jacksonville Jaguars was high, their eagerness almost spilling out uncontrollably. Did this mean they were preparing to go all out for a safety?

Whether it was Smith or Li Wei or any other offensive player, being tackled in the end zone meant a safety; a fumble leading to a turnover would directly result in a touchdown.

From all aspects, the Jacksonville Jaguars wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.

Pressure, off the charts.

So, what should Li Wei do?

He had an idea: strike later.

When they were at a disadvantage, unable to seize the initiative or counterattack head-on, perhaps it was time to try a strategy of retreat to advance, avoiding the sharpest edge of the opponent's assault.

Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Bell's trademark move: stop, look, and go through, was a classic example.

Although Li Wei didn't have Bell's training regime, having undergone multiple training regimes, Li Wei was also gradually finding his style—

He felt he could give it a try.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wei noticed a gaze and instinctively looked over, catching Smith's slightly wavering eyes.

Actually, it wasn't Smith's fault.

This was Smith's first time on the stage of the conference finals, and the entire experience was different; the energy burned in the last game had depleted all his reserves, and, faced with the season's strongest defense continuously pressing, various factors intertwined, leaving him physically and mentally unable to keep up, causing his resolve and hesitation to falter, which was only natural.

In the noise assault of the Perpetual Bank Center, Li Wei didn't say much but just gave Smith a smile, his eyes brimming with poise and relaxation, slightly easing the tense atmosphere.

Smith also exhale deeply, momentarily steadying his spirit, turning to face the collision of the two lines, where one could feel—

The oppressiveness.

Not just the defensive line and linemen, but the positions of the cornerbacks and safeties were also fully advanced, most visibly the safeties, who normally stood fifteen yards out, all moved into a ten-yard range, pushing the entire Jacksonville Jaguars' eleven defensive players forward.

Merely visually, the atmosphere had already subtly shifted.

The Jacksonville Jaguars were further applying pressure.

So, should the Kansas City Chiefs pass?

No.

Given the stance of the Jacksonville Jaguars, they could launch a blitz at any moment, and even if the Kansas City Chiefs chose to pass, Smith could still face the danger of a sack; hence, running was still the safer choice, and the task of overturning the dire situation fell on Li Wei's shoulders again.

Countless gazes, like spotlights, were focused on Li Wei.

The noise throughout the stadium escalated dramatically, blasting out a whiff of gunpowder, inundating the Kansas City Chiefs so much that Smith's kickoff sounded like a candle in the wind, about to be snuffed out at any moment.

"Attack!"

Bang, bang, bang bang bang.

Fist to flesh, the staunch collisions churned up waves of force that hit straight on, nearly toppling Smith—

Sure enough, the Jacksonville Jaguars had launched a surprise attack.

And it was tactically ingenious.

The two Defensive Ends split outward, pulling apart to prepare for a piercing entry from the outside into the pocket; the gaps they left were filled by the linebackers moving up.

The critical point was, with both the Defensive Ends and the Defensive Tackles sticking to their positions—the former attempting a breakthrough, the latter entangling, the offensive line was utterly unable to respond; while the advancing steps of the two linebackers, unlike the style of the defensive line, shunned entanglement with the offensive line, preparing to break through defiantly, directly invading the pocket.

Thus, a simple shift completely overturned the confrontation:

Both Defensive Ends and the two linebackers were all trying to tear through the pocket.

Pressure instantly maxed out.

Furthermore, a Safety charged down like a tiger, directly confronting them, and even without directly colliding with the pocket's defense, the layered momentum utterly suppressed the Kansas City Chiefs.

Comparable to heavy artillery.

The already precarious protection of the pocket could only barely hold up.

Smith found himself ambushed on all fronts, not just the front; it felt as if every direction bore down with relentless pressure, suffocating him.

One second, he had just received the football from the Center's hands, and the next, he stood at the cliff's edge, with fierce winds threatening his stance.

"Sackville," true to its reputation.

Smith clenched his teeth, sank his energy into his core, controlled himself, steadily backed away, calmly turned, and in the midst of the raging storm, handed the football to Li Wei.

Football, passed on.

However.

It was at that moment—the pocket broke—

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Linebacker Bosrusni charged forward leading the way.

Danger!

Smith sounded the alarm. Normally, as the quarterback, having completed his task, he should have stepped aside to avoid injury, which would have been the correct move strategically; but at that moment, only one thought dominated Smith's mind:

Block.

They were a team, and they fought side by side.

He was one of them, and as Li Wei faced the storm alone, he could not simply stand by.

He paused, bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and lunged forward with his right shoulder.

Smith did not hesitate, and not only that, he clenched his teeth and exerted his full strength.

Hmm.

A muffled grunt—Smith knocked the unprepared Bosrusni back, disrupting his advance, and collapsed back into the offensive line, causing Smith too to tumble out—

He bought Li Wei precious time to adjust.

Turning his head, he could see Li Wei starting to move.