Chapter 804: 803 Bull Rushing Tactics
Drip, drip, drip. Drip, drip, drip.
Then, it gradually stopped.
The audience at Arrowhead Stadium was completely imrsed in the ga and didn’t notice; but Clark noticed imdiately and quickly sounded the alarm.
“The rain has stopped.”
“Rookie, the rain has stopped! Dry the football, and also dry your hands.”
Involuntarily, the cara lens tilted upward, aiming at the sky over Kansas City.
It was nightti, so no Sun could be seen, but under the stadium lights projected toward the sky, faint hints of starlight and a shy crescent moon peeked through the dissipating heavy clouds—
Amazingly, the rain had cleared.
In front of his TV, Goff suddenly stood upright. “The turning point is here. Anything is possible now.”
Donald remained steady as a mountain, staring at the screen without saying a word.
He, of course, knew the imnse power of the New England Patriots. Once Belichick advanced to the Conference Championship, their experience beca a formidable weapon.
And yet, he had always harbored unwavering faith in the Kansas City Chiefs. He believed Li Wei wouldn’t bow out easily and that he would fight to the bitter end for victory.
In the first half, the New England Patriots had unleashed all their Eighteen Martial Arts and successfully taken the lead. However, they still couldn’t fully suppress the Kansas City Chiefs; as expected, the entire situation flipped in the second half.
Now, even the weather was lending a hand.
If the Kansas City Chiefs could continue to score touchdowns…
A trace of anticipation and exhilaration filled Donald. Facing off against the New England Patriots at the peak of the Super Bowl was thrilling, but he looked forward even more to a life-or-death showdown with the young, tenacious, and unrelenting Kansas City Chiefs.
Seated before the TV screen, Donald couldn’t help but feel his blood boil.
Then.
Without saying a word, Donald stood up, went to the bathroom door fra, and banged out a set of fifteen pull-ups. Everyone else in the room stared at him in utter shock.
What?
“Offense! Clap, clap!”
“Offense! Clap, clap!”
Back at Arrowhead Stadium, the crowd was starting to notice the rain’s cessation and the gradual clearing of the skies. Despite still shivering in the damp and cold, their bodies began to reconnect with sensations of prickling pain and numbing tingles—
This was a good sign.
Because of it, the cheers grew louder, the leaps grew wilder, and the burning passion dispelled the cold as fiery energy charged the air like gunpowder.
Sparks flew.
On the field, Li Wei was glancing down to feel the ground with his feet.
The rain had stopped, and visibility improved, which was a good thing. However, the waterlogged and uneven surface ant he still needed to tread carefully while running.
Turning around, Li Wei locked eyes with Mahos. “Watch your footing.”
Mahos nodded, constantly flexing his hands to try and regain his touch.
In the first half, Brady perford so-so, relying on Edelman to save the day. On the other hand, Mahos struggled badly, with a pass completion rate still under 50%. In poor weather conditions, under intense ga pressure, and in a single-elimination playoff, his lack of experience had been exploited by Belichick.
But Mahos’ strength lay in his humility and ability to learn quickly.
Each of the team’s three regular-season losses had been a lesson, a classroom in its own right, especially the defeat to the New England Patriots. Mahos remained convinced that his interception had been the key to that loss.
Now, facing the Patriots once more, Mahos was noticeably steadier.
Despite an underwhelming first-half performance, Mahos hadn’t lost his patience or confidence.
Mahos looked over at Li Wei, flashing a wide grin. “Ready?”
Li Wei shrugged lightly, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The mock-humble posture made Mahos burst out laughing.
On the other side, Van Noy and Hightower fixed their gazes on Li Wei. Seeing this interaction, they were briefly at a loss for words before bursting into sardonic laughter, corners of their mouths curling upward.
Chung Family noticed it and issued a reminder.
“Stay focused. That guy’s just trying to get under your skin.”
Hightower imdiately snapped back to his senses. “Ha, I nearly fell for it. That rookie’s secondary passes have had terrible trajectory control all ga. If we apply enough pressure, he might just wet himself out of panic.”
Ha ha ha.
A wave of laughter followed.
When their eyes returned to Mahos, the New England Patriots had regained their montum—
“Defense!”
“Defense!”
A small but potent sound arose from a pocket of New England Patriots fans at Arrowhead Stadium. Tiny as it was, their snarling faces and exaggerated gestures hurled waves of nacing energy at Mahos and Li Wei, adding to the intimidation.
“Defense!” You bastard.
“Defense!” Go to hell.
From the now notorious Week 6 incident at Gillette Stadium, public opinion had rallied around Li Wei, deeming him the victim. Yet the truth was—
Gillette Stadium was the real victim. All they had done was toss out a few harmless jokes, only to be vilified and painted as the ultimate villains. anwhile, Li Wei, with his verbal jabs and ntal warfare that inflicted actual psychological trauma, erged as so kind of hero. This world had clearly lost its mind.
Ha!
Tonight, at the Kansas City Chiefs’ ho turf, they planned to restore their honor. Right here at Arrowhead Stadium, they’d pack off the defending champions, avenge last year’s divisional heartbreak, and exorcise the psychological shadow from Gillette earlier this season.
From fans to players, everyone stood tall, brimming with energy. The ti to rise had co.
Since the second half began, the Kansas City Chiefs’ montum had been steadily climbing. The New England Patriots were ready to deliver a swift counterpunch:
Give them a glimr of hope, only to snuff it out and send them crashing into despair in one decisive blow.
No rain, no wind, only the disruptive chants of the Patriots fans attempting to obstruct Mahos as he set up the play. Arrowhead Stadium reclaid so of its usual electric atmosphere, though the biting chill clung tightly to the skin, freezing their very insides. The tension tightened inexorably.
Until—
“Attack!”
Mahos called the snap.
Van Noy lunged forward without hesitation, closing in at lightning speed.
Blitz!
Belichick, recognizing the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive surge, made tily tactical adjustnts. Though blitzes had been few in the first half, he wasted no ti pulling the trigger on this second offensive drive of the half.
And he set a trap.
Six-man pass rush!
Van Noy and Roberts charged ahead; Roberts advanced through the middle, executing a switch-up with the defensive line, allowing a Defensive Tackle to attempt a middle blitz.
The key was for the Patriots to create pressure in the middle and on the left side, tightening coverage in the short-pass zones with a Cornerback and Safety closing in, creating an invisible wall of pressure.
In doing so, no matter whether the Chiefs chose to pass or run, they’d instinctively lean toward the less crowded left side.
This was the herding tactic.
The Patriots had already packed the right side of their defensive formation, compressing space and cranking up the heat.
Sure enough, Belichick’s preemptive strategy was taking effect.
Pressure mounted layer by layer, stacking up relentlessly.
Mahos clearly felt the heat. Without enough ti to scan the defense, he instinctively shifted left, his first glance seeking out Li Wei, his ever-reliable option on the play.
So, the Chiefs still opted for a ground ga breakthrough upfront?
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