Chapter 882: Take advantage of the weakness and make a move
The progression of the 53rd Super Bowl clearly exceeded expectations.
Not just for the audience, even the two head coaches were caught off guard—it was entirely different from their pre-ga preparations.
The first half was undoubtedly the lowest point in Coach McVay’s career:
The Los Angeles Rams’ offensive unit, combining passing and rushing yards, only managed to advance 57 yards, achieving just one first down—in both respects, setting a career low for McVay as a head coach.
Moreover, this was the first ti since McVay took over as head coach that the Rams were shut out in the first half.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ precise and disciplined defensive strategy was a crucial factor, but the Rams’ disastrous offensive performance also played an important role.
A complete ss, absolutely terrible.
McVay, the youngest head coach in NFL history to achieve early fa and carry such high hopes, faced the biggest crisis of his career on the Super Bowl stage.
However, Reed did not underestimate McVay.
In the world of competitive sports, experience is indeed vital, but it is not everything. McVay’s youth could be a shortcoming, but it might also beco the key to turning the tide.
Reed knew and firmly believed the Rams would inevitably counterattack with offense in the second half—it was McVay’s proven signature weapon that had earned him accolades across the league.
Thus, the Kansas City Chiefs prepared for the challenge they might face in the second half. Although Goff and Cooks connected on three consecutive plays with markedly improved execution, the Chiefs’ defensive unit remained unfazed, keeping their focus and thodically completing their assignnts.
Houston tackled Gurley behind the line, rendering the league’s highest-paid running back completely ineffective—leaving him frustrated and unable to unleash his potential, once again showcasing Kansas City’s defensive prowess.
However, a potential concussion could beco a pivotal turning point—
After all, Houston was the stabilizer of the defensive unit.
The Chiefs noticed it, and so did the Rams. The atmosphere grew more tense, with a sense of gunpowder lingering in the air.
Halfti proved to be an invaluable period, allowing McVay to calm down, reorganize his thoughts, and regain his composure. His boiling blood cooled down slightly.
Seizing the opportunity at hand, the young coach made the most of it.
After Houston left the ga, the Rams instantly ramped up the pace, giving the Chiefs’ defensive unit no ti or space to adjust, nor allowing Kpassagnon, Houston’s replacent, a chance to settle in. McVay launched a flurry of fast-paced short passes.
Although it wasn’t the perfect no-huddle offense, the breaks between plays were incredibly brief—compressed as much as possible—emphasizing the short-pass sequences rehearsed countless tis in practice. Goff would snap the ball quickly, not allowing the Chiefs’ defensive unit ti to reset and strategize.
The tempo skyrocketed.
The key here was that McVay understood Houston’s pivotal role within the Chiefs’ defensive group—
Even though his performance had been inconsistent this season, Houston still started every regular season and playoff ga. Whether his physical condition and performance were at their peak or not, Houston’s significance at the psychological and tactical levels was irreplaceable.
And now, with Houston unexpectedly out of the ga—and this after the “ltdown incident” in the Arican League Championship—the Chiefs’ defense lacked a central pillar.
In the Arican League Championship, Reed had brought in Berry to stabilize the situation, and that substitution beca a stroke of genius. Berry’s interception overturned the ga’s outco.
But today, the situation was different. The Chiefs were in the leading position, so Reed didn’t hastily put Berry on the field. Instead, Kpassagnon ca on as a substitute linebacker in a simple positional swap. No matter the plan, McVay’s tactical adjustnts effectively suppressed the opponent with tempo.
Finally!
The Rams’ previously dismal offensive unit finally displayed the qualities of the league’s second-ranked powerhouse this season, achieving three consecutive first downs and crossing midfield.
The rcedes-Benz Do erupted in cheers.
“…I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but, hey, the Los Angeles Rams just crossed midfield.”
“The league’s second-highest-scoring team this season has, for the first ti in this Super Bowl, crossed midfield—and we’ve waited two full hours for it. Let’s hope we’ll see more of this shortly because the second half still holds the potential to be a classic.”
Step by step, staying patient yet assertive, the Rams needed to maintain 100% focus and effort, seizing this opportunity tightly.
At the sa ti, the Chiefs’ defensive unit began to sense the mounting pressure and the surging offensive force coming their way, but they did not panic—
This was to be expected.
“While everyone hopes their opponent surrenders easily, allowing for a breezy triumph, I don’t know what the Rams are thinking—but I, for one, wouldn’t want that.”
“If it were , even if I lost, I’d give it everything I had until the very end. Make the opponent uncomfortable. Ideally, irritate them. Make sure that even in victory, they don’t feel any pleasure or satisfaction.”
These words were from Li Wei, his face calm and composed, a faint, devilish smile playing on his lips.
Evidently, the Rams felt the sa way.
Little by little, amidst the constant challenges back and forth, the Chiefs’ defensive unit too gradually cald down. The resilience forged through repeated hardships, paired with the indomitable fighting spirit Li Wei had cultivated in them, unified them in critical monts, helping them rediscover their balance.
“Apply pressure.”
Reed didn’t have ti to reconfigure defensive strategies. The Rams’ tempo and intensity crushed like a steamroller, leaving no room to maneuver. Amid these gaps, Reed could only repeatedly emphasize the need for the Chiefs to maintain pressure on both the defensive front and in the short-pass zones.
Pressure—this was the keyword.
“Attack!”
No space to breathe. Goff called for the snap again.
Pressure was also the Rams’ key word, though differently expressed. They utilized tempo to fight back and return the pressure.
Defensive end Jones charged forward, pressing into the offensive lineman directly before him—not breaking away, not disengaging, but shoulder against shoulder, feet tracing arcs around the opponent’s body, relentlessly advancing step after step—
Like tightening a screw, he was the wrench and the opponent the screw.
After the high-speed rotation, the screw lost its balance, teetering unstably as the wrench’s force pushed onward, toppling the pocket’s edge through sheer will.
Planting his foot, stepping forward, zeroing in on Goff.
Goff was retreating but hadn’t identified a target yet because the Chiefs’ secondary defense was executing tight man-to-man coverage:
The mont the ball was snapped, every defender stepped up, extending a defensive net, with each defender sticking closely to Goff’s passing targets—cornerbacks and linebackers doing their jobs perfectly.
One second—just a single second—and Goff hadn’t found an open receiver. In the blink of an eye, the pocket pressure ca crashing down on him.
And it wasn’t just one source of pressure.
From the right, Jones was bearing down, and from the center, another defender was closing in.
Goff’s rapid backpedaling left him no ti to adjust. Watching Jones close in, he stepped back once more to create space and forced a throw.
At the very mont he released the ball, Goff saw a looming wall directly ahead—a blocker resembling a volleyball defender cutting off his line of sight to the throwing zone.
Impenetrable, unyielding, standing firm like a blade on a battlefield!
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