American winner takes all

Chapter 341 Notorious (22)

Entering the game again, as soon as Ryan Leaf received the ball, he immediately felt a shift in the Angels defense's tactics.

The previous pass rusher did not try to cross the edge this time, but moved closer to both sides. Ryan could tell at a glance that he was defending against the run, and there was no one in front of him to check him.

good chance!
Ryan Leaf decisively chose to rush the ball himself. He is 1.96 meters tall and weighs 107kg. He also has an impact similar to Ethan when running.

Although his flexibility is still much worse than Ethan's, and his change of direction is slightly slower than Ethan's, this does not affect his ability to pass the line of scrimmage and ultimately help the Cowboys gain a full 8 yards.

"This is a standard Ethan-style rush. I wonder if Cowboys fans will feel familiar when they see this scene? For the current Cowboys fans, maybe Ethan is not the only one." The on-site commentator said immediately.

Ryan Leaf, who fell to the ground, could hear the violent cheers of the fans.

"That's it..." Ryan felt all the fatigue in his body swept away and stood up immediately.

On the second offense, the Angels used the same defensive tactics as before, once again leaving the Cowboys quarterback open.

And Ryan Leaf also directly helped the Cowboys get the first offense this time.

The cheers from the audience became more intense. In this game where Ethan was a guest at Texas Stadium, Ryan Leaf's actions undoubtedly had some symbolic meaning.

"Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!"

"Touchdown! Touchdown! Touchdown!"

Just like how Ethan's name was once called, many people at the scene called out Ryan's name.

And Ryan seemed to see that Ethan now had everything of his own waiting for him.

"Obviously I'm only the sixth overall pick! I'm no worse than you." Ruian whispered.

During Ethan's junior season when he was injured, Ryan was also nominated for the Heisman Award. Although he ultimately lost to Ricky Williams who performed extremely well, he only felt that it was because Ricky Williams knocked down too much. mixture. In other words, I didn’t lose.

At this time, it was only thirty yards away from the Angels' zone. Dave also wanted to let Ryan Leaf give it a try and did not call a free kick.

When the game resumed, Ryan held the football in one arm and rushed across the line of scrimmage from a familiar place, but this time there were multiple defenders blocking him.

The first offense scored, Ryan took the initiative to stop the ball.

This scene was seen by Angels cornerback Roland Bailey not far away. He couldn't help shaking his head and burst into laughter.

During the discussion before the next offensive formation, Roland said to his teammates with a smile.

"I can guard that quarterback by myself."

"Roland, you should keep an eye on the wide receiver," the safety said.

Roland Bailey showed his white teeth but did not respond.

When the game resumed, Roland, who was supposed to be taken away by the receiver, actually chose to run in the opposite direction, directly towards the forward position.

Even Cowboys coach Dave was stunned when he saw this scene, let alone the Angels. Andy, Holmgren, Rhodes, and even Ethan couldn't help but be stunned.

"This madman!" Andy yelled.

It's just that at this time, Ryan was focused on imitating Ethan and did not notice that the Angels' cornerback was out of position. Otherwise, with a long pass, the Cowboys would easily score a touchdown.

At this time, he had just crossed the kickoff line when he saw a black figure in white rushing towards him at an extremely fast speed.

As the fastest 40-yard record holder in this year's physical testing camp, Roland Bailey's physical fitness is beyond doubt. As a future Hall of Famer like current Angels running back Echilin James, Rowland was selected to the Pro Bowl for 12 consecutive years, the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 2000s, and the league's defensive leader in 2006.

Although he has never won a Super Bowl championship in his career, he is nicknamed "Champion" Bailey and is considered the uncrowned king among defensive players.

Before Ruian could react, he was knocked over by Roland.

The whole place was silent...

"You also want to imitate Ethan's rushing touchdown?" Roland looked down at Ryan lying on the ground, then shook his head, with a playful smile on his lips:
"You're too far off."

However, Roland's majesty did not last long. As Andy standing on the sidelines yelled angrily, Roland was like a cat that was pinched by the back of the neck, and obediently returned to his defensive position.

Blatantly disobeying the coach's instructions is a very serious problem. Fortunately, his loss of position did not cause a catastrophe, otherwise additional penalties would inevitably be imposed.

Ryan stood up angrily. Roland's smile just now made him feel furious.

"Falling down at the first touch? This is so far behind Ethan."

"There was clearly a chance to pass the ball just now, why didn't you pass the ball?"

"Just thinking about being in the limelight."

There was also a lot of discussion among the fans. If there was a moment when I thought Ethan was not irreplaceable, Ryan proved with his performance that not everyone can touch Ethan O'Connor.

"Don't let anger control you, this is just the second gear." Emmitt Smith came to Ryan Leaf, pulled him up, saw the irritation in Ryan's expression, and then comforted him.

"You don't have to worry about it." Ryan threw away his arm.

In the next third attack, Ryan fully learned his lesson and did not rush the ball immediately. At this time, he had three options in front of him.

One is rushing the ball, another is handing the ball off to Emmitt Smith, and the last is passing.

There were no other defensive players around Emmett, so handing the ball to him was undoubtedly a good choice, but Ryan did not do so. Instead, he aimed at the far end receiver and threw the ball directly.

The route and trajectory of this ball are completely consistent with Ethan's previous pass. He obviously wants to connect with the receiver, but the speed and angle of this ball are too far behind Ethan's, and the intention seems too much. obvious.

A white figure stopped in front of the wide receiver and confiscated the spinning football.

"It's Roland again! He intercepted Ryan Leaf's pass!"

Roland immediately started running after landing, and many Cowboys fans at the scene already felt desperate.

Although Rowland failed to score a touchdown in the end, this interception had already dealt a heavy blow to the Cowboys.

When Roland began to celebrate with his teammates, there were a lot of doubts and insults against Ryan from the fans.

"This quarterback's judgment skills are so poor! How does this compare to Ethan?"

"Shit quarterback!"

When Ryan walked off the field, he heard someone cursing him, and there was a hint of disdain on his face.

Do you guys know anything about rugby?
And when he approached the sidelines and entered the "attack range" of the fans, a rain of plastic bottles was immediately thrown at Ryan.

One of them fell at Ryan's feet, and Ryan immediately picked it up and smashed the bottle into the audience.

Such behavior immediately aroused a greater reaction from the fans, and huge boos instantly came from the venue. Every player makes mistakes, even Ethan is no exception, but when it comes to their attitudes towards mistakes, Ryan and Ethan are more than one and a half points behind.

"It seems the tactic was successful." Ethan breathed a sigh of relief.

Andy's advice at the critical moment worked. The defensive team successfully completed the task. Then it was the offensive team's turn to end the game...

There was still plenty of time. Roland's counterattack brought the line directly to the midfield, which was an advantage.

Ethan began to consciously control the rhythm of the game, using short passes and short yardage runs to advance bit by bit. It took nine offenses to advance to the twenty-yard line in front of the Cowboys zone.

Then he used a signature elevator pass to cooperate with the team's tight end and successfully completed the touchdown.

As for the falling leaf pass, which is more advanced than the elevator pass, although Ethan can currently use it, due to the route and speed, the actual combat value is not as high as imagined. Whether it is Ethan or other quarterbacks, This is true, and obviously more practice is needed.

For the rest of the game, Ryan Leaf's performance was still mediocre.

If it weren't for Emmitt Smith's continuous rush, the Cowboys wouldn't even get a free kick.

Regardless of the outcome of this game, the contrast between the two quarterbacks is already very clear.

Although Ethan did not have many outstanding performances in this game, he did not make any mistakes. This alone is clearly better than Ryan Leaf.

There is a fear of comparison between different players, especially in the same game.

"After all, no one can replace him."

"It would have been nice if that transfer hadn't happened."

"Why shouldn't that transfer happen? Doesn't Ethan deserve better treatment?"

Many fans at the scene, including some Cowboys fans, have begun to understand Ethan. They sincerely hope that Ethan can develop better, and they will no longer resist the Angels. Maybe they will continue to follow the Angels' games in the future. .

At the end of the fourth quarter, Eason pushed the line to midfield and Rich Cunningham completed the shot.

The final score was fixed at 20-13. The Angels were upset and defeated last season's Super Bowl champion Cowboys in the opener on the road.

In fact, even Ethan himself felt that this game was a bit of a fluke, especially since Ryan Leaf gave too many chances...

Immediately after the game, Ethan even caught up with Jones and his son who were about to flee the scene and took the initiative to talk to them.

"Congratulations Ethan, you have given the Angels enough strength in a short period of time." Old Jones said with a smile.

"Thank you for that. If you hadn't brought Ryan Leaf to the Cowboys, there's no telling who would have won this game." Ethan responded with a smile.

It was visible to the naked eye that Old Jones's face became stiff. After a moment, Old Jones snorted coldly and turned around to leave.

"There's still a lot of time!" Stephen muttered before turning to follow his father and leave.

·
The day after the opening game, the cafe downstairs in the apartment.

Rachel, wearing casual clothes, was sitting there, stirring the coffee in front of her with a spoon from time to time. She is waiting for someone.

When the sound of the door opening came, Rachel looked up and realized that she had been deceived.

"I should have guessed it was you. Kelsey wouldn't be back at this time." Rachel shook her head.

A tall figure sat directly opposite Rachel, it was Ethan.

His purpose in asking Kelsey to meet with Rachel was also very simple, but before he even opened his mouth, he was interrupted by Rachel.

"If you just want to reminisce about old times, our conversation may last for a long time. Let's forget about other things." Rachel took a sip of coffee, leaving a string of milk foam on her upper lip.

Kelsey had been rejected before, but this time it was the same result when Ethan came. Although she thinks Kelsey is quite lucky and is even a little jealous, it doesn't mean she is willing to go to Los Angeles now.

Ethan felt that he was sincere enough this time, but he didn't expect that she still refused. After asking, he found out that Rachel's family were all here, and she didn't want to leave her parents.

"And it's nice to be in Dallas, right? I don't have to leave." Rachel shook her head.

After seeing this, Ethan did not continue to insist, and instead asked about the current situation of DCC.

"Including DCC and the club, you have become a taboo topic. No one can mention you..." Rachel said.

Old Jones can block it thoroughly enough.

"Only Charlotte dares to make an exception. She is still the same, but the time she appears in the DCC office is much less than before."

·
Time passed day by day, and after an upset victory over the Cowboys in the first round, the Angels' miracle did not continue.

First, they lost to the Denver Broncos 9-26 in the second round, and then lost to the Oakland Raiders 10-17 in the third round. Both of them were rivals of the Angels in the same division.

The Angels faced the Patriots in the fourth round, and the Patriots quarterback at this time was still Drew Bledsoe. In the end, the Angels lost again 7-19.

Although they have lost three consecutive games, both the media and the fans have less and less doubts about the Angels. The Angels are not yet a match for these three teams, and the Angels have become stronger visibly.

Running back Echilin James has become more flexible and his turning speed has increased significantly. Tight end Desmond Clark has begun to gain weight steadily, making him more comfortable in confrontations. The receivers have also gained weight. Hands Donald Driver. Roland Bailey finally became calm under the repeated training of the three coaches and Ethan, and now he will not disobey the coach's instructions on the field.

In addition, with the recommendation of three coaches, the Angels recruited a group of coaches, and all the staff of the team were also present. In addition to his status as a player, Ethan was officially appointed by Michael Ovitz with the approval of the board of directors. His appointment as president and CEO is an obvious recognition of his ability to build the team from scratch. Suffice to say, there were no problems other than asking Ovitz for money from time to time over budget.

Despite the three-game losing streak, Ethan was not too depressed, especially when he saw that the Cowboys were not even as good as the Angels, he was even happier.

Before the start of this season, no one could have imagined that last season's champion Cowboys would actually start with four consecutive losses, losing to a number of opponents including the Angels, Cardinals, and Eagles.

The problem lies with Ryan Leaf, whose several turnovers directly cost the Cowboys a good start.

At present, public opinion has formed an overwhelming condemnation of him, and the fan group has even launched a petition to "let Ethan go home."

·
Parking lot outside the Cowboys' base at night.

"Let Ethan go home? Are you kidding me? Where will I go if he goes home? These Texas hillbillies are so brainless." Ryan Leaf fumbled for the car keys in his pocket and was holding a wine bottle in his other hand. The body is swaying, the cheeks are rosy, and the eyes are straight, obviously he has drank a lot.

He fumbled around a few times, but couldn't find the key.

fuck! ! ! He smashed the car glass with a direct elbow, and then opened the door. The first thing he did was to open the passenger locker and take out a bag of flour.

Slip!

Ryan Leaf raised his head, with an inexplicable smile on his face.

And when he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar, bumpy blond figure passing in front of the car through the front windshield.

Ryan Leaf had a fanatical smile on his face and immediately pressed the car horn twice...

(End of this chapter)