Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 244: A desperate pounce

Jack Elliott, who is the same age as Levi, also participated in the draft as a junior. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 153rd pick in the fifth round this year.

For kickers who are often seen in the sixth and seventh rounds, this pick is very good. He is the third kicker selected this year.

Unfortunately, Elliott failed to stand out in the team competition and was laid off; and the next day, he was transferred to the Cincinnati Bengals' sparring team.

If nothing unexpected happens, Elliott will spend his career sitting on the bench like a blue-collar worker. Although the salary is not high, at least he will have enough food and clothing, and the spotlight will never fall on him because there are not many injuries at the kicker position.

However, something unexpected happened.

Philadelphia Eagles kicker Caleb Sturgis was injured in the game against the Washington Redskins and was placed on the injury list. The Philadelphia Eagles panicked. Unlike other positions, there are no substitutes for the three fixed members of the special team. Once they are injured, they can only play without a substitute.

In a hurry, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Elliott from the Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad.

Three days ago, Elliot came to Philadelphia from Cincinnati. He didn't even have time to pack his luggage. He didn't have a place to stay in Philadelphia, so he temporarily lived in a hotel arranged by the team. His teammates didn't recognize him, and then... then he stood in this position.

The decisive moment.

Everything happened so fast, like a tornado.

nervous?
God, Elliot felt like he was going to throw up.

However, the moment he saw Levi, Elliot found his target——

He longed to be like him.

Rookie. Asian. Running back. Any label attached to him may make him lose himself in the pressure, but he didn't. Even though he became the focus of the entire league, he still moved forward at his own pace.

He hopes to find his place in the league like him, and also hopes to defeat him and stand under the spotlight and receive cheers.

"Jack, this is your chance."

Elliot secretly encouraged himself.

Arrowhead Stadium was filled with jubilation——

It's not because of Levi, but because they expect the team to win with their heads held high, and they need to cheer for their team.

After experiencing the dullness and depression in the first half and the ups and downs in the second half, the decisive moment has finally arrived and the whole audience is excited.

Then, this time I saw Levi.

There is no doubt that Levi has won the support of the fans in just two games, but after all, the foundation is still shallow. Today is his first official game at Arrowhead Stadium, so the fans have not yet unified their support:

Levi? Edgewalker? Or something else?

Moreover, this is a special forces war. Doesn't it seem impolite for them to cheer for Levi alone?

The cheers gradually gathered together, and finally condensed into a rope, releasing amazing energy.

"fly!"

One sound, and then another.

Seeing this scene, Bart's heart tightened——

It’s number 23 again.

Although there are many cases where main players enter the special team and play key roles, Bart is now nervous when he sees No. 23 and subconsciously wants to complain.

"Reed is really old and confused. He should have chosen a wide receiver with good speed for the gamble kick. Why did he send a running back? This is a desperate choice. Doesn't he have any other available players?"

Lawson glanced at Bart and said, "Levi is a player who excels in speed."

Bart: ...

The breath was stuck in his throat and he couldn't spit it out or swallow it, so he could only glare at Lawson.

But Lawson had no time for him—

Elliot, ready to tee off.

As Bart said, this is a battle of speed. The Kansas City Chiefs sent out Levi, and the Philadelphia Eagles sent out Ahola who just scored a touchdown.

Although it was a special teams battle, both teams had their main players on the field at this time.

Elliot raised his head and glanced at the opposite side. The players at the front lines of the two teams had opened up a ten-yard space between them with the midfield line as the boundary. It was like two armies facing off, ready to fight at any moment. The faces hidden behind their helmets burst out with such powerful momentum that they collided fiercely, so that the air in the center field almost froze.

Then, the cheers from the audience faded away.

“Fly!” “Fly.”

"fly……"

In the end, everything disappeared, and only my heart was pounding against my eardrums.

Start, kick, kick the ball.

The football did not fly, but rolled.

The reason is very simple.

If it is a high lob, it is difficult to control the parabola in a short twenty-yard space, and the ball will often hit the densely populated area of ​​the opposing players. The side that chooses to gamble has almost no chance of winning.

But the rolling ball is different. As long as the speed and line are controlled properly, the players on the gambling kicking side can chase the ball, which can shorten the running distance; at the same time, it also destroys the possibility of the opposing players to successfully catch the ball.

Bones.

Football, kicked out.

Elliot had also started, and followed without hesitation. No matter what happened, he wanted to do his best.

Ah, ah ah ah.

Roaring and roaring, just like the hand-to-hand combat of 300 Spartan warriors, the boiling blood and brain matter quickly left wounds on the skin surface.

Elliot watched the football roll quickly, like a grasshopper jumping in the grass:
Light. Slow. Turn.

All the perfect elements for a gambling kick are in place.

Elliot was delighted, opportunity.

Over there, Levi has also started.

Before the kick, both teams also have positions. Generally speaking, there are eight players on the front line, divided into three groups, covering different positions and areas of the ten-yard line; the other three players are in the backfield to prevent the opponent from sneaking in and kicking off from a long line.

So, when Elliot saw Levi standing on the left side of the Kansas City Chiefs, he deliberately kicked the football toward the left side of the Philadelphia Eagles and the right side of the Kansas City Chiefs, using him, Levi and the sideline at the other end of the field as a triangular frame, and kicked it toward the other sideline.

Ahola happened to be standing on that side.

In other words, the vertical route from Ahola to the point where the football lands is shorter than the distance from Levi to the point where the football lands, thus buying time.

Moreover, Levi noticed that in this gamble kick, Elliot deliberately reduced his force, that is, slowed down, causing the football to fail to roll out.

Oops!

Levi sounded the alarm and watched helplessly as the football ran out of steam as it crossed the midfield line, seemingly ready to stop at any moment, a 0.1% chance.

Tap, tap, tap!

Sprinting at full speed and lowering the center of gravity, Levi's vertical speed has reached its limit. He releases it all without reservation, whistling past like a hurricane.

Then, the two sides collided first.

Instead of rushing to the right to pick up the ball, which could have disrupted their formation, the Kansas City Chiefs' players on the right side rushed toward the oncoming Philadelphia Eagles players and tried to intercept.

boom!
A crash!
In the chaos, Ahola rushed out and headed the ball towards the football.

Nearly.

closer.

Then, it touched.

Ahola could already feel the leather texture of the football with his fingers, but before he could close his fingers, a fierce impact force hit him like a flood.

腰！
My waist was almost broken.

Levi rushed towards Ahola in a diving posture and knocked Ahola away with his helmet. Then he could see the reddish-brown elf jumping playfully on the green grass. At the moment of landing, he scooped and swept the reddish-brown football with his left hand, and took it into his arms by conditioned reflex and subconscious action.

boom!
The roar of the collision and confrontation bounced back like water splashes and swallowed him up.

Levi had no time to react. He just curled up and held the football tightly in his arms, like a newborn baby curled up into a ball and refusing to let go.

The world is roaring.

(End of this chapter)