Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 337: Take the Lead
Ronnie Clark, who was the backup for Levi and Jacobs last season and the third running back for the Red Tide, is no longer on the roster.

Injury.

Clark was also hit by injuries and the season ended early. In order to clear a spot on the team's roster, he left the Crimson Tide and joined the sparring group.

In fact, Clark has basically left the team and is preparing for graduation and future employment. The reason why he still stays in the Crimson Tide sparring group is simply because he is reluctant to leave. This is a farewell, a long farewell. He hopes that he can at least accompany the team to play the last game of the year.

To be precise, due to injuries, what Clark could do in the sparring group was very limited. Burns also saw that Clark wanted to finish his last academic year in college with the Crimson Tide as much as possible, so he asked Clark to help organize training logs, develop training plans, and play a role.

It is precisely because of this that Clark still has a say in the running back group and is not just a simple sparring partner.

When Clark noticed the look in Jacobs' eyes, he gave his answer without a second's hesitation.

"Rookie."

On the side, the young people who just joined the University of Alabama this season began to make a noise, "Roar, roar, rookie, Ronnie called Levi a rookie."

Clark and Jacobs exchanged a look. No matter how well Levi performed in the professional arena, he would always be the rookie who fought with them to the end.

Then, a hesitant voice came from the side, and the young face with acne on the forehead was a little confused and hesitant, and spoke cautiously.

"But... I know what you mean, but it still depends on the coach's tactics, right? Otherwise, no matter how strong the running back is, he still won't be able to perform well."

This sentence actually made Jacobs smile.

Indeed, football is a team sport, and the role played by running backs is very limited. They often need to cooperate with the team according to the coach's tactics. Even a strong player like Derrick Henry cannot carry the entire team forward, and even because of the head coach's tactical arrangements, he has all his abilities but cannot display them.

But Levi is different, always different.

As long as Levi stands on the court, they can unite firmly and fight to the end.

Jacobs could understand what Clark meant. They had faith in Levi, an almost blind trust and dependence, and perhaps the Kansas Chief was the same.

"I believe in rookies, too." Jacobs spoke, and all the hesitation and indecision seemed to disappear in an instant.

"Ah, no way? I think Henry will explode."

"That's right. Henry has been waiting for an opportunity like this. He won't miss it."

"I think Henry could make the difference."

The chattering and heated discussions simply couldn't stop -

Two days later, the Alabama Crimson Tide will step onto the final stage of the National Championship Game, striving to complete the feat of winning three consecutive championships, but now the team is gathered together in a bustling crowd, paying close attention to the second wild card game of the 2017 NFL playoffs, witnessing the Crimson Tide's internal confrontation.

Perhaps, some people will be curious: Why?
Henry has joined the Tennessee Titans for two full seasons, but head coach Mulakay has never given him more opportunities to show his skills. Following his rookie season, Henry still played the role of a fireman in his sophomore season.

He carried the ball 176 times for 744 yards and five rushing touchdowns.

Such data is no different from that of rookie backup running backs such as Hunter and McCaffrey. Henry's existence was not noticed at all when the statistics were compiled at the end of the regular season.

Moreover, the Tennessee Titans handed over the offensive responsibility to quarterback Mariota this season, and the proportion of ground offense has dropped significantly. Not only Henry, but Murray's number of possessions has also decreased. Mulakai's tactical strategy is still catering to the preferences of the team's top management: make full use of the quarterback.

To be honest, the "Levi VS Henry" showdown may not even happen. After all, the two players are in completely different situations in the team.

Here is a key point:
In the penultimate week of the regular season, Tennessee Titans' main running back Murray suffered a knee injury and will miss at least two weeks of the game. Mulakai had to promote Henry to the starting position.

In the final week of the regular season, in the win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Mulakai still focused on passing offense, and Henry had limited possession of the ball.

But Henry still seized the opportunity in an unexpected way. For the only time in the game as a pass target, he successfully caught the ball and continued to advance to complete a 60-yard touchdown, making great contributions to the Tennessee Titans' victory over their rivals in the same district. This catch reminded people of Levi's buzzer-beater catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Previously, Henry's running style was monotonous due to factors such as his size, speed, agility, etc., and he was not suitable for catching the ball, which became a fatal shortcoming. But now, Henry has proved his transformation with a stunning 60-yard catch and touchdown, and is ready for the playoffs.

The opportunity has come——

Henry, who has waited and prepared again and again, will never miss the opportunity easily. The playoffs against Levi is probably the best stage.

Precisely because of this, everyone in the Crimson Tide is paying special attention to the game. Some are optimistic about Henry's big breakout, while others believe that Levi can continue his excellent form this season. This duel between fellow players from the University of Alabama has sparked considerable discussion in both the NFL and the NCAA.

The game entered a state of intense collision with sparks flying from the first second.

Levi, it's still Levi after all——

The playoffs are the playoffs after all, and the entire game atmosphere and psychological state have undergone subtle changes. After the opening, both teams were a little nervous, with some small mistakes in coordination and misalignment, and they exchanged a strikeout; but then, the Kansas City Chiefs' running backs stepped up.

Levi took the lead and proved with practical actions that his team is ranked first in the league's ground offense this season.

"Levi!"

"One time to break the grapple, two times to break the grapple, three times! Three times to break the grapple!"

"three times!"

"Levi's continuous changes of direction and sudden stops and turns completely fooled Tennessee's ground defense. His light and agile footsteps were like entering an empty space. Tennessee could not defend Levi and was defeated step by step. The balance of the entire offense and defense was broken. Levi once again used his talent and ability to change the game."

"Levi's footsteps have not stopped. He is still moving forward and making breakthroughs."

"God!"

"Five yards! Ten yards! Fifteen yards!"

"speed!"

"It's unbelievable, Levi is still speeding up, unbelievable!"

"Absolute speed to force an overtake, shake off the fourth tackle, twenty yards!"

"Red Zone!"

"Wow, three-man encirclement. Tennessee finally intercepted Levi with a three-man encirclement at the last moment, but Levi completed a 24-yard advance and led the Kansas Chiefs into the red zone."

Arrowhead Stadium was in a frenzy.

Then, forty-five seconds later, in front of the TV screen, Jacobs and Clark were the first to raise their arms high and stand up suddenly. The red storm before their eyes twisted into a rope and burst out with amazing energy.

“Touchdown!”

"Rookie! Touchdown! One-yard touchdown run!"

"One hundred percent touchdown, perfect touchdown!"

"Ahhh, rookie, ahhhh!"

(End of this chapter)