Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 571 Sharpening the Knife
"Pah, fly!"

"Pah, fly!"

Deafening shouts, overwhelming heat waves, the world is burning.

Seeing it on TV or in news reports is shocking enough; but only when you are actually in it, can you feel the charm of competitive sports and feel your heart surge with excitement involuntarily and uncontrollably.

Mahomes' breathing was a little disordered. A mixture of excitement, anticipation, anxiety, busyness, joy, and nervousness were spinning 360 degrees in his mind. The whole world was shaking. His heart was about to burst out of his throat. He could hear the roar of his pulse above his eardrums.

The stadium is still the same stadium; the game seems to be no different from last season; but the experience of being the official starter and shouldering the important task of being the team's quarterback is completely different. Everything is different.

Speed ​​it up tenfold; magnify it tenfold.

"Sherlock..."

"Sherlock!"

Catching a call, Mahomes whipped his head around to look.

It's Levi.

There were no words, just a look. The smile hidden in the helmet was fully blossoming, confident and calm, with high morale burning fiercely.

Face the challenges and enjoy them.

Mahomes couldn't help but smile. He raised his right hand and high-fived Levi. All the noise and roar in his body turned into burning, burning in his blood vessels, and the sound burst out.

Roar!
Let’s just get them to play some rugby.

Own 25-yard line, first down and 10 yards.

Adjusting his breathing and bending his knees, Mahomes has entered the quarterback state. Where is the green and nervous rookie image just now?

Sure enough, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger.

The Pittsburgh Steelers on the opposite side were also ready. Mahomes saw T.J. Watt, who was ready to fight. The friend who trained with him during the offseason was now standing on the opposite side, ready to capture the quarterback.

Their eyes briefly crossed, and the two exchanged smiles in tacit understanding.

We are friends off the court, and we must give our all on the court.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive front line has not changed significantly after the offseason adjustments. In the "3-4" configuration, seven players continue the content of last season; the only change is that the two outside linebackers TJ Watt and Bud Dupree have swapped positions.

Last season, TJ was on the right and Dupree was on the left; now the situation is reversed, TJ is on the left and Dupree is on the right.

Where is the difference?
Sack opportunities.

The right side of the defense is on the quarterback's left side, which is the blind side.

In general, the blind-side offensive guard of the offensive team has only one responsibility in the tactical list, which is to protect the blind side of the quarterback. This makes them more focused and concentrated. The confrontation on this side tends to focus more on strength, while breakthrough skills such as speed, agility, and instantaneous burst can play a relatively small role.

Last season, TJ faced a blind-side offensive guard, and his breakthrough advantage was not fully utilized, so he "only" contributed seven sacks.

This season, TJ was moved to his left side, facing the quarterback's right side. Although the linebacker's tactical intentions are easily exposed, his talents and abilities can be fully utilized.

The changes are very, very subtle, but they can reveal some partial adjustments in the Pittsburgh Steelers' tactical strategy.

Mahomes noticed TJ's change in position immediately and subconsciously looked at Levi. Levi also looked over, and the two confirmed each other's guesses, which made Mahomes slightly excited.

The results of day-to-day tactical training during the offseason are now visible.

Similarly, the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive group seemed to have not changed much. Although the quarterback position was replaced by Mahomes from Smith, they still used the familiar pistol formation. Levi stood parallel to the right side of Mahomes and switched freely between passing and running.

However, this is just an appearance.

Compared with the minor changes of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs who changed their main quarterback are more unpredictable and their offensive tactics are completely new.

Invisibly, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive front line is clearly pressed forward.

So, raid?

At this point, Mahomes called the snap.

"attack!"

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

The solid sound of fists hitting flesh rang out again, and the familiar sound finally kicked off the 2018 season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defensive front line, led by defensive end Hayward, was in a stalemate; at the same time, the linebackers TJ and Dupree on the left and right sides were like two sharp knives that bypassed the outside and stabbed directly into the soft ribs of the pocket, moving briskly and fiercely, and immediately erupted in a fierce defensive offensive. Raid!

However, just as TJ crossed the line of scrimmage, he saw a smiling face in front of him.

Levi.

Bend at the waist, bend your knees, and lower your center of gravity.

He had been waiting there, seizing the opportunity when TJ stepped forward, waiting there with ease and taking the initiative without giving TJ a chance to catch his breath.

Pushing the ground, jumping, and hunting rabbits like an eagle.

A pounce.

Levi grabbed TJ's waist and attacked him forcefully.

As TJ leaned back, a reddish-brown ball could be seen arcing over his head and falling rapidly. It was a little irregular, but a pair of big hands easily grabbed the football in mid-air and took control.

Kelsey.

TJ: Damn, it was a quick pass.

This also means that the Pittsburgh Steelers' tactical intention of raiding was discovered in advance, and Mahomes made a quick short pass to Kelce to break the tactic.

Levi, together with blind-side offensive forward Cameron Erving, formed gates on the left and right sides to buy precious time.

During the offseason, Levi is also sharpening his skills.

A running back secretly practices tackling techniques. What the hell is this?

TJ didn't have time to pay attention to Levi. He quickly got rid of Levi's weak grip, rolled over, and rushed towards Kelsey using his hands and feet.

really!

The tight end and cornerback matchup has a clear advantage.

Cornerback Artie-Burns couldn't withstand Kelce's powerful impact at all. He stuck to Kelce like a piece of paper, but was defeated by Kelce's continuous force.

TJ stumbled forward and noticed Levi in ​​the corner of his eye who was chasing him relentlessly - the prey and the hunter switched positions, the offense was chasing the defense, and TJ had no time to prepare for a tackle, so he simply kicked the ground and pounced out.

A bump.

He died together with Kelsey and Burns, and the three of them rolled into a ball and fell out of the boundary.

Finally, Kelsey was stopped from advancing further.

however--

First attack achieved.

The Pittsburgh Steelers arrived in Kansas City with great ambition and determination; but obviously, the Kansas City Chiefs were not to be outdone and showed great style.

TJ turned over and saw Levi in ​​front of him, and stretched out his right hand to him.

Snapped.

TJ held Levi's right hand and stood up. The two men exchanged glances, and their burning fighting spirits collided head-on, and they pushed against each other without giving an inch.

Levi knew TJ would not show mercy.

Likewise, TJ knew that Levi wouldn't let him win.

Letting go and turning around, the two men walked towards their teammates and continued to line up.

The first round of collision was short but rich, and the smoke of gunpowder had already begun to fill the air. The Kansas City Chiefs used quick short passes to break through the Pittsburgh Steelers' five-man pass rush, and the game between offense and defense suddenly became tense.

Without a break, Mahomes called the kickoff again.

Ten yards in one gear.

Mahomes didn't fake a move, he just turned around and passed the football to Levi.

This time, break through from the ground.

(End of this chapter)