Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 802 Gritting Teeth
"... Edelman, Edelman again!"

"Connect! Catch the ball!"

"Pretty!"

"Edelman once again demonstrated his top-notch ability to carve out space to receive the ball in a small area. It's hard to believe that cornerback Fowler's movements looked so clumsy in front of him."

"It was a three-yard short pass, and Edelman caught the ball in the dense defense with his personal ability, but Edelman was obviously not ready to end the advance."

"Edelman is dodging and breaking through, like a pangolin."

"Oh! Houston! Justin Houston completed the tackle in time and ended Edelman's breakthrough cleanly."

"Despite this, the New England Patriots still completed a third-and-6 conversion and continued their offense. Brady now played with murderous intent."

Huchi, wheeze.

Houston was panting and gasping for air. His entire lungs were burning. The freezing cold air was like an embroidery needle stuck in his alveoli. Waves of pain spread through his chest. His knees trembled slightly and he almost couldn't stand.

The physical consumption was more intense than usual. The second half had just started, but he felt as if he had already entered overtime. Moreover, this was when the team had a bye in the first round of the wild-card tournament this year. This made Houston feel the protest of his body like never before.

The situation remains stalemate.

Edelman, damn Edelman.

Edelman is short, only 5.9 feet (178 cm), and is like a dwarf breaking into a land of giants among a group of defensive players. However, Edelman is very good at using his body shape, relying on flexible footwork and keen sense of smell to tear open gaps in dense defense.

Whether it's one-on-one defense or zone defense, Edelman can always find loopholes.

Especially in the zone defense, if you are not careful, Edelman will find a gap in the net, and Brady will take advantage of it to complete the connection.

If they choose to play one-on-one defense, the Kansas City Chiefs' secondary defense lacks a player who can completely stick to Edelman, and Fowler is the player closest to Edelman's speed and agility.

Therefore, the Kansas City Chiefs' pass defense is indeed facing a severe test now.

But, to be honest, if Edelman was the only receiver, the Kansas City Chiefs' defense wouldn't be in such a mess. The key is still teamwork.

First, rookie running back Sony-Michel, the 31st pick in the first round this year.

Second, tight end Gronkowski is a heavy weapon.

In terms of statistics, like Michel, Gronkowski and Edelman, their statistics this year are average and they don't have a thousand-yard season; but the fundamental reason why the New England Patriots' offense can still rank fourth in the league is their cooperation. Brady can always find the right time to hand the football to the right target.

A running back, a tight end, and a wide receiver, the same top-level configuration as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive team, but with a slightly different style. The New England Patriots can still find opportunities to continue advancing in difficult situations.

It's the same thing in front of me.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense performed well, forcing the New England Patriots into third-down situations four times, three of which were long yards.

However, in the difficult situation, the New England Patriots' offense also improved its condition. At the critical moment, it always faced the challenge and handed in a perfect answer, completing three consecutive conversions and continuing this wave of offense without giving in.

And, in the blink of an eye, the footsteps have crossed half court and are approaching the red zone.

This is Belichick and Brady's response to the Kansas City Chiefs' recent attack.

Houston stared at Brady. Even though his knees were about to fail, the unyielding will in his eyes was still burning:

Let them compete.

“Pressure!”

"Raid!"

"The Kansas City Chiefs defensive front applied tremendous pressure without warning."

"Chris Jones! Justin Houston!"

"Brady felt the pressure, and he threw the ball, and the goal was --

Gronkowski!"

"Brady tried to connect with his tight end, but this time the pass didn't go in the right direction, and the pass was incomplete, but he still felt pressure."

… “Fake fax and run!”

"The football is in the hands of running back Michel, wow!"

"Houston came out of nowhere and pushed Michel to the ground like a wild animal, ending the ground attack cleanly and neatly."

"Third gear, seventh yard."

"The New England Patriots are once again in danger on third down and long down."

"But how will Belichick and Brady handle this time?"

The atmosphere in the entire Arrowhead Stadium continued to rise, and the whole audience shouted in unison, "Defense!" The deafening shouts broke through the rain curtain and circled over the stadium, burning completely in the biting cold.

Houston is poised to go.

His knees were still trembling slightly, and his body was leaning forward and swaying a little, making him a little unstable; but the muscles from his calves to thighs were completely tense, and he was concentrating on controlling himself, ready to rush out at any time.

"attack!"

Amid the sound of rain, Houston seized the opportunity, started instantly, and moved forward in full force.

Without hesitation, take the initiative to attack——

They must exert pressure, even at the cost of weakening the defense in the short pass area, and they must make Brady feel enough impact.

This is the fundamental.

He pushed off the ground, exerted force, and straightened his knees. He could no longer feel the protest from his body. The only thing in his mind was the figure standing in his pocket.

number twelve.

boom! boom! boom!
The solid collision of bodies and the powerful confrontation of strengths stirred up layers of air waves, and the water vapor in the air began to boil.

However, Houston remained unmoved.

He went straight around the entanglement area of ​​the front line and prepared to cut into the pocket, but at this moment, he caught the handover screen between Brady and Michel.

Running the ball?

Is Belichick going to run the ball unexpectedly to complete a third-down long yardage?
No, Houston doesn't think so.

On the surface, the New England Patriots chose a surprise ground attack to break the rhythm; but Houston's intuition immediately sounded the alarm.

Pause, brake, turn around, and retreat.

The sudden stop and turn was done in one go, and Houston looked diagonally behind him -

Edelman and Gronkowski were already in position on different routes.

Sure enough, Belichick seized on the Kansas City Chiefs' tactic of rushing the pass to put pressure on the defense again, using fake runs and real passes as a screen, but the real purpose was still to pass the ball.

But the key is, Edelman? Or Gronkowski?
Based on experience, the answer is Gronkowski. Even if he is double-teamed by three people, Gronkowski can easily grab the football and complete the advancement. He has always been Brady's most reliable partner in the third-down transition.

For a brief moment, Houston also subconsciously looked at Gronkowski.

However, instinct pulled Houston toward Edelman.

Tap, tap.

His footsteps, stepping on the water splash, rushed towards Edelman with all his attention.

In the chaos and density, Edelman accurately tore open a gap, paused, turned around, and Brady's three-yard short pass was already in place and fell steadily into Edelman's arms.

Edelman didn't even prepare to turn around. He turned his back to the end zone and kept pushing off the ground, ready to keep moving forward.

But this time, before he could even take a step, a wolf-like and tiger-like figure pounced on him, grabbed his waist, and with the combined momentum and physical strength, knocked Edelman to the ground.

(End of this chapter)