Chapter 405 - 404 interlocking rings
The situation was tense and stalemated.
Bystanders could empathize, but participants were wholly immersed in it, every inch of skin and every cell feeling the burning tension and sharpness.
Li Wei took a deep breath, his gaze intently fixed on the field, his brain working at high speed. Despite anticipating difficulties in pre-game preparations, facing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive group still repeatedly shattered expectations, with pressure and impact beyond imagination.
A defense only slightly reminiscent of the Pittsburgh Steelers, yet even more formidable. @@novelbin@@
The most distinctive feature of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ defensive group was the lack of a core player. Neither lineman Bosrusni nor Defensive Tackle Jackson was a leader of that sort. Instead, they worked in concert, supporting each other like a series of interlocked rings.
Akin to nine interlocked rings.
Moreover,
Head Coach Marrone paid no attention to offense, concentrating all his efforts on on-the-spot defensive commands, relying solely on defense to break open the game.
Whether it was rushing pressure or coordinated zone defense, the response was swift and alert, firmly gripping the lifeline of Kansas Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Nagy, staying half a step ahead from pre-game preparations and maintaining that advantage with split-second reactions, thus establishing complete dominance.
Full suppression—
That meant, for Li Wei and anyone else carrying the ball, progress was often met with a defense where one link locked into the next, creating very few one-on-one opportunities, their lifelines choked by the tactics of the opposition.
It’s been said before that the only unreversible advantage in a football game is the number of players— even "Beast Mode" Lynch or Gronkowski would struggle in the mire against triple coverage.
Without a doubt, this was a brand-new challenge in Li Wei’s short football career.
In the past, Li Wei could identify a single player to breakthrough, but today it was different. The defensive line and linemen were evenly matched, with no apparent weaknesses. Combined with mutual support among players, breaking through with individual strength was difficult.
So, what did this mean?
A challenge!
Even after a full season in the League, challenges kept emerging. Honestly, Li Wei was somewhat excited.
At the moment, he watched the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offense with undivided attention.
Fournette also faced the same formidable coordinated defense from the Kansas City Chiefs’ frontline, repeatedly hitting a wall.
The running back, who bulldozed his way through NCAA games, attempted to replicate his dominant college performance, but this approach was evidently ineffective—
Houston completed another clean tackle, intercepting Fournette’s run and pushing the Jacksonville Jaguars into a challenging third and eight.
Quarterback Bortles had no choice but to pass, but faced with the less-impressive second-line defense of the Chiefs, Bortles’ pass still wobbled uncertainly and ultimately ended in an incomplete pass, striking out.
Strike out, after strike out, after strike out.
The score remained "0:0". A game like this was truly torturous.
Fournette stood on the spot, seething with anger, a flame burning in his chest, both frustrated and irritated. He turned and glared resentfully at Li Wei, who was waiting on the sidelines with his helmet on, prepared to take the field. He wanted to roar but couldn’t find his voice.
He knew that the opportunity lay in the hands of the running back. Whoever could break through on the ground would seize the advantage, the eastern wind overpowering the western wind. Yet, time after time, he hit a wall—he was angry at himself and annoyed at Li Wei, emotions crashing together.
Frustrating!
However, Li Wei didn’t care about him at all. He was chatting and laughing with Kelsey and Smith as if they were on a picnic.
Fournette, holding back his frustration, turned and left the field grudgingly.
As he did, he saw the defensive group getting ready to take the field, especially Ramsey, who was jumping on the spot, rubbing his hands together eagerly. This sight slightly soothed the fire in Fournette’s chest:
Though he hadn’t seized his chance, Li Wei should not expect to have it easy either.
No worries, no worries, he’ll be able to break open the situation next time.
"Oh, oh oh oh!"
A cry of surprise came from the Perpetual Bank Center, and Fournette turned his head to see—
The Jacksonville Jaguars Special Teams had done it, just completing a beautiful punt, with the football landing near the thirty-yard line on the Kansas City Chiefs’ half of the field.
However, due to the irregular flight of the football, the return man couldn’t catch it smoothly and had to let the football hit the ground and roll out before controlling it—
According to the rules, if the Kansas City Chiefs touched the football but didn’t control it, possession would be reopened, allowing the Jacksonville Jaguars to contest for it, completing a change in possession, and possibly even scoring a touchdown; but if the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t touch the ball, the Jacksonville Jaguars could touch it but not take over possession.
So, when dealing with some irregular balls, the return man might simply step aside and give up on touching the ball to avoid a change in possession.
Unexpectedly, the Jacksonville Jaguars Special Teams quickly followed up, a series of blocks and interceptions that kept the Kansas City Chiefs’ Special Duty Group on the outside, letting the football roll all the way. Enjoy new chapters from NovelBin.Côm
In the end, the Jacksonville Jaguars Special Teams intercepted the football at the three-yard line just in front of the end zone, controlling it before it rolled into the end zone, never allowing the Kansas City Chiefs Special Duty Group to touch the ball.
The home fans raised their arms and cheered as one, whistles and applause merging together.
Even though the score remained the same, the Jacksonville Jaguars were indeed firmly in control, not just the defensive group, but the special teams as well, performing exceptionally well amidst the waves of support from the home crowd.
This meant that the Kansas City Chiefs avoided a change in possession dilemma, but their offense would now have to start their play from the precarious position just three yards in front of the end zone.
Jacksonville Jaguars’ opportunity!
It was a tricky spot, one lapse in attention, and the balance might be broken, don’t forget the Jacksonville Jaguars’ title this season:
"Sackville".
Once the Jacksonville Jaguars successfully sack Smith in the end zone, that’s a safety, two points, and the defensive group can break the deadlock too.
Involuntarily, Fournette clenched his fist in celebration, catching a glimpse from the corner of his eye of the nonchalant Ramsey starting to shuffle his feet in place, itching to try, with powerful confidence radiating from within.
Not just Ramsey, but other defensive linemen and linebackers too, one after another, their eyes lit up, aware that this could be the turning point of the game.
Heh heh, the Kansas City Chiefs were in trouble.
The Old Oak Tavern was well aware of that too.
When Provos walked through the door, he saw just that scene—
"Jinx."
That was the only thought in Provos’s mind, and he felt he ought to leave; he was the ominous person who had caused the team to fall into such a predicament.
But West was a step ahead, quietly placing a beer on the countertop without saying much, and then turning back toward the television screen again.
Provos looked at the tavern filled to the brim with red jerseys, with not even a spot to stand on, seemingly having no place for him.
The next second, they all started shouting.
"Fly high!"
"Fly high!"
Involuntarily, Provos also felt his heart surge and his blood start to boil, and then, on the television screen, the Kansas City Chiefs Offense took the field.
Provos stood there dazed, ultimately unable to bring himself to leave, quietly chanting along in his heart with all the fans in the venue.
"Fly high!"
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