Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 477: 476 Too much is as bad as not enough Chapter 477: 476 Too much is as bad as not enough Everything went as expected—

The Philadelphia Eagles remained focused and engaged because Pederson knew they couldn’t afford to be arrogant or distracted.

The moment they lost focus, they risked letting the game slip away in the second half.

If they wanted to extend their lead and claim the championship, their minds needed to stay concentrated.@@novelbin@@

Carelessness and relaxation were strictly taboo.

This was undoubtedly correct,

However, Pederson overlooked one thing: the danger of overdoing it.

Too relaxed, and attention could wander; but equally, too tense, and efforts might become excessive—The closer they got to the crucial line, the more anxiety could play a disruptive role, choking them until they couldn’t breathe.

Finding the right balance between focus and relaxation while maintaining composure was an art.

Clearly, both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs were Super Bowl novices, lacking experience; but now, it was the Chiefs who trailed in the score.

They needed to catch up, they needed to risk it all, they needed to make a bold move, which made it easier for them to adjust their mindset.

And so,

Smith noticed that as the second half began, the Eagles’ defensive group seemed exceptionally tense.

Perhaps it was because Pederson had reiterated during halftime that they couldn’t afford to relax, or maybe the defensive group was eager to make a statement from the get-go of the second half, proving they too could play a pivotal role.

Before his eyes, the defensive group was itching to move.

Clearly, Reed had anticipated all this.

Perhaps Reed, like Pederson, was new to the Super Bowl, but the seasoned coach still possessed his own insights.

Taking a deep breath.

“Attack!”

As Smith called the play, feeling the rough texture of the football in his hand, he promptly dropped back in quick succession, his gaze sweeping rapidly across the field.

Instantly, Smith felt the pressure—

Blitz.

The Eagles’ defensive group kicked off the second half with an aggressive edge, pressuring the offense with the ferocity of tigers descending the mountain.

A five-man rush.

No, a six-man rush.

Tense as they may be, desperate as they may seem, the Eagles today really displayed a do-or-die attitude.

Whether it was towards the Super Bowl Champions or Reed, the entire team showed a markedly different momentum, proving by their actions that “patricide” was not just an empty slogan.

At this moment, the six-man rush easily gained a numerical advantage and tore through the offensive line’s pocket protection.

Especially the sixth man—

Linebacker Bradham.

This linebacker, who had transferred from the Buffalo Bills to the Eagles during the off-season, had the best season of his career, setting personal records in tackles, sacks, pass deflections, and stopping running backs, and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the seventeenth-ranked linebacker for the season.

Some might say, Seventeenth?

That’s not top-tier.

But that’s the Eagles for you: no superstars, apparently unremarkable, yet each player’s individual ability and teamwork were considered among the best, very similar to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the American League finals.

Moreover, in the NFL, with over one hundred and fifty starting linebackers, ranking seventeenth was already a top-tier performance.

At this moment, Bradham was not trying to claim individual credit.

Instead, he deliberately slowed down half a beat, observing his teammates as they applied pressure from the front line.

Then, he made his move from the outside to the inside, using the delay to his advantage, swiftly cutting into the pocket through the resulting gap.

Like a tiger pouncing down the mountain.

Bradham’s focus was intense, his eyes firmly fixed on Smith—

Li Wei?

Bradham immediately spotted Li Wei stepping up to block, solidifying Bradham’s hunch that the Chiefs planned to attempt a medium or long pass.

If they continued to underestimate Smith, Reed was ready to use tactical plays to feed the defensive backfield a taste of their own medicine.

With a misleading step, Bradham bypassed Li Wei’s block.

Without so much as a glance at Li Wei, it was as if a hurricane had sliced through a gap, darting towards Smith in a flash of lightning.

The pressure, layered upon layer, came from the Philadelphia Eagles, directed at the Kansas City Chiefs, with Bradham leading the charge like a lone arrowhead piercing through.

There it was.

A gleam of pleasure flashed through Bradham’s eyes, as he thought he could see the panic in Smith’s.

A hint of cruelty shimmered in his gaze, savoring the bloody scent on his lips.

However, as he took his next step, he sensed danger.

Smith, unflustered.

Incredibly unflustered!

Smith continued to backpedal, maintaining his composure as if to say, “Please, come right in.” This gave Bradham a bad feeling, but with no time to think in the split second, he sped up instinctively, taking a large stride forward, trying to capture Smith before anyone else could.

However.

With a backward step, Smith slipped the football from his side along a diagonal, turning it deftly as if it were a basketball, easily circumventing Bradham.

Bradham: Damn it.

Shit.

Shitshitshitshitshit!

On reflex, Bradham spun around following the football, watching it land snugly in Li Wei’s arms.

Yet Li Wei did not turn or look back, continuing to advance with unceasing steps.

Leaving only the number twenty-three on his back.

A classic decoy move.

If Bradham didn’t understand by now, he’d be an idiot.

Bradham didn’t give up.

In the blink of an eye, he made an astonishing stop-and-turn, launching himself into a 180-degree turn and diving forward.

Clenching his teeth.

Surging like a leaping fish to the crest.

Bradham’s entire body soared, just freeing himself from gravity’s hold, only to crash back down like a manatee, heavily returning to earth.

His mouth filled with dust as he watched Li Wei stride past the kickoff line.

Clearly, the Philadelphia Eagles had been caught off guard.

In the first half, Li Wei had been a mere decoy, with a pitifully low number of times holding the ball—just four; but upon reflection, it became clear that the Chiefs’ strongest weapon had been merely treading water all through the first half, while the Eagles had already pulled out all their ace moves—

It was terrifying and bone-chilling!

As halftime ended, the Philadelphia Eagles were eager to seize the initiative and take control, but their haste led them right into the clever trap laid by Reed.

Old ginger is hotter than young.

Without facing any blocks near the kickoff line, Li Wei had enough room to start, releasing his acceleration, then entering his strongest mode.

It was as if he were strolling in an unoccupied domain, effortlessly shaking off the linemen’s encirclement, and even leisurely waltzing through the second-line defense until he was finally taken down by a double-team tackle.

However, Li Wei still casually gained eighteen yards with little effort.

As if it were a piece of cake.

After falling, Li Wei got up by himself, brushed the dust from his palms, stretched and loosened his muscles with a yawn, and cheerfully joined his offensive line teammates in formation.

His walk in the park demeanor, as if he’d just strolled through a backyard, contrasted sharply with the disarray of the toppled Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive group.

The U.S.

Bank Stadium was already in a frenzy.

“Edgerunner!”

“Edgerunner!”

The Philadelphia Eagles’ fans shivered: Why did they have a bad feeling?

And what’s worse, why did these bad premonitions always come true?