Dominate the Super Bowl

Chapter 827: 826 portals wide open Chapter 827: 826 portals wide open Belichick had always been wary of Mahomes’ extraordinary physical talents, knowing they could play a pivotal role—and indeed, they did. But what no one expected was that it wasn’t a run, but a block. Mahomes assisted the ground offense, paving the way for Li Wei and completing a critical block.

Hightower let out a muffled grunt, watching helplessly as Li Wei’s figure flashed past his fingertips, leaving behind only a streak of red.

“Shit!”

Roberts reacted half a beat slower than Hightower. As he took a step forward, he suddenly realized that Li Wei was charging toward him like a fireball. The speed, power, and momentum far exceeded his imagination. Before he could even blink, that streak of red was growing exponentially in his vision.

Roberts took a deep breath, holding it in, bracing himself for the collision.

However, the collision never came.

A gust of wind rushed past, whipping against his face. The red figure disappeared from view, leaving behind only a fragmented pocket. Roberts stood frozen in place, all his muscles coiled to the max, like a wooden post.

“A cut!”

“Beautiful! Li Wei just pulled off a gorgeous cut, leaving Roberts rooted to the spot, regaining precious yardage.”

“Wide open!”

“Unbelievable! The New England Patriots’ defense group has completely left the middle lane exposed. Li Wei is breaking through!”

“Five yards!”

“Ten yards!”

“First down in the bag!”

“Fifteen yards!”

“Chung saved the New England Patriots! He and Safety McCourty timely locked onto their positions. Li Wei, showing restraint, didn’t recklessly push forward—he chose to carry the ball down himself, halting this ground advance at the sixteen-yard line.”

“Wow!”

“Just now, we were discussing the potential troubles the Kansas City Chiefs might face and the opportunities the New England Patriots could exploit in the next two plays.”

“With just one turn, Li Wei solved the problem for his team, effortlessly, as if strolling through a courtyard. Like a magician, with a mere snap of his fingers, he escaped the red zone…”
Li Wei didn’t celebrate excessively. He didn’t even spare a glance at Chung and McCourty. Instead, he turned and signaled to the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive group to quickly set up again—
He wasn’t satisfied yet.

In truth, his body still felt uncoordinated. Although the cramping had subsided, the constant lactic acid buildup left his muscles unable to relax completely, making his balance unstable while running.

Precisely because of this, Li Wei didn’t force his way forward. After securing the first down and spotting the encirclement, he decisively chose to go down on his own.

Then, he quickly turned to organize the next offensive play.

At this moment, he understood that more important than individual heroics was the overall offensive tempo of the team. They needed to control the rhythm of the game strategically, breaking through before the New England Patriots could stabilize their footing.

The opportunity was theirs—

Two events, one after the other, happened so quickly that they overturned the momentum. Even someone as experienced as Belichick couldn’t react in time. The Kansas City Chiefs needed to seize this opportunity to quickly dominate the tempo of the game.

Li Wei noticed this, which is why he didn’t celebrate. He immediately prepared the formation and exchanged a glance with Mahomes, giving him a subtle reminder. Mahomes nodded in understanding, quickly grasping the shift in momentum.

Then, Mahomes moved swiftly—
First down, ten yards.

The New England Patriots wasted no time, once again opting for a five-man rush. With Li Wei blocking, Mahomes bought himself valuable observation time. As he took a series of steps back, Mahomes opted for a short three-yard pass.

The target? None other than… Kelsey.

Kelsey lined up on the team’s left wing. He ran vertically, made a sharp ninety-degree turn, and cut across the gap between the linemen and the defensive line with a horizontal route. He completed the catch in the right slot and turned for yardage.

The New England Patriots’ defensive group… left him unguarded.

After making the catch, Kelsey advanced with ease, securing the first down before being tackled by three defenders, as effortlessly as taking something out of a bag.

Again, first down, ten yards.

The New England Patriots increased pressure this time, opting for a six-man blitz. They had eyes on their chance—Li Wei joined the route as a receiver, leaving Mahomes without a block. The pocket was wide open.

Yet, just at the critical moment, Mahomes quickly released a short pass before Hightower’s tackle brought him down hard to the ground. Despite landing awkwardly, the football arced through the air.

Seven-yard short pass, but Mahomes, in buying time, sent the pass high up—a moon ball of sorts—giving the defense a chance to intercept.

Unexpectedly, there wasn’t a single defensive player in the pass’s trajectory. Kelsey, once again under no defensive pressure, completed the catch with ease and turned to secure the first down, continuing the simple and efficient offensive strategy.

The situation grew… delicate.

“The New England Patriots’ defensive group has made repeated judgment errors.”

Romo’s sharp eyes spotted the key issue amidst the chaos and pointed it out immediately.

“In the previous play, the New England Patriots anticipated a long pass from Mahomes. Li Wei’s block and Mahomes’ pocket footwork misled them, coupled with Hill’s deep route as a decoy. Kelsey, on the short route, went completely unguarded and easily made the catch.”

“In this play, the New England Patriots attempted to blitz and disrupt Mahomes’ rhythm. While Mahomes indeed felt the pressure, he also identified a weakness in the opponent’s man-to-man defense. Li Wei and Kelsey executed a wall screen and a cross-switch, leaving Kelsey, once again, wide open to complete the catch.”

“Now, the New England Patriots’ defensive group is making serious judgment errors. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs are maintaining excellent focus, consistently leveraging their tactical layouts to create advantages and play the game at their own pace.”

“The key factor is that the Kansas City Chiefs are refusing to give their opponents any breathing room, consistently maintaining a high offensive rhythm and compressing decision-making time. They’re driving the game forward in a simple, efficient manner, pulling the opposition into their own tempo.”

“This has been the Kansas City Chiefs’ greatest strength throughout the regular season.”

Timeout!

Belichick called for a timeout.

In the NFL playoffs’ overtime rules, any leftover timeouts from regular time are voided. Instead, both teams are granted three new timeout opportunities.

However, managing timeouts during overtime operates under a distinct strategy compared to regular time.

Belichick sensed the looming crisis and didn’t hesitate to call for a timeout to disrupt the rhythm and pull the New England Patriots back from the brink—
They couldn’t allow the Kansas City Chiefs to settle into their familiar and comfortable pace.

From a tactical perspective, Belichick didn’t believe there was anything fundamentally wrong in his planning. The issues stemmed more from mindset, atmosphere, and stamina, factors that affected execution. A tiny lapse in reaction during a highly dynamic game led to the current predicament.

What Belichick needed to do was to stabilize the mindset of the defensive group.

That would be enough.

After the timeout, the New England Patriots once again demonstrated why they were a championship-caliber team. They quickly regained their composure, shed any distractions, and fought with their backs against the wall. The intensity and pace of their play increased on all fronts as the defensive group finally displayed their brilliance.