Capítulo 1454: Chapter 1453: Escalating Confrontation
In a football game, don’t be afraid to face challenges, as this is one of the core elements of a turn-based match, but how to confront difficulties is the key.
At this moment, Shanahan showcased his coaching genius, braking in time, staying lucid, continuously deploying troops, and controlling the situation immediately—
In less than a minute after losing ball possession due to an interception at the edge of the end zone, he turned the passive situation around, returning to the game before further sinking into the abyss.
Shanahan’s thorough research on the Kansas City Chiefs finally paid off, as they faced the toughest and most suffocating defensive opponent of the season.
Short passes. Ground game. Rhythm.
No exceptions.
It feels like being caught in a fisherman’s net, although freedom of movement and breathing are still retained, no matter how hard you struggle, it’s impossible to completely break free—
Relentless annoyance.
Whether Mahomes or Li Wei, neither faced direct pressure coming their way, giving Mahomes sufficient passing time and Li Wei ample space to start his move, but as soon as they crossed the line of scrimmage, they immediately faced an impenetrable zone defense, falling into passivity instantly.
Every confrontation seemed sticky and glued together.
The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive group played with exceptional patience, not hurrying for a fatal strike, proceeding steadily, not being greedy or rushed, and not advancing hastily, dragging the Kansas City Chiefs slowly into the mud step by step.
Thus…
The match rhythm continued to slow down, persisting in stagnation.
The first quarter flew by, with the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive group only advancing just past midfield, and the two sides had merely engaged in three sets of offense and defense, with the third still unfinished. This was entirely different from the last two Super Bowls, but the intensity of the contention had escalated by a whole level—
Professional and seasoned fans could see it, the two teams were locked in fierce battles that were hard to settle, with exciting clashes one after another.
Indeed, it lived up to expectations!
Entering the second quarter, the confrontation continued to be intense, with the San Francisco 49ers firmly resisting, and the Kansas City Chiefs steadily advancing.
However!
Despite the difficulties, entanglements, and stagnation, the Kansas City Chiefs’ attack in this wave also demonstrated their patience and depth, proving with actual actions:
They are not only good at lightning warfare, but their battlefield capabilities also possess strength. Any defensive group in the league would find it challenging to stop them.
Six minutes and forty-seven seconds into this wave of attack by Mahomes and Li Wei, the Kansas City Chiefs finally made a difficult advance into the red zone.
Then, the San Francisco 49ers similarly showcased their league-leading red zone defense, elevating the game rhythm, intensity, and momentum by a notch.
First down touchdown, Mahomes’ fake pass and run strategy failed, with the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive group highly focused, setting up a heavenly net near the line of scrimmage. Li Wei was ensnared within a wall of five overlapping players, unable to find a breakthrough space and crashing directly into it.
Bam!
Head-on collision into the wall!
Kelsey approached immediately, reaching out his right hand to lift Li Wei, “Buddy, sorry.”
When the defensive group builds a Great Wall using mass tactics, the offense clearing the way on the ground becomes even more crucial.
Just like the San Francisco 49ers rely on the tight end Kittel to open up lanes, Kelsey also needs to step up and accomplish this task.
Kelsey understood Li Wei well, knowing that just a tiny gap would be sufficient, yet he couldn’t hold his position, causing the opposing defensive group to shut down in time, leading to Li Wei’s collision.
Li Wei flashed a smile, patting Kelsey’s shoulder, “I’m just starting to sweat.”
This one sentence brought a broad smile to Kelsey’s face.
Li Wei turned and looked toward the sidelines, engaging in a brief conversation with Mahomes, who swiftly communicated through the helmet radio with Reed—
In the red zone, Li Wei’s threat factor decreased slightly, since he’s not like the bulldozer Henry, needing space to start and change direction. However, the San Francisco 49ers didn’t relax their vigilance. In fact, Shanahan focused particularly on guarding Li Wei.
Because Shanahan understood Li Wei’s position in the Kansas City Chiefs team, and Reed, to some extent, relied on Li Wei’s big heart in critical moments.
Sure enough, Shanahan successfully blocked one of the Kansas City Chiefs’ ground attacks.
Now, focus and pressure were entirely concentrated on Li Wei; anyone observant could feel the tension, and the air almost ignited.
The back-and-forth confrontation continued to heat up, from the previous set of offense and defense to this entanglement. On the surface, the match remained stagnant without significant progress, yet the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs’ showdown was continually escalating, with Reed and Shanahan frequently introducing new strategies, fully entering the game.
After all, this was already the second quarter.
Second down touchdown, the Kansas City Chiefs were currently in the red zone, only eight yards from the end zone, so the first down touchdown, and second down remained in place.
Without any warning, the San Francisco 49ers launched a blitz.
So far in the match, Shanahan had used the quarterback blitz tactic merely twice; this was the third because the San Francisco 49ers weren’t proficient in rushing and pressing, and also needed to consider Li Wei’s threat. “Blitz” needed to maintain surprise, appearing at unexpected moments.
For instance, right now.
The San Francisco 49ers’ blitz didn’t disrupt their formation, primarily leveraging the five-quarterback characteristic to unexpectedly step into the pocket and combine with four defensive linemen, creating a five-man rush. Within this cooperation, they aimed to sack the quarterback through positional switching.
In other words, the player sacking the quarterback might not necessarily be the five-quarterback, but could be the five-quarterback being replaced, then any player above the defensive line attempting the sack; of course, it could also be the five-quarterback.
This strategy ensured that when the San Francisco 49ers rotated, they could still attempt a blitz, ensuring Shanahan’s tactical flexibility.
The uncertainty hidden in the blitz provided the San Francisco 49ers a slight tactical advantage, compensating for individual players’ blitzing ability shortcomings.
At this moment, the cornerback Kewan, acting as the five-quarterback, strode forward without hesitation and wholeheartedly dashed out of the crowd, charging towards Mahomes.
When Reed believed the San Francisco 49ers were still focusing their defense on Li Wei, Shanahan was secretly brewing this quarterback blitz.
The change and steadiness, the game continued, with everything hinging upon Kewan’s shoulders.
However, amidst the shadows, Kewan could see countless figures passing by the corner of his eye—
Li Wei.
Li Wei didn’t remain in the pocket; he charged forward along the slot immediately.
Facing Kewan, Li Wei didn’t pause, even using a lateral move to dodge the course, ensuring his speed wouldn’t be affected by any collision friction.
In tonight’s match so far, Kewan mainly focused on shadowing Li Wei, not one-on-one, but capturing the focal point within zone defense to ensure Li Wei wouldn’t bypass their heavenly net.
Thus, Kewan’s side glance no doubt landed upon Li Wei.
Li Wei, what’s happening?
When Shanahan attempted to shift attention from Li Wei to Mahomes, what was Reed calculating?
Indeed, these are the two coaches with the thickest tactical manuals in the league, there’s no time to catch a breath, no leisure moment, filled with calculations and games every minute, every second.