Chapter 1469: Chapter 1468: A Great Mountain
Calmness, brewing, planning.
Taste and stop, damage control, long-term layout, strategic scheming.
Stopping abruptly is not cowardice, but a build-up of strength; an emergency brake is not conservative, but wise.
This theory from Andrews, though absurd, is so absurd that it feels real, and it fits perfectly with Shanahan’s profile.
In the live broadcast room, everyone looked at each other in astonishment.
Buck, “So, in the end, are you saying that he doesn’t trust Garoppolo to complete the task, he’s worried about Garoppolo failing, so he prevents disaster in advance, and in this way protects Garoppolo? And also protects the San Francisco 49ers’ second-half offensive rhythm?”
Andrews: …
Did not expect, it can actually be interpreted this way?
Meyers, “That’s also an interpretation, isn’t it?”
“But here’s the thing, let’s assume Erin is correct, whether it’s not trusting Garoppolo or protecting Garoppolo, we shouldn’t casually waste six seconds.”
“We can choose short passes, we can choose to run, we can even choose false starts to lure penalties, or make fake moves to find opportunities, but if there are no opportunities, then just hold the ball and fall to the ground.”
“We have different strategies and tactics. Think back to the 2017 regular season matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, Reed also didn’t believe in Alex Smith’s ability to throw a Hail Mary, but he still connected with Li Wei through short passes and completed the task through Li Wei.”
“The San Francisco 49ers’ Running Back Committee has such a capability, rather than just sitting there idly watching the clouds, letting time pass.”
“Troy, what do you think?”
Aikman nodded, “Of course. It certainly is.”
“I agree one hundred percent.”
“But here’s the thing, on the Super Bowl stage, the amount of information is enormous, our brains can’t function normally, judgments at the moment may be inaccurate, and in hindsight, you wonder why you made that judgment and choice at the time.”
“This is not to defend Shanahan. I mean, if the San Francisco 49ers win in the end, then all of us should shut up; but if the Kansas City Chiefs defend and win, Shanahan’s judgment and choice this time need to be reviewed again, and it might even be the turning point of victory.”
“Maybe, we can learn the real reason behind Shanahan’s decision from the post-game press conference; maybe, we can never know whether Shanahan doesn’t trust Garoppolo or is protecting Garoppolo. But this is competitive sports, the results will give all the answers.”
Calm, brutal, but real.
Aikman still remains himself.
Unhesitatingly, Buck was the first to applaud, “Indeed. We’re sitting here talking theory, but it’s all nonsense, next we still need to see the second half.”
“For now, ’14:14′, neck and neck.”
“This is only the fourth halftime draw in Super Bowl history, in the second half, both sides have a chance, just as we analyzed, originally the San Francisco 49ers had the momentum, but now the Kansas City Chiefs have won precious breathing space, and they are showing a counterattack momentum, the suspense of victory is still a question mark.”
“Look at the chaos in the live broadcast room, I believe the locker rooms of the two teams now should be just as chaotic.”
“If I had a chance to sneak into the locker room to see what’s going on, I’d be willing to pay extra for the privilege.”
Chaos!
Complete chaos, a hurricane passing through.
From Fox to ESPN, the professionals in the broadcast room collectively exploded; and on social media, the vast and mighty heated discussion presented a blowout stance.
Originally, next should be halftime show time, the annual nationwide carnival feast, this year two Latin divas Jennifer Lopez and Shakira joined hands to take the stage, offering a series of exciting performances of song and dance, eye-catching, having sparked countless heated discussions two months ago.
Now, the hot performance of the two divas is completely buried and ignored, “Kyle Shanahan’s Six Seconds” becomes the number one keyword on social media trending search, compared to the fans of the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, the bystanders and neutral fans are even more crazy, discussions are endless.
The bustling voices, at this moment, reach a new peak.
Everything, just as Aikman said.
Now, all the pressure falls on Shanahan’s shoulders——
If he wins the championship, he is a genius, a master of mental control, a king of measured judgment, a witty and clever move that completely reverses the situation.
If he fails, he is a sinner, committing the most basic rookie mistake a league head coach can make, wasting the opportunity to overturn the Kansas City Chiefs right before his eyes.
Things are just that simple, victors are kings, losers are outlaws.
From the score level, Shanahan’s “silence” had no impact; but from the psychological level, the six-second void caused ripples.
Then, what about reality?
Guest locker room: …
Quiet. Silence. Not a sound.
One by one, being careful and cautious, a hint of confusion in their eyes, some still have not been able to shake off the penalty for Kittel’s catch, some do not understand why the last six seconds suddenly disappeared, some are digesting the situation that occurred in the final moments.
Somewhat oppressive.
That heavy mountain, not only pressing on Shanahan’s shoulders, but also on the San Francisco 49ers’ shoulders.
After all, this is the Super Bowl, no one wants to be left with regrets.
Until a voice broke the deadlock, “How about it, my acting skills are pretty good, right? All of you were completely fooled by me?”
Kittel spread his hands, his mouth full of smiles.
But then, he cursed, “Damn, but the ref still saw it. Just a little bit more, almost fooled them.”
Boom!
The entire locker room instantly exploded, the noise broke out.
While the home team’s locker room didn’t even have time to think about the origin of the last six seconds, because in front of them they needed to face a more serious problem——
Ugh.
Back in the locker room, Fuller couldn’t hold it anymore, didn’t even have time to rush to the trash can, sideways at the entrance, leaning his back against the wall beside the door, supporting his knees with both hands, began to vomit right there, as if to vomit out his entire intestines, soaked in sweat, unable to distinguish if it’s hot or cold sweat.
Brilland was the first to cover Fuller’s back with a towel, others also handed over towels one after another.
Fuller waved his hand, trying to reassure everyone that he was okay, but before he could open his mouth, he vomited again, but this time his stomach was empty, just a burst of bile, his body curled up, tense muscles clearly showing his pain, the whole person trembling slightly uncontrollably.
Li Wei understood that feeling, exhaustion beyond limits, gritting his teeth to hold on, immersed in the game, temporarily unaware, suddenly an emergency stop, and then unable to control it anymore.
In the first half, whether it was the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers, both fought fiercely, the intensity and frequency remained at a high level.
For both sides, it was a test.
Not only was the margin for error low, any small mistake could lead to a shift in the outcome; but also mental and physical exhaustion were terrifying, emptying the body, exerting all their strength.
They didn’t even need to wait for the second half, the halftime break already revealed the backlash of the first half’s aftereffects.