Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 668 - : 667 Patiently Maneuvering

Chapter 668: 667 Patiently Maneuvering

Stalemate.

Rather than being a deadlock, it’s more of a stalemate, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens defensive groups becoming the highlight of the first quarter.

On one side, Lamar Jackson tried to prove himself, but the Kansas City Chiefs Defense was well-prepared for the potential Read Option Offense early on.

Houston, the lineman, shouldered the responsibility, marking the quarterback alone, and saw through Jackson’s Read Option.

At the same time, the Kansas City Chiefs exceptionally launched a comprehensive pressure, focusing on ground defense, forcing Jackson to pass.

Jackson’s rough passing technique and poor accuracy were laid bare, causing the offensive rhythm to be completely controlled by the Chiefs, leading to continuous setbacks for the Baltimore Ravens Offense.

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Jackson was both frustrated and depressed—

Aspirations are abundant, but reality is stark.

Although Jackson came with ambitious hopes, eagerly trying to prove himself, the harsh reality was like hitting a wall, repeatedly facing strikeouts.

Romo, incisive.

“The Chiefs were prepared, but obviously, Jackson was not, he got flustered as soon as his favored skills hit a wall,” he said.

“But this is a lesson every rookie player must face.”

On the other side, the Baltimore Ravens had been persistent with their tactics from the beginning of the game, and gradually, Mahomes had yet to find his rhythm.

Objectively speaking, there’s no problem with Mahomes’s short pass accuracy, he can still deliver precise firepower, relying on short passes to open up the play, but it felt as though one hand and one foot were tied, maybe it doesn’t affect everyday life, but it’s still uncomfortable.

Naturally, the offensive rhythm couldn’t become completely smooth.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens Defense against Li Wei was timely and in place, making every attempt at ground advancement visibly costly and increasingly inefficient, forcing Reed to rotate Hunter to allow Li Wei a chance to breathe and adjust.

The Chiefs were still able to advance, but faced increasing pressure, and slight missteps at crucial moments led to strikeouts.

Punt. Punt. Still punting.

From a scoring perspective, the game seemed dull, with the Special Duty Group frequently taking the stage, strikeouts and punts becoming the main theme of the first quarter.

“0:7”.

Since Li Wei’s long touchdown run at the beginning, neither team had managed to score again, not even getting close to field goal range.

However, the scene was thrilling—

Interception. Sack. Tackle.

Foul. Collision. Argument.

Right from the start, the clash between the two teams flared up with intensity.

Clearly, both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens were desperate for a win, going all out and giving no quarter, with the conflict turning the game into a complete deadlock.

Until—

One-third into the second quarter, someone finally broke the stalemate.

It was still the Kansas City Chiefs.

Mahomes, amidst a full-frontal assault by the Baltimore Ravens Defense, managed to escape a determined sack by Saggs, creating an opportunity with his own legs, and completed a fifteen-yard pass to Kelsey.

Kelsey, using his matchup advantage, devoured cornerback Brandon Carr on the opposite side, grabbing the football in a one-on-one challenge and continuing into the end zone.

“0:14”.

The Kansas City Chiefs finally broke the stalemate, further widening the score gap at their home field.

Sports competition is often like this; when the balance is broken and one side erupts, the likelihood of the other side erupting in response shoots up dramatically.

With a turn, the Baltimore Ravens’ offensive group also found their rhythm.

Not a passing offense, but a ground attack—

A head-on breakthrough.

The Kansas City Chiefs increased their ground defense intensity across the board, precisely to force Jackson to pass; Harbaugh understood this, so they had to break through on the ground.

This year’s undrafted rookie running back, Edwards, once again played a pivotal role.

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6.1 feet (185 centimeters), 238 pounds (108 kilograms).

Edwards’s nickname is “The Bus,” a jest from the Baltimore Ravens players, because he was not only a whole weight class heavier than Li Wei; his bulk wasn’t just muscle, with visible fat spilling over.

In terms of speed, he had almost no advantage; he relied purely on strength.

This type of classic fullback-style running back is now exceedingly rare in the league. Even Fournette, picked fourth overall in last year’s draft, wasn’t this typical style. So, it wasn’t strange that Edwards went ignored at the draft, resulting in him being undrafted.

However, Harbaugh was a smart man.

In Harbaugh’s tactics, Edwards and Jackson formed a peculiar double running back tactic. Edwards’s bulldozer-like destructive power running was combined with Jackson’s agile and skillful running. Along with Jackson’s own ability to take a hit, the combination of the two players burst forth with a synergy where one plus one equaled more than two.

Either you use the Read Option Offense to lure the enemy in deep, letting Houston move up to complete the ground defense, with Edwards breaking away from Jackson or Jackson breaking away from Edwards to advance on the ground.

Or, they’d just directly opt for ground advancement, using Edwards as a battering ram, repeatedly leveraging his power to smash head-on into the defensive group. As soon as the defense showed signs of loosening, Jackson would immediately follow up.

Both tactics were running plays, but Harbaugh played them out with style and variety.

In the end, another short and stocky but strong running back, Kenneth Dixon, would burrow through the defense like a mole—

Touchdown!

Finally, the Baltimore Ravens also made their touchdown, engaging with extraordinary patience in a battle of attrition, step by step dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense.

Until they reaped their reward.

With strategy and tactics, with power and capability, Harbaugh chose a somewhat cumbersome but solid and powerful response.

Then, occasionally taking advantage of tactical setups to launch surprise attacks, Jackson’s passes, Harbaugh hadn’t forgotten that Jackson was the quarterback, and passing was his primary job, regardless of how raw his skills might be, it shouldn’t be neglected.

Back and forth, the Baltimore Ravens’ patience finally paid off.

First, there was a touchdown.

Then there was a field goal.

In a tight game, Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens showed a stout resolve; despite lacking explosive power, they steadily narrowed the gap with firm steps—

“10:14”.

The situation remained tight; the Kansas City Chiefs had just begun to widen the gap when the Baltimore Ravens immediately entangled them relentlessly.

This time, it was the Kansas City Chiefs’ turn to demonstrate their growth and transformation this season.

Mahomes stuck to short passes, a combination of continuous quick screens and short passes, instantly elevating the speed and rhythm by a whole level, pushing back the Baltimore Ravens with quick, flat, and fast plays. Even Hill, known for his deep strikes, pulled back to catch short passes.

A dizzying offensive barrage, crossing midfield and advancing relentlessly, with the Red Zone in sight, the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive intensity and rhythm finally caught up, forcing the Kansas City Chiefs into a Third Gear conundrum.

But Mahomes and Kelsey’s brilliant connection still pulled off the Third Gear four-yard conversion, and in a fresh first and ten situation at the Red Zone’s edge, they handed the ball to Li Wei without any warning.

And without any fancy plays, it was simply a ground attack, seizing just the right moment.