Dominate the Super Bowl

Pederson's fingertips were slightly moist, his heartbeat had slowed down, almost stopping, and the sound of blood flowing filled his ears. His nerves tensed to the extreme, making his senses hyper-sensitive, where even the slightest rustle could make his skin crawl—

He was so tense he could barely breathe.

The smooth first half had allowed him some relaxation, but the sudden turn in the second half made him sharply aware that the real test was upon him:

What to do after your ace in the hole has been exposed early due to a strong counterattack from the opponents?

Across the field, Pederson looked at his teacher Reed as if he were looking up at a high mountain.

It had previously been mentioned that before becoming the coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, Reed had been the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, but that hardly sufficed to describe Reed's relationship with the Eagles. Discover hidden content at empire

From 1999 to 2012, Reed spent his forties with the Eagles and has been the executive vice-president and team manager since 2005. It is no exaggeration to say that he had absolute say in the team.

Although the split between Reed and the Philadelphia Eagles was not amicable, the affection remained, and he recommended his successor while maintaining a good relationship with the team.

And Pederson, his first NFL job was provided by Reed. He had not only learned under Reed at the Eagles but had also followed Reed to the Chiefs, where he served as the offensive coordinator for three years until the Eagles extended an olive branch, supported and encouraged by Reed, for Pederson to take up his first head coaching duties.

Undoubtedly, Reed was Pederson's mentor.

This was the first time Pederson was facing his teacher after spreading his wings to fly.

In the first half, Pederson indeed caught Reed's lifeline, always one step ahead with defensive tactics—

In the 2015 season, when the Chiefs started with one win and five losses, Reed handed over the responsibility of calling offensive plays to Pederson, which was followed by a ten-game winning streak, a key factor in Pederson securing the head coach position for the Eagles. It also indirectly displayed Pederson's familiarity with Reed's offensive tactics and his superior ability to adapt on the spot.

This was also the key to the first half's offensive and defensive battles.

But in the second half, the offense and defense became deadlocked, with the Chiefs taking the upper hand in both offense and defense, making the situation suddenly tense.

Pederson also realized that this was the real test—

They needed to stop the Kansas Chiefs Offense.

The most basic, yet most crucial point, was to absolutely prevent Li Wei from driving straight through for a fatal blow, as that would be incredibly demoralizing.

Collecting his fingertips, Pederson decisively communicated with Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz.

The field.

On both sides of the trench where the lines confronted, gazes collided.

Li Wei appeared very relaxed and comfortable, turning his head with a crackle of his joints. It was difficult to see his face under the helmet, only the rising corners of his mouth as he breathed.

No words were needed. The oppressive force brought by his calm confidence was enough to keep the opposing Defensive group fully alert.

First down, ten yards.

"Offense!"

Li Wei instantly activated, though slightly differently than usual.

Orignally positioned to the right of Smith, Li Wei pulled laterally, passing behind Smith to stride toward the left.

Just then, Smith turned and extended his right hand, with his back to the line and facing Li Wei, the two completed the handoff.

Then.

Li Wei continued moving laterally, without pause or hesitation, directly crossing over the slot and continuing to crowd the left sideline—

"Wait, what's happening?"

In an instant, the situation dramatically changed, sweeping across the field, presenting a standoff between offense and defense.

In this particular play, the setup of the Kansas Chiefs Offense was unique, with two Wide Receivers on the left side and a Tight End isolated on the right.

At the same time, just as the ball was snapped, the entire offensive line shifted slightly to the left, though not quickly. Soon after, Li Wei could be seen charging laterally from deep in the field.

It was clear that the two Wide Receivers were helping to clear the way and the offensive line was blocking, as the Chiefs planned to leverage Li Wei's sideline advancing capabilities for a substantial gain.

"Trouble!"

Immediately, the Chiefs' linemen, Safety, and Defensive line all shifted toward their right in an attempt to intercept Li Wei.

Crash!

The collision of helmets and the clash of muscles explosively erupted in the short pass zone, spreading tension throughout.

However! But then!

After completing the "handoff", Smith continued his counter-clockwise turn, raised his right hand high, and with a gentle flick, tossed a light throw.

A deep brown arc sailed over the cleared no-man's-land, targeting a solitary Wide Receiver:

Kelsey.

With the Tight End providing cover for the Running Back, and the Running Back acting as a decoy for the Tight End.

By the time the Philadelphia Eagles Defensive group reacted, moving swiftly to close the encirclement, everything seemed too slow.

Kelsey easily broke through for fifteen yards, and although the Eagles' Defensive group concentrated intensely and reacted promptly, enclosing Kelsey with three players, the Chiefs easily secured a first down nonetheless.

The situation continued to evolve subtly.

When the run posed enough threat, it created space for passing; when the pass opened up the field, the run also gained more breathing room.

This, is what's called "pass-run balance."

Throughout the first half, Reed had been trying to achieve this effect, as the best strategy against Pederson's pressing defense, but the success was mediocre at best; now, finally, following Li Wei's breakthrough, the situation opened up, increasing the pressure on the Eagles' Defensive group by a notch.

Three passes, three runs, the Chiefs' assault thoroughly broke open the play, targeting three different receiving points, with the running duties shared between Li Wei and Hunter. Although the efficiency was slightly lower, the offensive pattern in Reed's mind was gradually materializing.

Taking exactly four minutes and thirty-three seconds, involving three penalties—two by the Eagles, one by the Chiefs—the home team finally reached their opponent's thirty-yard line. There was a tangible increase in confrontation intensity, and as physical stamina declined and the fierceness index rose, fouls and conflicts became more frequent.

And then.

A deadlock ensued again. Originally, Hunter had secured the first down through a run, but amidst the tussle between the offensive and defensive lines, a penalty occurred, forcing the Chiefs to start over. After much back-and-forth, they still faced a challenging Third Gear and five yards situation.

For the Chiefs, they were already within field goal range, always able to kick a field goal to extend the lead; but scoring a touchdown would obviously be much better.

So, Li Wei took to the field again.

Therefore, was Reed hoping for Li Wei to create another miracle, or was he using Li Wei as a decoy in a tactical setup?

Putting everything else aside, the moment Li Wei took the field, one could feel the atmosphere tense to suffocating levels; the bustling, intermingling glances were filled with murderous intent, sending a clear message to Li Wei:

If Li Wei dared to hold onto the ball, they would tear him to shreds.