Chapter 243: 242 Wentz moment
"00:08."
"20:27."
The former was the game clock, the final eight seconds of the match was all that remained.
The latter was the score, the gap still within just one touchdown.
Just as the Kansas City Chiefs were on the brink of victory, one step away from starting the season with back-to-back wins, sophomore quarterback Wentz stepped up and activated God Mode, executing the most brilliant streak of his career.
Seven passes, seven hits, a 100% success rate.
And in the final offensive series just at the edge of the Red Zone, he faced a sack crisis as the Kansas City Chiefs Defense tore through the pocket, completely catching Pederson off guard, with Wentz resembling an antelope trapped by lions.
However, Wentz held steady.
After dodging the sack three times in a row, Wentz threw a thirteen-yard pass, finding the team's junior wide receiver Nelson Agholor in the dead angle of the end zone. Agholor, almost losing his balance, managed to snatch the football from the tiger's mouth and achieve the touchdown.
The game time froze at eight seconds.
Thrilling, exhilarating, miraculous.
Just when everyone thought the victory was in the bag for the Kansas City Chiefs, Wentz took a stand, sending a message with his actions—
The Philadelphia Eagles had a different opinion.
"Wow, Wentz's moment."
"I'm not sure what just happened, but Wentz seemed to suddenly get it. It's not just about his pass completion rate; his entire field vision, defensive reading, space judgment have all reached an unbelievable level."
"Most importantly, the calm and composure in the face of a sack crisis, the killer's determination and toughness perfectly resolved the crisis."
"It's not that the Kansas City Chiefs didn't play well, but Wentz was in God Mode. They were simply not on the same level when it came to a head-on confrontation."
"Amazing, amazing!"
Pash didn't skimp on his applause.
"Just as all eyes were focused on the opening game 'rookie VS goat' narrative, this match presents another possibility."
"Look, coming up in the second half, rookie Li Wei, with a power all his own, breaks the balance, dominating the game as if divinely assisted, making it impossible to look away."
"Just when everyone thought the game was over, Wentz stood up, activated God Mode, and brought the suspense of victory back into play."
"'Naive rookie VS favorite son of the heavens.' Two young men representing the future of the League collide forcefully. Isn't that even more compelling? At the same time, it adds to the narrative of the mentor-apprentice confrontation between Reid and Pederson."
Pash was somewhat excited. In his commentary, his words rattled off like a machine gun, the mere thought sending shivers down his spine.
In his speech, the "Li Wei VS Wentz" clash was elevated to a whole new level, enough to replace "Li Wei VS Brady" as the focal point of the second week of the regular season.
Jared Goff, the 2016 draft's number one pick, chosen before Wentz and currently playing for the Los Angeles Rams: Pash, do you think I'm dead?
Clearly, Goff didn't feature in Pash's recollection.
"God, I can't wait to see their next encounter."
"Of course, the current game is still not over, we haven't seen the end yet, but now there is only one choice left for the Philadelphia Eagles:
Gamble kick."
In the first week, the Kansas City Chiefs snuffed out the New England Patriots' last-minute comeback attempt, avoiding the risk of the gamble kick.
In the second week, it was unexpected that what was meant to come, still came. This time, the Kansas City Chiefs could not evade it.
So, what exactly is an onside kick?
An onside kick only occurs during the kickoff phase.
Generally, the kicking team tries to kick the football as deep and as far as possible to limit the opponent's ability to return; however, there are exceptions, such as the onside kick.
The onside kick, also known as a short kick, is when the ball is not kicked deep but is instead kicked short.
According to the rules, once the football has traveled ten yards and hits the ground, it is a live ball that can be recovered by either team, so the onside kick aims to kick the ball low and short to allow the kicking team's players to catch up quickly and compete for possession before the opponent can secure the ball—
If successful, the kicking team continues on offense instead of the opponent.
The difficulty of an onside kick is that at the kickoff, both teams are positioned on their respective ten-yard lines on either side of the midfield line, meaning the ball must cross the midfield line when kicked—if it does not, it is considered an invalid kickoff and must be taken again.
Typically, the football rolls forward, which means it continues to roll towards the opposing team after it lands, naturally giving the opponent a decisive advantage when competing for the ball.
The difficulty level of an onside kick is extremely high, even more so than the 'Hail Mary.'
Many people have a misconception here—
They often think onside kicks only occur during the final decisive moments of a game and so believe that they can only happen then.
In reality, this is not the case.
An onside kick can happen at any point in the game; because of their low success rate, a failed attempt essentially gives the opponent a very favorable starting position near the midfield line, which is why teams are reluctant to try it unless they're left with no other choice during the game's decisive moments.
In the 2009 season, the Super Bowl ultimate showdown featured the Indianapolis Colts led by Manning against the New Orleans Saints led by Brees.
At the end of the first half, "10:6," the Indianapolis Colts were leading.
Coming into the second half, the Colts, led by Manning, initiated the offense but were taken by surprise when the New Orleans Saints chose an onside kick at the kickoff, catching them off guard and seizing possession. This "ambush" completely turned the tide of the game.
In the end, the New Orleans Saints defeated the Colts and were crowned champions.
This was the first onside kick in Super Bowl history before the fourth quarter, and even after fifteen years, Sean Peyton's tactical call is still fondly remembered and talked about.
The Philadelphia Eagles are now going to choose an onside kick and plan to try a 'Hail Mary' after regaining possession.
Looking at it from all aspects, the Kansas City Chiefs firmly hold the upper hand and are in a commanding position with only eight seconds left in the game. All they need to do is secure possession and thwart the onside kick, and victory will be theirs. However, that's the nature of competitive sports: until the final moment, anything is possible.
Wentz, with an incredible performance, has secured one more chance for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Now, the pressure is on.
Eight seconds—only eight seconds away from the end of the game, but both teams are bustling. Reed and Pederson are deploying their troops, and the special teams are in a flurry of activity—
The special teams, often overlooked and ignored, are now critical to the ultimate suspense of the game.
The Eagles' rookie kicker, Jake Elliott, takes a deep breath and steps onto the field.
Elliott never imagined that he would become the center of attention, making his heart race.
Although this is not a game-winning field goal but a slim-chance onside kick, and no one would blame a kicker for a failed attempt, Elliott still hopes to prove himself.
He longs to shine in this arena, to show that he too can make a difference on the field.
Then cheers swell throughout Arrowhead Stadium.
Looking up, Elliott can't help but clench his fists, feeling his blood pounding with excitement—
It's Li Wei.
The player all rookies aspire to defeat.