Chapter 1336 Battlefield Confrontation
The attack and defense were stumbling and intermittent, not only stuck but also broken. Coupled with the number of yellow flags rising straight up, the entire offensive and defensive rhythm completely slowed down.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense was still pushing forward, however, they faced a third-gear situation twice in a row. They finally pushed through half court, but it was already the official two-minute timeout of the first half.

Just now, Vrabel tried to control the tempo and waste time through the Tennessee Titans’ offense, but unfortunately failed; but he did not expect that the defense would complete its mission, and the secret weapon in the bottom of the box finally slowed down the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive pace in the second quarter.

At this time, the situation in the first half gradually became clear——

Vrabel’s strategy is to keep the Kansas City Chiefs busy. It doesn’t matter if the Chiefs score in the end, whether it’s a free kick or a touchdown. As long as the Tennessee Titans consume enough time, they can return to the locker room with a lead and win precious breathing time.

Most importantly, the Kansas City Chiefs’ all-out counterattack in the second quarter will slow down:
Do it all at once, second time tired, third time exhausted.

While waiting for the second half to start, the situation is completely different.

Otherwise, once the second quarter was completely under the control of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Tennessee Titans’ chances of survival in the second half might have been snuffed out by Arrowhead Stadium.

Vrabel knows this, and so does the Tennessee Titans defense.

Therefore, all the defensive players burned their hearts and minds, not only concentrating, but also uniting as one, helping each other, and the zone defense actually created a dragnet. Just as the Kansas City Chiefs used the human wave tactics to restrict Henry, the Tennessee Titans also used the team’s strength to lock down Levi and Mahomes.

The point is, progress can still be made, it’s just… frustrating.

Always interrupted, always suppressed, always in a passive position.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense is good at speed and rhythm, but relatively speaking, it is weak in positional warfare. They need to rely more on Kelce’s role as a beacon in positional warfare, otherwise they can only rely on Mahomes and Levi’s running cooperation, and their ability to break through head-on is weaker.

Of course, it is not absolute, but relative.

It is precisely because of this that Vrabel seized this relatively weak link to formulate tactics. Coincidentally, Kelce’s competitive state tonight was average, and the Tennessee Titans’ secret weapon was able to shine in the second half of the second quarter, demonstrating the young coach’s wisdom and ability to turn decay into magic.

Then, again and again, third down and third down.

After the official two-minute timeout, Kelce caught the ball but was double-teamed. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue advancing, causing the Kansas City Chiefs to face a third-gear situation for the third time in a row. The back-and-forth confrontation was becoming increasingly intense, and the consumption of both offense and defense was increasing exponentially.

However, there is no breathing time, the third gear must start immediately, and now the Kansas City Chiefs are also racing against time. They hope to continue the strong performance in the second quarter, completely reverse the disadvantage in one go, and get the game back under control.

Linebacker Woodyard noticed a detail:
Mahomes looked at Hill. There was no conversation, just eye contact.

Hill, panting and sweating, took a deep breath and nodded slightly in response.

what does that mean?
Are the Kansas City Chiefs ready to sneak in a long pass rush?

This is not surprising, and it can even be said to be the forte of the Kansas City Chiefs. In difficult situations, relying on tactical layout, Mahomes’ sneak attacks and long passes, Levi, Hill, Hardman, and even Watkins can all play key roles to help the Kansas City Chiefs break through the shackles and turn the situation around in one fell swoop.

So, this time, are the Kansas City Chiefs going to use “Cheat Motion” to cover the long pass, or are they going to fake a run and pass the ball, or is it Mahomes’ read option offense?

Although they noticed the details, Woodard did not act rashly. They would not disrupt their layout and must stick to the pressure of the zone defense. Anyway, Vrabel also kept a safety guard in the backfield to challenge Hill. If they acted rashly because of the slightest movement of the Kansas Chiefs, they would fall into their trap if they were not careful.

Woodyard will never forget that the turning point of the second quarter was the classic trap of the Kansas City Chiefs. There was one tactic on the surface and another tactic inside. Even the “cheating motion” was used as a smokescreen to deceive people.

Taking a deep breath, Woodard managed to control himself.

Then, focus your attention—

If the Kansas City Chiefs make a move, it means that the next move may be crucial. Mahomes seems to be completely unaware of his every move. He follows the rules, arranges the tactics, turns around and prepares to attack.

Standing in the pocket, Mahomes took a deep breath, regained his composure, and observed the defense’s positioning.

As a result, nothing was gained.

The Tennessee Titans are still holding on to their original positions. As time goes by, the defense’s ability to hide tactics is gradually catching up with the development. It is difficult to interpret the defense’s tactical intentions using only “Motion”, so when “Cheating Motion” came out this season, it caused a storm.

But in just one season, defensive coaches have caught up.

Although the “Cheat Motion” has not yet been completely cracked, the defensive team is no longer simply sitting back and passively taking a beating. They are planning to confront and even counterattack.

Vrabel’s defensive strategy in the divisional round should give the league a lot of inspiration. Next season, “Cheating Motion” may not be able to have its way.

Mahomes’s eyes quickly scanned the defensive line and linebackers, and he deliberately paused at the left cornerback and safety:
True and false, real and fake, scheming against each other, it all depends on who can react better on the spot.

The next second, Hill moved.

See “Cheating Motion” again! This time, it’s not Levi, but Hill.

But Mahomes didn’t give him any time to breathe. The moment he caught a glimpse of Hill starting to move, he immediately announced the kickoff.

“attack!”

In an instant, the situation changed.

At this moment, Mahomes stood up straight, looked to the left, looking for Hill, and prepared to complete a quick short pass.

Whoosh, someone is running wildly.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, someone is applying pressure.

Tap, tap, tap, someone is blocking a spot.

Dazzled and overwhelmed.

However, in the chaos, no one noticed.

Levi’s steps were light and his posture was agile. He appeared silently beside Mahomes like a ghost, and gently touched the football from Mahomes’ right hand hidden behind his back and put it in his arms.

His feet slipped, and he moved sideways without stopping or pausing, and floated away.

Everything happened almost at the same time.

After Levi pulled the ball out, Mahomes raised his right hand and pretended to pass the ball in the direction of Hill. The action was so realistic that even the details of flicking his wrist were so realistic. In a split second, the defensive players had no time to distinguish the details and rushed out reflexively.

He ran wildly while observing, and only realized something was wrong after his center of gravity had already rushed out.

Wait, what about football?
There are no reddish-brown parabolas in the air.

(End of this chapter)