American Football: Domination

Focus. Focus. And more focus.

Lance kept reminding himself.

Both Smith and Lance had struggled to find a solution against New England's high-intensity, highly efficient pass rush in the first half. There were objective factors at play, but subjective ones as well.

However, the real key was that Lance didn't believe the Patriots' pass rush strategy was unsolvable. After all, they weren't the Blitz Army.

Before the game, Lance had expressed his desire to face the Steelers again, to feel the impact of the "Steel Curtain" defense with Heyward and Watt leading the charge. Now, New England's defense was proving they weren't going to be outdone, giving him exactly what he wanted—a firsthand experience of their physicality and tactical precision.

Even without an elite pass rusher, their defensive coordination alone could generate devastating power.

So, the first step was to neutralize the Patriots' pass rush. Lance needed to hang back a little, carefully studying their defensive formation and movement trends, searching for any cracks in their relentless storm of pressure.

Just like the first half, New England continued to stack bodies in the trenches—

Four defensive linemen up front, three linebackers forming a tight triangle behind them, with two outside linebackers positioned slightly forward, just a step behind the defensive ends. On top of that, their cornerbacks and safeties had also crept up a bit, making their entire defensive front compact and suffocatingly dense.

Pressure was closing in from all directions.

Pittsburgh's defense had a layered structure, like a staircase, where each level complemented the next, forming a seamlessly connected defense. New England's approach was different. They also had layers, but their formations and matchups varied more unpredictably, yet they still managed to consistently apply pressure.

Each down and each scenario presented a different pass-rush package.

So, this time—who was going to rush?

Would it be a linebacker? A cornerback? Or a safety?

Lance was reading the defense, just as the defense was reading the offense.

His own positioning was slightly different as well.

Kansas City primarily relied on the pistol formation, occasionally mixing in the shotgun. The play-action dynamics between Smith and Lance had been a key weapon in their offensive arsenal all season.

But now, the Chiefs had rarely used shotgun formations.

Lance and Smith were lined up parallel, with Lance positioned three steps to Smith's right. This alignment eliminated the usual exchange motion, making play-action fakes much harder to execute. This was a clear passing formation.

At the same time—

Kansas City had stacked three receivers to the left, leaving only Kelce as the lone tight end on the right, creating an interesting balance between strong side and weak side. Lance's positioning put him two steps behind Kelce, reinforcing the shotgun look.

So, was this really a passing play, or just another Kansas City smokescreen?

The second half had barely begun, yet the battle lines were already drawn, knives unsheathed.

Lance's eyes scanned the field quickly, taking in every subtle movement and shift. The air was tightening, the tension growing.

Then—

"Hut!"

Smith's voice rang out, and in an instant, Lance exploded forward.

No hesitation. No delay.

Lance was already in motion, launching forward like an arrow shot from a bow.

Plant. Drive. Sprint.

James Harrison, the Patriots' veteran outside linebacker, immediately reacted.

Harrison had been completely dominated in the season opener, bullied to the point of helplessness. He knew exactly what Lance was capable of. Even with the Patriots comfortably ahead, he refused to let his guard down.

His instincts screamed at him—

Lance was bolting straight ahead without any hesitation.

Even though Harrison couldn't see the entire play unfolding, he knew he couldn't let Lance slip away.

With a quick step and a sharp pivot, Harrison abandoned his blitz assignment, peeling off into coverage, shadowing Lance as he cut toward the left slot.

However—

Kelce?

Harrison had completely miscalculated.

Kelce wasn't running a route.

Instead, he stepped up aggressively, not even needing a blocking motion—just standing firm like a brick wall.

That was more than enough.

Harrison ran straight into Kelce's massive frame.

And just like that—

Lance had slipped right past them.

Fast.

That was the only word for it—fast.

By now, everyone knew about Lance's elite acceleration.

But this time, he wasn't waiting behind the line for a handoff.

He was already in full sprint from the moment of the snap.

His explosive first step and raw top-end speed were completely unleashed.

Like a gust of wind, he blew past the initial line of defense before anyone could react.

Harrison was stunned.

His brain barely had time to process what had happened before—

Boom!

Kelce collided with him again, knocking him off balance.

Harrison, still recovering, tried to lock onto Lance again—

But it was too late.

Lance was already gone.

Harrison was completely out of the play.

Confused, dazed, he looked around for his assignment—only to realize Kelce had also disengaged and dropped back into protection.

What the hell just happened?

While Harrison was left scratching his head, Kelce had already spotted the real threat.

Trey Flowers.

Regardless of what Kansas City had planned, New England was still playing their game.

The Patriots' defense hadn't backed off.

In fact, they were sending even more pressure.

Belichick knew exactly what he was doing—applying immediate, relentless pressure on Smith.

They weren't going to give the Chiefs a chance to adjust.

It was a statement.

A declaration of dominance.

Despite the unexpected hiccup with Harrison, the defensive line had still done its job.

Flowers had breached the pocket.

Smith was a sitting duck.

Earlier in the game, Lance or Hunt had often stayed back to help with pass protection.

This time, Lance was already gone.

Smith was completely alone.

Flowers was closing in fast.

But just as he was about to pounce—

A wrecking ball crashed into him from the side, knocking him off course.

Flowers stumbled, tripping over tangled bodies, completely taken out of the play.

It was Kelce.

Lance and Kelce had switched roles.

Not just changing positions but strategically disrupting the Patriots' defensive timing.

One moment, Harrison was lost.

The next, Flowers was flattened.

Smith had just barely enough time.

But the danger wasn't over yet.

Smith could feel the pocket crumbling.

The field was closing in around him.

He took one last step back—

And saw two shadows closing in.

Harrison, recovering for a second blitz.

Van Noy, flying in like a missile.

A double hit.

A death trap.

Smith was cornered.

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Powerstones?

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