Chapter 997 Hitting someone in the face
"Levi, the lowest point of his career?"
"Four times holding the ball, advancing 19 yards. This is the end of Levi's preseason."
“Without doing business and being absent-minded, Levi’s magic finally dimmed?”
“The problems in the Kansas Chiefs’ locker room can no longer be concealed.”
"The defending champion lost all four games in the preseason. Who should be responsible for the defeat?"
"The Kansas Chiefs are completely lost, and the defending champion is in bad shape."
"Levi, can it be done? Shoulder the responsibility of turning the Kansas Chiefs into a butterfly? "
Criticism, criticism, criticism.
The situation was overwhelming, even getting more intense, and the entire alliance was agitated.
The focus returned to Levi again.
This is the Internet Age -
News craze often cannot last long. Luck's blockbuster retirement only lasted three days, and people were no longer interested and were waiting for the next focus.
At this moment, Levi stumbled into the door.
In the fourth week of the preseason, the Kansas Chiefs went away to challenge the Green Bay Packers.
This time, Levi finally came on the field, but instead of partnering with Mahomes, he cooperated with the backup quarterback, and in the end he only played a wave of offense.
Four times holding the ball, advancing nineteen yards.
Strictly speaking, the performance is not bad, averaging 4.75 yards per push, which is far above the average level of running backs in the league; but obviously this cannot meet the needs of the media and fans.
The most important thing is that the Kansas Chiefs lost to the Green Bay Packers.
"20:27".
The Green Bay Packers won on a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.
Although everyone knows that there is no need to care too much about the outcome of the preseason, the Kansas Chiefs' preseason performance in the past two seasons was also average.
But a loss is a loss, there is no need to quibble; and the hopes and expectations carried by the two-time defending champion are beyond the sky, the situation is naturally different——
How is it possible that all four games are in vain? ?
Real insiders can see that the Kansas Chiefs are establishing a new tactical system, and the chaos in the preseason is obvious.
Such a situation is rare.
The Kansas City Chiefs have won the Super Bowl for two consecutive years, which proves that the team is on the right path. Not to mention the large-scale changes that have hurt their muscles and bones, team managers tend to maintain the status quo and continue their advantages. .
This is common sense and inertia.
However, in the NFL, the existence of a hard salary cap causes team managers to adjust their layout; the challenges facing the two-time defending champions are even more severe.
At this time, Reed's courage and Vicky's courage can be seen.
After judging the overall situation, they realized that adjustments were imperative. After risk judgment and overall layout, they showed decisiveness.
The most obvious thing is the purge of the entire defensive coaching team.
It is true that the Kansas Chiefs can continue to play one or two seasons with this defensive lineup, but if the problems of the defensive team are not solved for one day, the pressure on the offensive team cannot be relieved.
When the combination of Mahomes and Levi has become the focus of analysis and deconstruction by the league, the Kansas Chiefs must take a long-term view and stay ahead of their competitors.
Even if the cost is a major overhaul this offseason.
At least in the eyes of Reid and Veach, they can continue to trust Mahomes and Levi in the coming season and rely on the offensive team to lead the team forward; so they take advantage of the opportunity to start transforming the defensive team and prepare for a rainy day.
So, this offseason, the Kansas Chiefs made adjustments from top to bottom.
A direct result is that the "3-4" defensive formation used in the past few seasons was adjusted to a "4-3" formation in the offseason.
That is, four defensive fronts and three linebackers.
After the two starting linebackers in Houston and Ford left the Kansas Chiefs, the new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo decided to rebuild the entire defensive front.
Spagnuolo is also a member of Reid's coaching tree. His first job in the professional league from college in 1999 was as an assistant defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles. He rose to prominence due to his outstanding performance in the Philadelphia Eagles and later served as the St. Louis Rams. He was the head coach for three seasons and also held coaching staff positions with the New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, and New Orleans Saints.
Last season, Spagnuolo served as an intern head coach with the New York Giants. This offseason, the New York Giants decided to hire a new head coach, and Spagnuolo responded to Enschried's call and joined Kansas City.
Don't underestimate the changes in the defensive front. This is not just a change in the defensive front and linebackers. The strategies and tactics of the defensive second line also need to change, which is equivalent to overturning the entire defensive team's tactical manual.
Moreover, every position in the Kansas Chiefs' defensive team has changed. All starting positions in the new season are open to competition, and everyone has a chance.
It is conceivable that the Kansas Chiefs' defensive team still lacks coordination.
Not only that, Reid also did not ignore the offensive team, because he knew that the offensive team would become the subject of research throughout the league. If the team does not seek changes, it will soon hit a wall in the new season.
So, the preseason confusion is palpable -
Reed has been trying different permutations.
Because of this, the main players rarely appear. Even if they do appear, they try new combinations and new tactics, which is very experimental.
As a result, this scene appeared.
In the first game, the Cincinnati Bengals lost.
In the second game, the San Francisco 49ers lost.
In the third game, the Pittsburgh Steelers lost.
In Game 4, the Green Bay Packers lost.
Although the reasons are different and the process is different, the ending is the same. All four games were in vain, and the preseason ended with a complete defeat.
This was indeed unexpected.
The defending champion seems to have struggled particularly this offseason, lost its direction, and completely lost the magic that led to the top of the league in the past two seasons.
Shocked! stunned! Accident!
So, whose responsibility is it?
All team sports are the same. When the team loses, someone must shoulder the responsibility.
In football and basketball games, the head coach is often responsible for taking the blame. The same is true for football. The head coach bears great responsibilities and great pressure.
But not entirely, with occasional exceptions.
Blam the quarterback, blame the defense, or blame the team's biggest star.
“Levi, his talent has been exhausted.”
“The bustle and noise off the court finally made the Kansas Chiefs’ No. 23 lose his way.”
"Being so busy on the fashion runway that he has forgotten how to run with the ball, Levi's new season is worrying."
"The second Beckham? Levi has lost his magic in the bright colors of Vanity Fair . ”
“Levi: Next stop, a cliff-like free fall?”
Gloating at the misfortune, adding insult to injury.
The media has turned on group ridicule mode. The frustration and embarrassment that Levi complained about a week ago can finally be regained, and no reporter is showing mercy.
Even the people who eat melons feel it.
They didn't understand what happened between Levi and the reporters, but they could feel the reporters pushing their firepower to the extreme one by one -
bombing them indiscriminately.
In the mighty artillery fire, it is difficult to imagine how Levi survived.
Then, on the social network, a senior professional football reporter dropped a bombshell, without warning, quietly, but inconceivably.
Comparable to Luck's retirement.
"The Kansas Chiefs and running back Levi reached a final agreement on contract extension."
A slap in the face, whizzing in, caught off guard.
(End of this chapter)