Chapter 211 Kickoff Return
boos, blasts.
Without warning, Gillette Stadium erupted into an overwhelming wave of boos, sweeping across the field with the force of a hurricane, and the knees couldn't help but tremble slightly.
Not to mention the Kansas Chiefs, even Brady who was warming up was shocked——
What's going on?
It’s just a kickoff, why all the fuss?
Listening carefully, Brady caught a few words in the boos.
Rookie. Rookie...
It's not cheering and supporting, but teasing and contempt, a mocking attack.
Brady laughed dumbly and had no interest in continuing to explore. He withdrew his gaze and continued to warm up, talking and laughing with his teammates next to him.
Clearly, not worthy of attention.
After all, it's just a special service team.
In football games, the focus may be on the offense or the defense, but the special teams team is always underestimated and ignored.
Generally speaking, the special teams team is responsible for kickoffs, punts, extra points and free kicks. It seems like unimportant dirty work, but real top coaches know that in strong collisions, details often determine the outcome. The special teams team Playing a role beyond imagination——
Belichick and Reid are the leaders. Both coaches are very good at using special teams to play tricks and seize the opportunity in the game.
It’s hard to believe, but there are often only three regular players on special teams teams:
Punter. Long kicker. Kicker.
Punter and kicker, literally, the punter is responsible for punts, and the kicker is responsible for kickoffs, free kicks, and extra points.
The long kicker, like the center of the offensive team, is responsible for kicking off the ball and throwing the football long distance to the punter, who completes the punt.
These three positions have different technical contents and require professionals to perform them, and they also need to practice together. In addition, the other eight players in the special team are all substitute players.
The final NFL roster only has 53 positions. Not only rotations, substitutes, injuries, but also tactical configurations need to be considered. Forming a special teams team from substitutes has become the only way to build a team.
For example, a ball support player.
Extra points require a player, usually a backup quarterback, to catch the ball from the center and hold the football upright for the kick.
For example, returner.
Whether it is a kickoff or a punt, a player is required to receive the ball and then return the ball, usually a backup running back or backup wide receiver.
Of course, there are occasional exceptions——
Coaches like Belichick and Reid who are proficient in special team tactics will occasionally use their main players as returners to try to play tactics on kickoffs or punts to gain better positions for the offensive team.
So, what's ahead?
New season, new game, and... Levi?
Is Levi a backup running back or the main running back? What is Reed planning?
As far as Brady is concerned, he doesn’t care.
He didn't want to give the rookie running back any attention at all. Anyway, Donald Yu never asked for his help from beginning to end. It was completely business-like. This was one of the important reasons why he liked Donald and never changed agents. Donald never There will be no distinction between public and private affairs.
So, what do New England Patriots fans think?
"Oh, no way..."
"Did Levi lose the battle for the team's starting running back? Reid finally chose Hunter as the No. 1 running back, but Levi still needs to hone himself through the special teams team?"
"This is not good news."
Michaels couldn't help but shook his head slightly.
Collinsworth wasn't adding insult to injury, but he was being objective.
"Maybe this is the best thing. Give him some space to realize his potential. Wait for the right time and let us see his talents and abilities." The pity and sympathy that were revealed inadvertently, but he didn't believe it from the bottom of his heart. Li Wei, on the contrary, believes that this position is the most appropriate——
Perhaps the third pick was indeed a waste.
porphyrin.
In the sky above Gillette Stadium, the boos that were aggravating, gloating, and besieging came down like a midsummer rainstorm.
However, Levi was completely unmoved.
He entered the court unhurriedly, turning his head slightly from left to right, his joints making a crackling sound, and then he stood firmly in the end zone on the Kansas Chiefs side, like a lion patrolling its territory, taking in every inch of the land. , then raised his head and looked ahead.
The greenery is spread out spaciously and vastly.
The home team players wearing dark blue jerseys and the away team players wearing white jerseys were scattered, surrounded by the roaring crowd, leisurely and comfortable, looking up at the golden sunshine falling in the sky——
It's a good day for a fight.
Beep!
The whistle pierced the sky.
New England Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski is one of the league's top stars.
Since joining the New England Patriots in 2006, he has remained at the top level, with the team reaching three Super Bowls, four Pro Bowls, two All-American first teams, and being the league's top scoring player for five seasons - which means Free kicks and extra points maintain a high success rate.
Later in 2020, in the best lineup of the 2010s selected by professional media, the kicker position belonged to Gostkowski.
Right now, he is responsible for kicking off the ball.
A good kicker, like a punter, requires control.
You can't kick blindly, nor is the farther the better, but you need to cooperate with the tactics.
First of all, the landing point needs to be controlled, preferably within the five-yard line at the front of the end zone, because once it enters the end zone, the opponent's kickoff position will automatically come to the twenty-five-yard line.
Secondly, the parabola needs to be controlled to ensure that the special teams teammates in their own half have enough time to cross the court and surround or even directly sack the returner before he can catch the football and start a return attack.
A perfect kickoff and punt can theoretically control the starting position of the opponent's offense above the one-yard line in front of the end zone, creating an innate advantage for your defensive team in the next wave of confrontation.
So, how is Gostkowski preparing to kick the ball off?
With the whistle blowing, Gostkowski rushed forward, kicked off, and kicked the ball hard.
Hula la, the blue air wave in front of me rolled towards my face.
Li Wei's first reaction was to look up at the rising curve of the parabola and make a quick judgment based on the parabola——
If the kickoff lands in the end zone, then Levi needs to judge based on the offensive and defensive confrontation in front of him, whether it is necessary to return to attack, or whether he should directly accept the kickoff position at the 25-yard line?
Yang.
Raise high.
The rugby ball fell into a golden sun and almost disappeared.
--start up.
Levi judged immediately that Gostkowski's kicking parabola was higher than usual, which meant that the falling arc of the football would be shorter, and it also meant that he was buying time for the huge blue wave in front of him. .
This is a tactical kick-off.
Obviously, the two coaches Belichick and Reid started a game from the beginning. Both of them were calculating their opponents and trying to seize the highest point from the first wave of offense and defense.
Immediately, Levi had already started.
He slightly lowered his jaw and scanned the whole place with his peripheral vision. At this time, he didn't have time to distinguish the figures and faces in detail, and he saw the huge blue waves and the white wind colliding together——
boom!
The entire Gillette Stadium roared and exploded.
(End of chapter)