Chapter 370: Faith shaken
“Go home and find your mother.”
"Grunting baby, be careful not to wet your pants."
"This is just the beginning of disaster."
With teeth and claws showing and a ferocious look on his face, when he returned to the locker room at halftime, Gillette Stadium opened its bloody mouth. The overwhelming curses and boos from the audience swallowed up the Kansas Chiefs, and they launched an attack unscrupulously, heading for the distance. Visitors show home field advantage.
Faces poked out from both sides of the player tunnel, slapping the wall fiercely and making bursts of roars.
"Jiejie, welcome to hell!"
The Kansas City Chiefs are in a slump.
Even though they expected the difficulty of the game, even though they were mentally prepared, when they encountered the sudden attack, they still felt dizzy. Both ends of the offense and defense were suppressed, and their momentum and state also fell into a slump——
A wake-up call.
The situation is very, very bad.
The locker room was quiet. Amidst the rustling and trivial sounds, everyone lowered their heads and avoided looking, quietly hiding their embarrassment.
This scene made Reed worried.
If the players are angry, irritable, and ventive, it at least shows that they still have fighting spirit; but the silence in front of them means that their beliefs are beginning to waver.
The tight spell of the nightmare curse began to exert its power again.
Not to mention the players, Reid himself, who has experienced hundreds of battles, is still worried.
In fact, professional players have more or less their own superstitions and obsessions. They believe that doing something persistently can bring them good luck, or they believe that they need to break a cycle before they can turn around. The situation in front of them is once again Awakening the Kansas Chief's habitual nightmare, he subconsciously began to doubt himself, and finally evolved into an inner demon.
At this time, a leader with firm convictions is often needed to step forward and break the deadlock.
Maybe... Levi?
Levi's leadership temperament is only part of the reason. The real key lies in Levi's "knowing nothing". This layman has no prejudice or preset position on the rugby field. Ignorant people are often fearless.
However, Levi, a rookie and a running back, seems to have insufficient energy to make calls as a leader on such an important stage in the playoffs. He has not yet established enough authority in the locker room.
So, what to do?
Reed, whose brain was working at high speed, looked at Levi.
But to his surprise, he discovered that Levi was not about to speak, but was looking at Smith.
Reid was slightly surprised, because Smith rarely showed such courage; but this time was slightly different, Smith noticed Levi's eyes, immersed himself in his own thoughts and struggled for a moment, took a deep breath, and stood up.
Whispering, his eyes looked at Smith scatteredly.
"Guys."
Smith spoke, slightly uncomfortable.
"I'm not a superhero, I don't have the superpower to turn the tide."
"That day, I also told the rookie that this was the third playoff victory of my career, one for San Francisco and one for Kansas City. I am not the man who has the final word."
There was a rustling sound in the air in the locker room. Many people tried to stop Smith and comfort Smith, but Smith raised his hand to stop them and showed a smile to show that he was fine.
"In fact, the historical record is not on our side either."
"In the history of the Kansas City Chiefs franchise, we've never won a game in the playoffs when we were trailing by ten points. Not one game."
"Sorry, Coach Reed."
Reed's chubby cheeks trembled slightly, and he raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. This scene relaxed the atmosphere in the locker room, and there was a faint chuckle.
"That is to say, from different perspectives, we have no chance."
"but."
"I want to try."
Calm and calm, with no rhetoric or passion, you can even hear the hesitation in his words, but Smith's eyes are so firm——
He sincerely believed that this might be his last game for the Kansas City Chiefs, and only he knew those complicated emotions.
"No one expects us to come back, including myself."
"But I still want to try." "Because I am not fighting alone. We have an offensive team, a defensive team, a special teams team, a coaching staff and thousands of fans."
"No matter what the result is, I want to take off my burden and enjoy the game."
"So, I'm going to show Gillette Stadium what we can do at Kansas. Who else wants to join me?"
Smith is still Smith, and his words are not as impassioned and domineering at all, but the call like a spring breeze can still awaken the passion deep in the soul and firmly unite the team in a tenacious way.
Whoosh.
Levi was the first to raise his arms high and said, "Add me one."
Suddenly, Kelsey stood up with excitement, "I'm second."
"I."
"I."
One after another, the players in the locker room all stood up, straightened their backs again, and looked at Smith with burning eyes, awakening their high morale in the desperate situation——
Not to fight, but to enjoy the game.
No one can beat a team that enjoys playing, no one.
Smith let out a long breath, and the smile on his lips rose slightly. He couldn't help but look at Levi again. The team's quarterback and running back exchanged glances, completing a tacit cooperation.
Then, Smith raised his arms and shouted.
"fly!"
The next second, everyone in the locker room also shouted.
Reed squinted his eyes, showing a hint of appreciation.
Perhaps, Smith is not a passionate team leader, but if the Kansas Chiefs want to turn around the situation, the first step is to take off their baggage and travel light. They need to get rid of the oppression and threat brought by the New England Patriots; now it seems that Smith This has been done.
Next, it’s up to Reed——
Tactically, they also need to adjust.
…
"Enjoy it as if it's your first game in your career."
Smith took a deep breath and couldn't help but recall what Levi had just said.
A little fresh, a little nervous, a little excited, and a little excited.
He thought he was ready.
The second half of the game officially kicked off.
In the first half, the New England Patriots took the lead in attacking, and in the second half, the Kansas Chiefs offensive team took the lead. Both sides have completed their formations.
Just now, the New England Patriots noticed that Hunter was used as a kick returner at Kansas Stadium. They immediately recalled Levi's kickoff return touchdown in the season opener, so they kicked the ball directly out of the baseline without giving Hunter a chance. Take any opportunity to attack back and show your vigilance.
Even with a distant three touchdown lead, Belichick did not take it lightly.
So, the Kansas Chiefs started their offense from their own twenty-five yard line.
Smith must admit that he was not focused enough in the first half, and the possibility of the "last game" always lingered. The more nervous he is, the easier it is to lose focus, so that he endures more pressure interference when reading the defense.
But now, since it is the last one, it is even more important to enjoy it.
Stay calm, focus, seize every minute, and don’t let the last game become your last regret——
"attack!"
The kick-off command pierced the sky.
(End of chapter)