Chapter 668: Deal patiently
Stalemate.
It was more of a stalemate than a stalemate. The defenses of the Kansas Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens became the biggest highlight of the first quarter.
On one side, Lamar Jackson tried to prove himself, but the Kansas City Chiefs defense prepared early for a potential read option offense.
Houston, the linebacker, is tasked with manning the quarterback alone and seeing through Jackson's read-option offense.
At the same time, the Kansas Chiefs launched a very rare full-scale pressure, focusing on ground defense and forcing Jackson to pass the ball.
Jackson's rough passing skills and poor passing accuracy were so exposed that the offensive rhythm was completely involved in the control of the Kansas Chiefs, and the Baltimore Ravens offense suffered successive setbacks.
Jackson felt aggrieved and depressed——
The ideal is plump, the reality is skinny.
Although Jackson was ambitious and eager to prove himself, the cruel reality was that he hit a wall head-on and suffered consecutive strikeouts in disgrace.
Romo, hit the nail on the head.
"The Kansas Chiefs were prepared, but obviously, Jackson was not. Once his own skills hit a wall, he immediately panicked."
"But that's what every rookie player has to face."
On the one hand, the Baltimore Ravens persisted in the layout they had hatched from the beginning, and slowly began to see results. Mahomes was slow to find his own rhythm.
Objectively speaking, there is no problem with the accuracy of Mahomes' short passes. He can still accurately deliver cannonballs and rely on short passes to open up situations, but this feeling is like being tied up with one hand and one foot. Maybe not. It will affect daily life, but discomfort is just discomfort.
Naturally, the offensive rhythm cannot be completely smooth.
At the same time, the Baltimore Ravens' defense against Levi was in place in time, so that Levi was significantly consumed every time he advanced on the ground, and his efficiency was obviously declining. Reid had to use Hunter rotation to give Levi room to breathe and adjust.
The Kansas Chiefs were still able to continue to advance, but the pressure they faced was increasing, and slight deviations at critical moments led to strikeouts.
Punt. Punt. Still punt.
From a score perspective, the game was a bit dull, with frequent special teams appearances, and strikeouts and punts becoming the main theme of the first quarter.
"0:7".
Since Levi's long-distance run for a touchdown in the opening game, the two teams have never been able to score, or even enter the free kick area.
However, the scene was wonderful——
Copy. Sack. Stop.
foul. collision. quarrel.
At the beginning of the game, the strong collision between the two teams was already arousing.
Obviously, both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens were eager to win. They went all out and refused to give in an inch. The conflict caused the game to completely reach a deadlock.
Until——
A third of the way through the second quarter, someone finally broke the deadlock.
Still the Kansas Chiefs.
In a situation where the Baltimore Ravens defense was under full pressure, Mahomes successfully escaped a sack that Suggs was determined to win. He relied on his legs to create opportunities and found Kelsey with a 15-yard pass.
Kelsey relied on his matchup advantage to eat the opposing cornerback Brandon Carr alive, picked up the football during a one-on-one duel, and entered the end zone.
"0:14".
The Kansas Chiefs finally broke the deadlock and further widened the score gap at home.
Competitive sports are often like this. When the balance is broken and one party breaks out, the possibility of the other party breaking out also rises sharply. With a turn, the Baltimore Ravens offense also found its rhythm.
Not a passing attack, but a ground attack——
Frontal breakthrough.
The Kansas Chiefs have comprehensively increased the intensity of their ground defense to force Jackson to pass the ball; Hubble understands this, so he must break through from the ground.
Edwards, this year's undrafted rookie running back, once again plays a key role.
6.1 ft (185 cm), 238 lbs (108 kg).
Edwards' nickname is "Bus", a joke from the Baltimore Ravens players. Not only is he a whole grade heavier than Levi, but his weight is not muscle, and the fat is overflowing, which is visible to the naked eye.
Speed, almost no advantage; all depends on strength.
This kind of classic full-back style running back is very rare in the league now, and Fournette, the fourth overall pick in last year's draft, does not have such a typical style. Therefore, it is not surprising that Edwards was ignored in the draft and ended up losing the draft.
However, Hubble is a smart guy.
In Hubble's tactics, Edwards and Jackson formed a strange double running back tactic. Edwards' bulldozer-like destructive power running was combined with Jackson's light and agile skill running. In addition, Jackson's own ability With a certain ability to resist hitting, the partnership of the two players has the effect of one plus one being greater than two.
Or, use the read option offense to lure the enemy deep, allowing Houston to step forward to complete the ground defense. Edwards will team up with Jackson, or Jackson will team up with Edwards to complete the ground advance.
Or, directly choose to advance on the ground, first use Edwards as a battering ram, and use his strength to hit the opposing defensive team head-on again and again. After seeing the defensive team loosened slightly, Jackson immediately followed up.
It's also a running tactic, but Hubble used it beautifully.
Finally, another running back, Kenneth Dixon, who is short, sturdy and strong, breaks through the armor like a gopher-
Touchdown!
The Baltimore Ravens finally scored a touchdown, patiently dealing with unusual positional battles, and destroying the Kansas Chiefs' defense step by step.
Until you reap the rewards.
There are tactics and strategies, strength and strength. Hubble chose a slightly clumsy but solid and powerful way to respond.
Then, he occasionally used tactical layout to secretly shoot Jackson's passes. Hubble did not forget that Jackson was the quarterback, and passing the ball was his job. No matter how rough the technique was, it could not be shelved.
After much back and forth, the Baltimore Ravens' patience finally paid off.
First there was a touchdown.
Then there was another free kick.
Hubble's Baltimore Ravens also showed perseverance in the stalemate. Although they lacked explosive power, they steadily shortened the gap——
"10:14".
The situation was still stalemate. The Kansas City Chiefs had just opened up a gap, and the Baltimore Ravens immediately entangled them relentlessly.
This time, it's the Kansas Chiefs' turn to show their growth and transformation this season.
Mahomes insists on short passes, a combination of short passes and screen passes, which instantly raises the speed and rhythm to a whole level. He quickly pushes back the Baltimore Ravens and allows more players to catch the ball, even those who are good at it. Hill, who hit deep, also dropped back to receive short passes.
A dazzling attack pushed all the way through the half and continued to advance. Seeing the red zone right in front of them, the intensity and rhythm of the Baltimore Ravens defense finally caught up, forcing the Kansas Chiefs into a third-down dilemma.
But the wonderful connection between Mahomes and Kelce still completed the third-and-four-yard conversion, and in a new ten-yard situation at the front of the red zone, the football was handed to Levi without warning.
Moreover, there are no tricks, it is just a ground attack, and what you grab is an opportunity.
(End of chapter)