Chapter 1444: Chapter 1443: The First Shot Fired
Focus.
This was the only thought in Li Wei’s mind as his feet stepped onto the field; all records, history, championships vanished completely.
Everything, focusing on the match in front of him: starting from zero.
Tonight, everything resets to zero, regular season records, playoff journeys are all irrelevant; the two teams stand on the same starting line for a fair competition, and whoever is burdened with irrelevant thoughts will first lose their advantage because this match is entirely a new confrontation.
Buzz buzz buzz——
The noise roars continuously in the air, akin to a volcanic eruption; even if the lava isn’t spewing out continuously, the world is still ablaze.
This is where the difference shows.
The San Francisco 49ers players clearly didn’t anticipate such a grand event; not just the 65,000 people here, but the heatwaves surging from all directions formed a pressure that was invisible, turning Hard Rock Stadium into a high-pressure cooker, continuously compressing the heart, making young players standing on the Super Bowl stage for the first time slightly high-strung, unable to maintain 100% focus.
But the Kansas City Chiefs are different.
Hardman’s heart raced uncontrollably; he withdrew his gaze to see Mahomes and Li Wei were already prepared, not focusing with a blank expression but proceeding with relaxed banter, which slightly calmed Hardman’s mixed feelings of tension and excitement, helping him regain some attention.
Then, the referee blew the whistle to announce the official start of the fifty-fourth Super Bowl.
The San Francisco 49ers Special Duty Group kicked off, with the Kansas City Chiefs Special Duty Group returning the attack.
The scene was slightly tense because San Francisco 49ers kicker Robbie Gould seemed nervous, kicking the football out of bounds on the first play.
According to the rules, the place where the football went out of bounds would be where the Kansas City Chiefs started their offense——
Their own side’s thirty-three-yard line.
San Francisco 49ers’ first button went astray, but luckily, it wasn’t far off, still leaving the defensive group a chance to rectify the situation.
“It’s a noteworthy detail that Shanahan chose to have offensive rights in the second half, not only holding initiative after halftime carefully but also signaling his trust in the defensive group.”
“Facing the combination of Mahomes and Li Wei, confronting Kansas City Chiefs’ unbeatable offense, Shanahan bravely opted to face them head-on with the defensive group, showcasing his confidence and determination.”
“Let’s see how Shanahan deals with the Kansas City Chiefs Offense.”
In the live broadcast room, Buck showed off his professional commentary, grasping the key points tightly from the start, exhibiting that the San Francisco 49ers were definitely not the underdogs——
No one should underestimate Shanahan.
Buck turned to his partner, “Troy, so do you think Reed will start with a pass or a run?”
Pure entertainment.
Aikman lightly shrugged, “You’re asking a tough one, the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive tactics this season are ghostly and unpredictable, that’s also their strength; not just Reed, we still have Li Wei, the team’s second brain, not to mention Mahomes, the master of secondary defensive reading.”
“You would not wish to be caught up in the Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive rhythm, that’s a nightmare for all league defensive players alike.”
“But.”
“I’d guess the ground.”
Buck was slightly surprised, “Oh. Why?”
Aikman, “Don’t know, a hunch.”
“The Kansas City Chiefs might also be chaotic, the stakes on their shoulders are too high; we shouldn’t forget, this is also a young team; Li Wei and Mahomes are only juniors, so they need to establish footing quickly and get into the game state fast.”
Meyers, “So they choose the ground?”
Andrews, “No, I believe Troy meant they chose Li Wei.”
The argument continued, yet transformations were already happening in Hard Rock Stadium.
“Attack!”
Mahomes started the play, without hesitation, without delay, before the noisy clamor quieted down, his shout pierces the sky.
In an instant, the world’s attention gathers towards the field; cheers still resonate in the air, yet breaths are already held, frozen.
Pistol formation, nothing innovative.
Mahomes spins around, handing the football to Li Wei——
A fake move?
Because Kansas City Chiefs’ three Wide Receivers and one Tight End were already in full motion, crossing routes in short passing areas, dazzling paths intertwine, visibly showing Kelsey and Watkins tearing open gaps near the middle.
Everything happened in a flash; Kansas City Chiefs seized the opportunity brought by San Francisco 49ers’ instability at the start and aggressively attacked.
However?
It was during this brief hesitation and sway, the football already entered Li Wei’s embrace.
Start. Pedal. Accelerate.
Without pause, Li Wei dashed along the right diagonal, leaving no breathing space.
The San Francisco 49ers’ defensive group was preparing to rush, that first step just kicked forward, in that brief moment of collision of the defensive line and offensive line, that red figure already turned into a stream of light breaking through at full speed.
Nick Bosa, the Defensive End and last season’s league-best defensive rookie, was the first to react.
Don’t forget, San Francisco 49ers’ defense line doesn’t excel in rush; however, they are one of the top ground defense teams in the league.
Initially, Shanahan thought Reed might exploit San Francisco 49ers’ rush weakness and start with a fake run for true pass to open up; or even adopting modern outside offensive tactics to disrupt San Francisco 49ers’ anticipation, thus with the first wave of offense and defense San Francisco 49ers intentionally increased rush pressure to disrupt Mahomes’ rhythm, inspired by the Tennessee Titans divisional game.
Yet Reed was one step ahead.
Li Wei, the first to rush out, seizing the brief gap in the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive strategy error, utilizing time disparity to grab the initiative.
In a flash, Bosa held his breath, focusing intensely on Li Wei——
Last season, as a rookie, Bosa and Li Wei’s confrontation was knife-edge, Bosa showcased his skills, despite ultimately losing; but the league still noticed Bosa’s existence.
This season, Bosa hit the rookie wall, his performance slid comprehensively, disappearing in all selections, even the team’s starting spot was challenged.
On the Super Bowl stage, Bosa once again got the chance as a starter to prove himself; he won’t miss it, he refuses to miss it.
He, Nick Bosa, is ready to fire the first shot for the San Francisco 49ers, delivering a wake-up call to the Kansas City Chiefs!
Holding his breath, Bosa quickly broke free from the entangle of the offensive line, moving horizontally first, gritting his teeth firmly, and lunging towards Li Wei with full force, to disrupt balance and acceleration before Li Wei’s speed is fully unleashed, letting Li Wei witness the toughness of this season’s San Francisco 49ers’ ground interception!
One step.
Just one step.
Bosa was already in front of Li Wei.
A delight.
Seeing Li Wei so close, Bosa spread his arms, prepared to complete the tackle.
At this very moment, Li Wei, who was in full-speed acceleration, suddenly hit the brakes, his steps lightly retreating back half a step without any pause, using the momentum of retreating for a clockwise spin of three hundred and sixty degrees, perfectly dodging the tackle, slipping through Bosa’s right gap.
Bosa, directly missed.