Generally speaking, if a defensive group sacks the quarterback three times in a game, it can be considered outstanding; huge pressure is applied to the quarterback.
However, tonight, the New England Patriots have broken the team record and already recorded six sacks on Smith before the end of the second quarter.
Smith was completely caught in a sudden, fierce storm, disoriented and helpless.
Despite Smith being skilled at short passes and quick throws, even releasing the ball before the defensive group stepped up, the New England Patriots' defense demonstrated both intensity and strength, putting enough pressure on the rush to disrupt Smith's passing.
The Kansas City Chiefs' pocket was thoroughly shattered, unable to keep up with the rhythm.
Here lies a key point—
All season long, the New England Patriots hadn't shown such energy in the pass rush; how did they transform overnight?
The key is in the strategy.
Indeed, the New England Patriots' pass rush strength isn't top of the league; they lack superstar players and Bombing Corps-style innovations in tactics; but Belichick has managed to keep the team alive with defense when the offensive group is in trouble, reflecting his coaching prowess.
First, the New England Patriots continuously maintained pressure with a five-man rush.
That is, risking the possibility of big-yardage pass plays or runs, they consistently ensured that at least five defensive players were involved in the rush, constantly maintaining pressure on the frontline—
Forcing the Kansas City Chiefs' five offensive linemen to be on edge all the time.
Once or twice might not matter, but being on high alert for an extended period is extremely draining on energy and physical stamina; Belichick was determined to make the Chiefs' pocket protection extremely tense.
Secondly, whether it was a cornerback, a lineman, or even occasionally a safety stepping up, it wasn't always a genuine attempt to sack but rather a form of intimidation.
With the rush personnel continuously applying pressure, adding an extra player in this manner was like a bomber hovering over the offensive group's pocket, unimaginable psychological stress.
Then, strike when the opportunity arises.
In other words, Belichick decided to commit troops to pressure on the rush, even at the expense of sacrificing pass defense—
Since the Patriots' pass defense was already ranked last in the league, instead of wasting effort on a weak point, they chose to break the balance in a different way.
Belichick is indeed formidable; he seized the Chiefs' lifeline on a tactical level, suppressing Reed with pre-game arrangements and launching an attack in an unexpected aspect, catching the Chiefs completely off guard.
Without exaggeration, the New England Patriots decimated the Kansas City Chiefs' offense.
It wasn't just Smith who was in trouble.
The pressure from the front line rush impacted the offensive strategy like a domino effect, hindering Li Wei's decisions and execution as if a hurricane had invaded the harbor, leaving no room to breathe.
Worse yet, the weather was of no help.
In cold weather, the two most direct and significant impacts are:
First, physical condition.
Even with continuous warm-ups, performance couldn't improve; it felt impossible to loosen up, and starting off, exerting force, and accelerating were all at a low.
Second, playing conditions.
Both the feel of the football and the wetness of the ground make it difficult to keep up when pressure comes, leading to noticeable lags in body response.
On the one hand, there's the constant worry of losing the ball, which inevitably means less focus; on the other hand, an inability to power through on the ground makes sudden turns and stops vastly more challenging—just a slight lack of attention could result in slipping, akin to ice skating.
Under these circumstances, Li Wei's responses within the storm were continuously thwarted.
While Smith faced six sacks, Li Wei also encountered four direct interceptions.
Reed once tried to deploy Hunter to adjust the rhythm, but the performance was even worse; the weather conditions had a very direct impact, to the extent that Hunter also fumbled—
This was only Hunter's second fumble of the entire season.
With no other choice, Li Wei and Hunter had to take turns going on stage to share the pressure.
It was difficult, extremely difficult.
Without exaggeration, this was by far Li Wei's worst performance, even more embarrassing than the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Up to this point, as the second quarter was drawing to a close, the Kansas City Chiefs had only managed to secure five first downs in total, setting a season-low:
57 yards passing, 21 yards rushing.
Sluggish. Lethargic. Troubled.
The situation was very, very bad.
If it had been just the defensive group constantly applying pressure, the Kansas City Chiefs wouldn't have been so disheveled because, after all, the New England Patriots defensive group was nowhere near that fierce; the point was that the New England Patriots offensive group was also sharpening their knives—
Brady was going insane.
From all aspects, Brady must have been provoked by the pre-game interviews, whether he admitted it or not, he couldn't shake off the topic of Li Wei.
Clearly, Brady didn't situation.
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So, Brady responded in his own way, in the manner of competitive sports, in the manner of a superstar king.
At the start, the New England Patriots guessed the coin toss correctly, and they chose to attack first, well-prepared. As soon as Brady came on the field, the entire passing offense clicked in a second, operating smoothly and firing on all cylinders, completely suppressing the Kansas City Chiefs Defense.
And, maintaining that intensity.
Thanks to the strong performance of the New England Patriots offensive group, serving as a foundation, the defensive group was even more confident. Coupled with the weather, Li Wei and Kelsey's several attempts to counterattack failed due to slipping, leading to a one-sided game situation.
The away team in front, the home team behind.
After Gronkowski caught the football to complete the Third Gear conversion and score another touchdown, Brady let out a roar as if it was the first touchdown of the game, clenching his fists, jumping into the air, celebrating wildly.
28 passes, 24 completions, a passing success rate of 85.7%, 257 passing yards, three passing touchdowns.
Just in the first half, Brady had already demonstrated a Super Bowl MVP level performance. Regardless of how the defensive group performed, this quarterback, leading the offensive group, completely dominated the Kansas City Chiefs' decent defense this season, with a show of sheer determination for victory.
Moreover, blood boiling.
Brady turned his head to look at the Kansas City Chiefs' side, his eyes overflowing with murderous intent, accurately and unmistakably finding Li Wei in the crowd, and engaging in a blatant clash.
Growling, showing aggression, dominating!
If you want a war, then I'll give you a war!
I will make you realize why I am the champion, and you are nothing!
I'll make sure you'll remember my name forever, certainly not someone you can provoke casually!
I will make tonight's Gillette Stadium deeply etched in your memory, understand? Rookie!
Clenching fists, howling, veins bulging!
In a rare display, Brady had entered Super Saiyan mode by halftime, showing off his muscles to Li Wei. Not just the New England Patriots players, but the viewers in front of their TVs could also feel that tension oozing out—
Gun smoke filled the air.