Chapter 626: 625 Tip of the dagger revealed at the end of the road Chapter 626: 625 Tip of the dagger revealed at the end of the road Danger!
Danger, danger, danger, completely surrounded!
As a quarterback, Mahomes took control of the overall situation and sensed the oncoming pressure immediately, like a tiny wooden boat amidst the stormy seas, violently tossing and turning, at any moment at risk of being swallowed whole, his vision plunged into chaos, every cell feeling the onslaught.
Mahomes was extremely calm, utterly focused and engaged, his nimble feet weaving through the tempest—
Shifting, dodging, spinning, retreating.
A series of agile steps evaded one crisis after another, barely finding a foothold amidst the gunshots and rains of arrows, and only then was there a fleeting moment to catch his breath, to lift his chin and make a second defensive read, taking in the state of the open field before him.
Compared to the chaos at the line of scrimmage, the tangle of offense and defense in the backfield seemed much clearer.
Each man marked his own.
The four pass targets were each entangled with four defenders.
Watkins on the left sideline, Hunter in the right slot, both running deep routes, heading straight for the end zone.
In the central area, Kelsey was in front with Hill behind, pulling apart two crossing routes, with Kelsey at the junction between the short and medium areas, Hill at the juncture between the medium and deep areas.
No matter the chaos in the front, the Kansas Chiefs’ backfield routes completely opened up the play, with different matchups and different coverages, even Belichick couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
So, who was Mahomes’s pass target?
In all respects, Kelsey had the advantage over Jason McCourty in terms of size, strength, and positioning; Kelsey had already taken the lead.
Moreover, with the Kansas City Chiefs needing to control the game clock and possession, a field goal could secure victory without any additional risks.
Kelsey, no doubt, was the best pass target.
In the blink of an eye, Mahomes didn’t hesitate—
He stepped up, pushing off the ground.
Van Noy rushed towards him.
With a swing of his arm, he threw the pass.
Van Noy’s steps were unstable, unable to exert force, and his collision lacked strength.
Mahomes wobbled a little but maintained his poise thanks to his impressive physical condition, holding tight and keeping his upper body stable, the passing motion unaffected.
With a swing and a push—
Mahomes exerted his full strength, the burst of power concentrated on the football as he propelled it forward; the football shot out like a cannon.
It sliced through the air.
The next second, Van Noy wrapped up Mahomes, both of them hitting the ground in a mutual downfall.
In an instant, the entire Gillette Stadium held its breath, thousands and thousands of eyes fixated on that reddish-brown parabola, unblinking.
Soaring, cutting through the air, a heart-stopping parabola, flying past Kelsey, following the middle of the field as it plummeted toward the deep area.
Fully pushed towards the end zone—
The pass target was none other than Hill, who had been outstanding in today’s game with three touchdown receptions.
Not Kelsey, but Hill.
He didn’t choose to play it safe but aimed for the end zone.
Mahomes once again demonstrated the boldness of youth.
As the Kansas City Chiefs’ leading wide receiver and in his third year, Hill had also grown into a pillar of the team; when the New England Patriots focused all their defensive efforts on Li Wei, Hill stepped up to prove that the Kansas Chiefs Offense wasn’t just Li Wei carrying the team forward.
And at this moment, it was the same.
Hill was matched up with another McCourty, the safety Devin McCourty.
Originally, Hill controlled his speed without going full throttle, always waiting and observing, waiting for the right moment to shake off Devin and also waiting for Mahomes’s pass.
Now, as Mahomes passed the ball, Hill immediately realized that Mahomes was aiming for the end zone.
Turn, break free, start, accelerate.
Hill’s movements flowed smoothly like clouds and water, instantly surpassing Devin, preparing to break through.
But Devin was also constantly ready; perhaps he couldn’t match Hill’s speed, but being able to start as the New England Patriots’ safety, he naturally had his own strengths, coupled with his rich experience, Devin’s reaction was very quick.
Simply put, keeping close to Hill’s body and following the direction of Hill’s spin, Devin gave up turning and simply leaned back against Hill, using his body weight to fall directly, disrupting Hill’s start and buying time to adjust and catch up.
This was the experience, going with the flow.
Sure enough, Hill was squeezed out, and although he didn’t face a block, the steps he was preparing to accelerate were disrupted, and he couldn’t immediately release his speed.
The next second, Devin had completed the turn and swiftly stuck to Hill, the two once again entangled, moving past the Red Zone, their steps quickly approaching the end zone.
Devin and Hill both looked up as the football came straight at them.
Mahomes’s pass around thirty-five yards, aiming a vertical strike into the end zone, would push the New England Patriots to the brink once connected.
Devin and Hill were fully entangled, pushing and shoving each other.
Hill jumped first, firmly blocking the position, overpowering Devin, snatching the advantage.
Hill stretched out his arms, and right then, he noticed that the flight and rotation of the football were irregular, which showed that Van Noy’s hit and grapple still interfered with Mahomes’s pass; moreover, Mahomes’s passes were not the standard bullet passes like those of Brees.
Holding his breath, Hill fully extended his hands, palms open, reaching out to catch the football with his fingertips, completing the reception.
The next second, gravity pulled Hill downwards.
It was only at this moment that Devin jumped up, his right hand slicing between Hill’s arms, poking upward lightly, disrupting the balance with an external force before Hill could fully secure the football.
The football escaped Hill’s control and flew up again.
In just that brief moment of crossing, Devin, like someone rebounding in a basketball game, lightly touched the football with his right hand, altering its trajectory, feeling the pull of gravity as he fell rapidly while using his body to block Hill, successfully grabbing the football.
“My God, interception!”
“McCourty, Devin McCourty outplayed Hill to intercept Mahomes.”
The words had barely come out when they were abruptly cut off.
“McCourty is returning it, Hill tried to tackle McCourty, but clearly, this is not Hill’s forte.”
The situation reversed in an instant.
Devin McCourty held the football tightly, continuing to run back.
Hill missed the tackle, and Kelsey immediately tried to step up to intercept, but at that moment, the other McCourty showed the twin’s understanding, without the need for a tackle or foul, turned his back to block Kelsey for a moment, tripping Kelsey’s steps, and Devin was already charging out.
Then, the chasing figures of Kelsey and Hunter followed.
Speed was not his strong suit, but with agile steps and the advantage gained, the empty backfield became his playground, driving straight through.
Like a dagger, he plunged into the heart of the Kansas City Chiefs.