American Football: Domination

Chaos. Crowding. Closeness.

But the more chaotic things got, the more calm was needed—because disorder often revealed openings. That was the only thought in Lance's mind at this moment.

The instant he received the football from Smith, Lance pulled back and cut outside, immediately escaping the danger zone in the pocket and looking for breathing room on the right flank.

A quick glance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Posluszny slicing into the pocket from the left. Lance quickly adjusted his footwork to create separation—just in time to see Posluszny and Smith go down together, neutralizing one threat. But there were still two more.

Linebacker Telvin Smith.

Of the three linebackers, Telvin was the only one who didn't step forward immediately. Instead, he hesitated briefly, waiting for the battle in the trenches to turn into a grinder. Only then did he loop around from the outside to cut into the pocket.

He had been waiting for Lance.

Telvin faced no resistance. The timing of his delayed attack allowed him to slip past tight end Kelce. Kelce had lunged forward, losing position for a block, and Telvin smartly exploited the gap he left behind.

Light. Agile. Quick.

The Jaguars' defensive scheme had once again seized the initiative.

And Lance?

Lance had already spotted Telvin and was preparing to cut away—but in his peripheral vision, he detected a second threat closing in.

Not Posluszny.

Defensive end Calais Campbell.

The hidden leader and core of this blue-collar defense, Campbell clearly saw an opportunity he didn't want to miss.

Numerical advantage.

The Jaguars had created another numbers mismatch, giving neither Smith nor Lance any time to adjust. Their suffocating defense continued its dominant performance.

So, what now?

Lance could keep cutting back, but he had already learned in the first quarter that the Jaguars' pursuit was relentless. Their defense was a tightly woven net—the more he changed direction, the deeper he fell into their trap.

Once he committed to a cut, his space and time would shrink instantly, leaving no margin for observation or judgment. Even a slight miscalculation would put him in their grasp. The Jaguars knew Lance's ability and were fully prepared, always converging with superior numbers to shut him down.

It was like a hunter's snare—the more the prey struggled, the tighter the net became.

That was how Lance had felt in the first quarter.

It was clear: the Jaguars were treating him as their top priority. If they could neutralize Lance, the Chiefs' offense would be crippled.

And with the Chiefs backed up in their own end zone, the Jaguars were going all out, stacking the box with an overwhelming defensive front. The danger ahead was even greater.

To Lance, this was a challenge—a puzzle to solve.

And he had an idea.

Without hesitation, Lance quickly assessed Telvin and Campbell's positioning.

Emergency stop!

Unexpectedly, Lance didn't try to cut away. Instead, he slammed on the brakes—but with precise body control.

He spun 180 degrees, turning his back to Telvin, who was lunging forward for the tackle. But instead of panicking, Lance waited.

Collision. Impact.

Wrap-up!

Telvin locked onto Lance, executing a perfect tackle.

Success!

Telvin didn't understand why Lance hadn't cut away and had instead walked straight into his grasp—but there was no time to think. An opportunity had presented itself, and he took it. As long as he secured the tackle, nothing else mattered.

His arms clamped down like crab claws, locking onto Lance.

Safety secured.

Or so he thought.

Then—

"Ugh!"

A muffled grunt.

Lance planted his feet, exploded off the ground, and drove his shoulder straight into Telvin's chest, shoving him backward. With relentless force, he kept pushing, driving toward his rear right.

Telvin gasped for breath. His legs locked straight as he tried to hold his ground, but his balance wavered like a withered autumn leaf in the wind. His insides churned from the impact.

"Damn it!"

Before Telvin could react, a sudden force hit his right side—knocking him off balance.

It was Campbell!

The distance between Campbell, Telvin, and Lance had been just two steps.

Campbell, having shed his blocker, rushed in to finish Lance off. He assumed Lance would cut outside to escape, so he stepped along a diagonal line to close in.

One step.

Before he could take another, Lance and Telvin crashed into him.

Campbell had no time to react—he collided directly with Telvin, and the three of them went tumbling down together.

Everything spiraled into chaos.

Except for Lance.

He crouched, bent his knees, and kept his balance. In the middle of the pile-up, he was the only one still in control.

In the midst of the chaos—

He surged forward.

But not to overpower Telvin and Campbell. Instead, he used their combined force as a springboard to push off. With one step forward, he planted his right leg, kicked off with his left, and spun.

A 180-degree spin.

Effortlessly, he slipped past the collapsing defenders—cutting inside through the heart of the crowd.

It was a blur.

Cornerback Jalen Ramsey lost sight of him.

Defensive tackle Malik Jackson lost sight of him.

Both had been watching the unfolding play, convinced that the two-on-one matchup had Lance trapped. Ramsey, sensing the opportunity, had abandoned his coverage to step up—ready to intercept Lance if he somehow escaped. But in the mess of bodies, he lost track of him.

Wait. That was—

A flash of white.

A blur of a visiting-team jersey dashed past Ramsey's periphery. In a split second, he realized he had lost him.

Jackson, however, saw it.

Lance.

Without hesitation, Malik Jackson lunged forward—

A full-force collision!

Jackson's legs couldn't keep up, but he didn't care. His entire 285-pound (129 kg) frame hurtled forward like a freight train, launching at Lance before he could cross the line of scrimmage.

Boom!

A bone-crushing impact.

Even without full power behind the hit, Jackson's massive frame slammed into Lance like a cannonball.

Lance went flying.

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Powerstones?

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