American Football: Domination

After halftime, the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense erupted—

They played with reckless abandon, not just showing aggression but outright ferocity, demonstrating the dominance of a top-tier defense. It even carried an air of venting frustration, with their hits growing more vicious and their intensity increasingly brutal.

Naturally, the number of penalties also skyrocketed.

One particular stat stood out: Since the start of the second half, the Jaguars had already been flagged three times for pre-snap infractions.

Yet, despite their relentless defensive effort, the Kansas City Chiefs' offense continued advancing. Even before Smith could snap the ball, the Jaguars' violent approach was already attempting to break the balance of the game.

A glance at Smith and Lance told the whole story—their white road jerseys had transformed into camouflage, stained with battle scars from the field.

Breathing heavily.

Drenched in sweat.

Stumbling forward, the Chiefs once again found themselves in a tight spot, now standing at the Jaguars' 22-yard line, facing a critical 3rd & 6.

Of course, they were already within field goal range, which should have been an advantage for Kansas City. But now, both teams were seeing red—

It wasn't just the Jaguars committing penalties; the Chiefs had their share as well. They had already reached the red zone, only to be pushed back by penalties, forcing them to claw their way forward again. The constant battle had torn up the turf, exposing patches of bare earth.

Neither side was willing to back down—

This was now a contest of sheer willpower after halftime!

This drive had already lasted nearly eight minutes, filled with penalties and brutal exchanges. The third quarter was now halfway through. Both Reid and Marrone recognized that this might be the decisive battle—physical and mental exhaustion would take a toll afterward, likely leading to a steep drop in intensity. Whoever won this battle would control the fourth quarter.

22-yard line, 3rd & 6.

Lance checked back in, alternating with Hunt.

This wasn't just a rotation for stamina; it was also a tactical adjustment. Offensive coordinator Nagy personally came over to communicate with Lance.

Lance had already noticed it, but Nagy's insight made it even clearer—

Behind the Jaguars' aggressive defense was a desperate struggle, a team running out of options.

Marrone's defensive strategy had lost its creativity; it was simply relentless pressure. But even the defenders could feel the strain—each one was playing out of control, blindly charging forward.

That meant, amidst the chaos, cracks in their coordination were bound to appear.

Kansas City had to seize that fleeting opening—

One decisive strike.

Marrone might have forgotten, but Reid hadn't. What was Lance's signature move when he first entered the league?

"Little Peterson."

Speed. Agility. Evasiveness.

On the surface, Kansas City appeared to be crumbling under the Jaguars' relentless storm; but often, opportunities were hidden within crises.

Lance stepped up beside Smith, exchanging a quick fist bump with the quarterback. His eyes locked onto the defense—opposing players burned with madness in their eyes, like rabid beasts.

Then, Lance didn't line up behind Smith. Instead, he positioned himself behind Kelce.

The Chiefs came out in a shotgun formation, clearly indicating a pass play. But pulling Lance wide suggested they wouldn't use him for blocking. From a surface-level read, it looked like a quick short pass, relying on receivers to block and advance.

From the Wild Card round to the Divisional round to today, the Chiefs had refined this strategy. Lance's effectiveness as a receiving threat had added more dimensions to their playbook.

If Smith released the ball quickly enough, the Jaguars' pass rush wouldn't have time to take effect—this was a high-efficiency counter to the Jacksonville blitz.

Just one formation, and the tension escalated dramatically.

Especially for Jacksonville. Their excessive pre-snap penalties had already piled up. Now, at 3rd & 6, they didn't want to hand the Chiefs a free first down. They forced themselves to hold back, restraining their impulses. The air was thick with suppressed fire.

Until—

"Attack!"

Smith called for the snap. A thunderous collision erupted.

Smith ignored the defensive line's movement. The instant he received the ball, he turned left and raised his arm for a pass.

Fast. It was all about speed.

Immediately, Jacksonville's defensive front had no time to apply pressure. Their linebackers and safeties surged toward Hill, expecting a quick strike to the wide receiver.

Shock. Disbelief.

The right side had Lance and Kelce, two of Kansas City's deadliest weapons. Naturally, Jacksonville had focused its coverage there, never suspecting that it was all a decoy—

The real target was Hill.

Suddenly, the Jaguars' defense was wide open on Hill's side. The chances of converting 3rd & 6 skyrocketed.

The field erupted in chaos.

Myles Jack sensed something was off.

Jacksonville's two outside linebackers didn't have fixed assignments—Jack usually covered the tight end side, while Telvin handled the weak side, occasionally switching to confuse opponents.

But this time, there was no disguise. The strong side featured Kelce and Lance, so Jack naturally stayed there.

But Smith threw to the weak side. Jack instantly reacted, shifting his momentum toward Hill.

As Jacksonville's defense swarmed the weak side, Jack saw Smith abruptly hesitate, retracting his throwing motion, and pivoting toward Kelce's direction instead.

Oh no.

Jack gasped in realization, desperately trying to reverse course.

His feet barely moved when Smith changed his motion again—

With a delicate soft toss, the ball landed perfectly in Lance's hands.

The entire play was flawless.

Wait… where was Jacksonville's feared pass rush?

It was a trap all along.

The shotgun formation, the quick-pass setup—all of it was designed to push back Jacksonville's pass rush, buying Smith enough time and space to execute the real play.

Then, with a simple pivot, he took off on a run.

In less than a second, Kansas City had completely flipped the Jaguars' defensive expectations, dictating their every move.

This wasn't just a deception—it was a kill shot.

Jack's mind raced, but his body couldn't keep up. Meanwhile, Lance had already accelerated.

One step. Two steps.

Lance had crossed the line of scrimmage. The only defender still in position was defensive end Campbell. Campbell lunged sideways, aiming to stop Lance.

But—

Lance's initial sprint was a fake. He hadn't even gone full speed yet. So when Campbell closed in, Lance simply stopped on a dime, breaking the angle.

Campbell couldn't decelerate in time and completely overran the play.

Campbell: ??? What just happened?

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Powerstones?

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