Chapter 1317: The Storm Approaches
Kelsey didn't dare to look up, neither did Mahomes.
They didn't dare to face the faces that were looking at them, nor did they have the confidence to meet the pairs of eyes filled with anticipation. They just wanted to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it.
"Damn it!"
A roar exploded next to their ears; it was Li Wei's voice.
Reflexively, Kelsey and the others all looked up at the audience stands.
There it was—
There was no blame, no disappointment, no anger, just... smiles.
"Get it together!"
"Let's fight side by side!"
"The game has just begun!"
The encouragement, that fiery passion, wrapped the players like a warm spring breeze, but it only made them feel more ashamed, as bitterness slowly spread over their tongues.
"We embrace victory together, we face failure together, we fight together!"
Carter shouted to the players with all his strength.
This was Felix's favorite phrase, but only now, only today, did Carter truly feel the weight and warmth carried by these words.
As he shouted, his vision began to blur.
Li Wei took a deep breath and shouted firmly and loudly.
"Listen!"
"They say that from every perspective, our season has reached its peak, and every step ahead will face challenges tenfold or even a hundredfold, the road to the summit will become more treacherous, and the storm is just ahead."
"But I say, we are the storm!"
Suddenly, Li Wei raised his right hand high and roared like an angry lion.
Ahhh! Ahhh!
Thunder struck and exploded around them.
Those eyes were filled with determination and a fighting spirit, shining brightly as they looked at their teammates.
Mahomes could no longer hold back his boiling blood and shouted along with them.
"Storm!"
The roar surged like waves and spread outwards.
Li Wei turned and returned to the field, followed closely by the Kansas City Chiefs players who were all enthusiastic and spirited, killing their way back.
On the sidelines, the thunderous momentum finally ripped open the oppressive atmosphere of Arrowhead Stadium, as if a ray of sunlight broke through the darkness and shone down.
However, reality is often not that simple.
If one slogan, two motivational speeches, and three cheers could easily overturn the situation, then comebacks and breakthroughs in competitive sports would not be so difficult—
Vrabel and Henry indeed aimed to win.
The Tennessee Titans used a fake run real pass strategy, completely fooling the Kansas City Chiefs Defense frontline with Tannehill's deceptive moves.
Then, turning around with a backhand, Tannehill surprisingly completed a short pass to connect with Henry.
Even without acting as the running back to advance on the ground, Henry continued to demonstrate his ability after catching the ball. In the encirclement of four defensive players, he forcefully broke through with sheer power, practically dragging Chris Jones to push six yards into the end zone, scoring his third touchdown of the first half.
"28:0."
With the second quarter just beginning, the Tennessee Titans had extended their lead.
Henry was panting heavily and sweating profusely, but his eyes were full of a fierce fighting spirit as he scanned the field, standing in the end zone like a King Kong pounding his chest.
Li Wei turned to look at the offensive group, his eyebrow gently quirking as a smile spread across his face.
"The storm is coming."
The double entendre implied that the Tennessee Titans' storm was approaching, placing the Kansas City Chiefs in an unprecedented predicament, defying all expectations; on the other hand, it suggested that Li Wei was hinting the real storm was coming.
Kansas City Chiefs players caught the hint, and rare smiles appeared on their faces one after another.
What burden, what curse, what arrogance, now all thrown to the ground.
In the audience, Carter stood up, raising his arms high as he fixed his gaze on the field, shouting freely, wholeheartedly, and focused.
"Storm."
One word, followed by another.
It didn't take long for the entire Arrowhead Stadium to roll with the same sound, like dark clouds hovering, instantly covering over the Tennessee Titans players.
Vrabel took a deep breath, "Focus! Focus! We're ready!"
Vrabel knew that the Devil's home field at Arrowhead Stadium was no mere words, so the Tennessee Titans had undergone special training before coming to Kansas City. They trained under high decibel distractions for three whole days until they could be completely immune to the noise interference.
Now, it was time for actual combat.
Immediately, Nantz noticed, "The Kansas Chiefs Offense seems slightly different now."
Romo noticed too, "Li Wei even has the energy to comfort Chris Jones, for the defense group to hold their ground, it seems like the situation truly is different."
Nantz and Romo exchanged glances:
On the surface, not much seemed different; but the details were, Kelsey, Mahomes, and the others were all actively moving their bodies.
The game had entered the second quarter, and they're just starting to warm up?
Expectations quietly rose.
In Li Wei's three seasons in the NFL, he faced innumerable difficulties, pulling off miracle after miracle. He earned all the achievements and glory with step-by-step hard work.
When Li Wei sounded the horn of a comeback, no one could ignore it easily.
No one!
Including Vrabel.
Vrabel also noticed the changes immediately. He knew Li Wei's ability, which was in no way inferior to Henry's. If not for the first quarter where the Kansas City Chiefs tended to rely on passing to open up the game, fully relying on Li Wei for strong confrontation, Vrabel wouldn't have the confidence to create such a situation either.
Although Li Wei didn't play with brute force like Henry by direct confrontation; Li Wei's ability to break through might even surpass Henry's, so they had to be wary.
"Black Hawk One."
"Black Hawk One!"
Vrabel repeatedly signaled, warning the defensive group to keep alert, as the Tennessee Titans had practiced such scenarios multiple times to figure out how to contain Li Wei effectively.
In the last game, the Tennessee Titans' targeted defensive tactics completely killed off the New England Patriots' ground attacks, silencing last season's standout running back Michel throughout the game, putting all the pressure on Brady, which was why the Tennessee Titans didn't let Brady score throughout the three-quarter match.
Tonight, it was Li Wei's turn.
Now, let's see if it's the real deal or just hype, it's time to show it.
The Kansas City Chiefs Offense and the Tennessee Titans Defense lined up at the home team's twenty-five-yard line, a standard position to initiate an offensive drive.
So far, the Kansas City Chiefs' three attempts had all ended in a three-and-out without gaining anything, not even getting close to the field goal range, which meant the offense group had limited time on the field, hardly breaking a sweat.
So what about the fourth time?
Mahomes got ready in formation but wasn't in a hurry to start the play, slowly and leisurely waiting, seemingly deliberately giving the Tennessee Titans enough time to set up their positions and formation while waiting for Vrabel to complete all his tactical arrangements.
In a flash, Vrabel thought, could it be a trap?
But that thought passed quickly.
Whether it was a trap or not, Vrabel needed to follow through with the plan.
Finally, after all the formations were complete, Mahomes finally declared the start of the play.
"Attack!"