Bank of America Stadium felt like a pressure cooker, the tension steadily building to the point of eruption, as if it could explode at any moment.
1st and 10 yards.
Pederson seized on the Kansas City Chiefs' cautious mindset, going against the grain and decisively choosing to run the ball, keeping the tactical initiative in his hands.
Blount, the top running back who had barely made an impact in the game so far, was not content to let Clement steal the spotlight. Finally, he showcased his bulldozer-like strength, grinding through the Chiefs' front-line defense. Despite being met with staunch resistance, Blount powered forward for three yards.
Although the gain was minimal, Blount effectively displayed the ground game's solid, unyielding nature, forcing a standoff and eating up precious game time.
Reid used his first timeout.
2nd and 6 yards.
Foles faked a handoff to run, then handed the ball off to Blount again for the second consecutive time.
This time, however, the Chiefs' defense was clearly in sync with Pederson's rhythm, with three defenders successfully stopping Blount.
Blount attempted to employ the same tactic again, refusing to go down or let the play be called dead, gritting his teeth and continuing to fight, all while draining the clock.
However, he eventually couldn't hold on, succumbing to the mounting pressure, and the clock didn't run as much as hoped.
Reid called his second timeout.
3rd and 4 yards.
The situation changed dramatically.
Now, Pederson faced a crucial decision: Should he continue running the ball to drain the clock, playing it safe to avoid unnecessary risks, or should he opt for a passing play to break the deadlock, aiming for a first down and keeping the Eagles' offense on the field, pushing the Chiefs toward despair?
Prediction, setup, tactics.
Revis knew that Pederson and Reid were definitely calculating their next moves, their minds racing at full speed. But for him, the situation wasn't that complicated.
Looking at the game tonight, two fourth-and-one attempts, the "Philadelphia Special" turned the Super Bowl into a showcase of professional prowess, taking risks on long third downs and showing unshaken trust in Clement and Burton—undrafted players making key plays. From strategy to tactics, Pederson's approach was ambitious.
And the execution was spot on. The Eagles were undoubtedly playing their most daring, confident, and passionate game of the season.
For Revis, the playcalling on 3rd down was clear—Pederson would go for the pass, 100%.
Moreover, Clement or Ertz as the pass targets, aiming to exploit Revis' defensive side, was likely to happen.
This time, Revis was ready.
He took a deep breath, his focus sharp as he pushed aside all distractions, feeling his trembling knees and burning muscles. No longer afraid, he started to enjoy the signals his body was sending him. The burn reminded him of his peak years five years ago. He embraced the challenge, welcoming the contact, arms open for the fight.
"Attack!"
Foles called for the play.
The Chiefs went for a blitz, five rushers putting on the pressure.
Clearly, Reid chose to play hard and respond to the crisis with strength—
What did this mean?
It was simple. It meant the linebackers would step up, targeting the quarterback. Naturally, they wouldn't be able to zone cover, so the secondary would switch to man-to-man coverage.
This tactic hadn't been used often by the Chiefs tonight due to the weakness of their cornerbacks. Their man-to-man defense couldn't hold up, forcing defensive coordinator Sutton to call for zone coverage repeatedly. Thus, the Chiefs' defense hadn't been able to sack Foles once in the game.
In fact, Revis was one of the best man-to-man cornerbacks the league had seen in a decade.
Usually, cornerbacks are known for their ability to cover wide receivers in man-to-man, following them vertically and sticking tight. There are many such cornerbacks in the league. What set Revis apart was his exceptional lateral and vertical coverage, able to cover both sides of the field seamlessly. His change of direction, explosiveness, and tight footwork were all top-tier.
This is why Revis earned the nickname "Island King"—he could cover the entire field and shut down any top-tier wide receiver.
In his prime, Revis loved the challenge of facing an opponent's top wide receiver head-on. The stronger the challenge, the better he performed. He was a nightmare for every elite wide receiver in the league.
Over the past few years, people had said Sherman had surpassed Revis in his prime, but that wasn't the case. Sherman's ability was limited to covering the left side of the field, while Revis could cover anywhere, following wide receivers to the ends of the earth.
Of course, those days of brilliance were now behind him.
In recent years, with his physical abilities severely declining, Revis had relied more on his judgment, feel, intuition, and experience to make plays. His tight man-to-man coverage couldn't keep up with the rhythm, so he had to adjust from being a classic man-to-man cornerback to a hybrid zone cornerback.
But now, Revis had to go back to man coverage.
So, who was it?
Ertz.
Of course, it was Ertz.
Was there any doubt?
He, "Island King" Revis, always faced the opponent's number-one receiving threat, even if it was a tight end.
The difference now was that Revis wasn't rushing to engage right away. He wasn't worried about Ertz's size, but instead was setting up to bait Foles into throwing the ball his way.
Otherwise, if Ertz served as the decoy and Foles passed to Clement, the Eagles would easily convert the third down. This situation had already occurred multiple times in the game.
With small, precise steps, Revis remained fully focused, watching Ertz, observing Foles, and still keeping an eye on Clement—this was the basic principle of zone coverage. But Revis remained patient, waiting until the moment Foles released the ball.
Foles, feeling the pressure from the Chiefs' all-out rush, had no time to escape. Houston tore through the pocket and rushed at Foles.
Danger!
Foles didn't try to escape the sack—dropping the ball would be disastrous. Instead, he threw the ball.
The target was—
Ertz.
At that moment, Revis sprang into action, stepping forward to position himself directly in front of Ertz, cutting off the connection between him and Foles, leaping early.
Ertz was startled.
Clearly, Ertz hadn't expected Revis to intercept the pass with such precision. It was a textbook example of Revis' experience, not relying on pure physicality, but on his instinctive judgment.
Ertz watched helplessly as Revis jumped right in front of him. Revis' body extended fully, arm reaching out to the extreme.
The football fluttered down, just barely slipping past Revis' fingertips, continuing to fly.
It missed.
Ertz: It's here.
Revis: Damn it.
If this were Revis at his peak, there's no way he would have missed that interception.
But unfortunately, there were no "what ifs."
Still, Revis didn't give up. He refused to quit, refused to surrender—
Thud, thud, thud.
His heart kept pounding.
He felt the pull of gravity, as if a thousand-pound weight had dropped. He planted his right leg firmly and, using his core strength, completed a 180-degree turn in midair, throwing himself at the ball.
Fight, like burning your life away.
Explode, as if shattering into pieces.
Boom. Boom.
The roar was growing louder.
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Powerstones?
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