Halftime had arrived—
Michaels was stunned, his mind reeling from the shock and impact. Words swirled on the tip of his tongue but failed to take shape.
So, how should one evaluate this?
First quarter: "0:21," Kansas City Chiefs dominated.
Second quarter: "21:0," Pittsburgh Steelers fully revived.
The two quarters mirrored each other—perfect copy and paste, but flipped. First the Chiefs scored three unanswered touchdowns, then the Steelers did the same. Each team ruled a half.
When the referee blew the halftime whistle, the game went into the break deadlocked. Both teams had played one exceptional quarter, piecing together a phenomenal first half.
Score: "21:21."
It was hard to describe.
In a league filled with bizarre and thrilling matchups, a game like this—where one team completely shut out the other for a quarter, only to find itself tied at halftime—was a rare spectacle.
What had really happened in the first half?
After all the twists and turns, they were back where they started. Had a game been played at all?
"Indeed—"
"As expected of the Chiefs and Steelers. As expected of the season opener. Both teams lived up to the hype, delivering an electrifying game in an unexpected way, as if mocking everyone watching:
'Ha, you thought you knew how this would end? You were all wrong.'"
"I don't know about you, but I definitely didn't see this coming."
"The Chiefs are young. Their youth powered their first-quarter dominance, revealing a new face to the defending champions. But that same youth cost them the second quarter, as their lack of experience was thoroughly exposed."
"The Steelers are seasoned. Their savvy backfired in the first quarter with costly misjudgments. But in the second, they mounted a comeback with veteran poise, restoring balance and suspense."
"The teams are evenly matched."
"The 2018 season is off to a promising start."
Michaels even cracked a small joke.
In front of the TV, some applauded, others cheered—the season opener did not disappoint. But not everyone was smiling.
Like Bell.
His expression was twisted and gloomy. He wasn't happy when the Steelers were behind, nor was he pleased when they caught up. Honestly, he didn't even know why he was still watching. Shouldn't he have turned it off?
Yet he couldn't.
Staring silently at the screen, Bell thought: he still hoped the Chiefs would defeat the Steelers. Only then would the Steelers truly realize how much they needed him. Even if Tomlin used every trick in the book, without a solid ground game, they couldn't change the tide—
Then, the Steelers would come crawling back to the negotiation table.
Taking a deep breath, Bell braced himself:
"Lance, come on."
Surely the kid had more to offer. Just this wasn't enough to be the league's best running back—far from it.
"Now comes the real test—for both teams."
"What happens in the second half?"
"The score suggests a tie, so anything can happen. But that's not the whole truth."
"Each team played one great quarter, completely dominating the other. The momentum and rhythm weren't even close."
"This means the second-half rhythm will be key."
"Both Reid and Tomlin know how important the second-half start is. They'll come out swinging. Whoever grabs the pace first will have the upper hand."
"And here, the Steelers have a slight edge—"
"Because they get the ball first."
"But that's a very slight advantage."
"In the second quarter, the Steelers completely abandoned Antonio Brown, using him solely as a decoy. We can now see the league's top receiver expressing his frustration on the sideline."
"But for now, Brown is only complaining to the offensive coordinator, signaling to Tomlin. How Tomlin handles this—and how he uses Brown in the second half—is a crucial question."
"After Bell's boycott, the Steelers sidelined Brown too. And yet, Tomlin didn't revert to a ground-based offense. Instead, he leaned harder into passing, putting unprecedented weight on Roethlisberger's shoulders. This is a new Steelers offense."
"One we're unfamiliar with. One Reid is unfamiliar with."
"This is a wild card. A problem we have to solve."
Excitement—undeniable excitement—
Unfolding in an unexpected way.
No one had anticipated the season opener would unfold like this. But thrilling is thrilling. With each team shining for a quarter, the roller coaster ride was a heart-pounding experience.
Not just fans of the two teams—even casual viewers were hooked.
Then, the second half began.
The Steelers offense took the field first—Tomlin came prepared.
They maintained their second-quarter rhythm—
Trickery was the key word.
On one hand, Tomlin lined up as though preparing for a ground assault—exactly the Steelers offense fans were familiar with. But it was all a fake. They kept running play-action fakes and baiting the front seven, sticking to the same rapid short-passing game as before.
On the other hand, Brown ran deceptive routes so convincingly that defenders couldn't ignore him. Yet again, he was a decoy. Roethlisberger's passes spread wide to various targets, picking apart the young Chiefs defense with methodical, war-of-attrition tactics.
It wasn't until the drive ended that Brown, unable to hold back any longer, confronted Tomlin on the sideline, demanding to know why he wasn't being targeted.
Only then did it become clear—
Tomlin wasn't just fooling the opponents. He was fooling Brown too.
No wonder Brown's routes looked so convincing—he genuinely believed he was the target. But Tomlin had given Roethlisberger a different set of instructions—leaving Brown in the dark.
No wonder the Chiefs defense couldn't see through it. Tomlin's move was ruthless.
Brown's personal feelings? No one cared.
Because the Steelers scored again—meaning Tomlin's strategy worked.
This time, the touchdown was Roethlisberger's.
A 3-yard quarterback run.
The Steelers had practically abandoned both Brown and the ground game. But with this confusing, experimental offense, they managed to leave everyone puzzled—then threw in a surprise.
Roethlisberger held the ball and ran it in himself. His lumbering steps, like a giant whale, shook the defense with every tiny movement. In a series of seismic jolts, he bowled into the end zone for a touchdown.
"28:21."
The Steelers had taken the lead.
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates