Harbaugh was still as shrewd as ever—
At the moment, the Kansas City Chiefs' offense was ranked first in the league—not just in scoring, but also in both passing and rushing. That shootout against the Los Angeles Rams had been an exhilarating, non-stop offensive showcase.
Facing a young and red-hot Kansas City squad, the Ravens were at a disadvantage. Their offense couldn't keep pace in a shootout, and their defense wasn't capable of simply shutting KC down.
Trying to completely stop the Chiefs' offense was basically impossible. If Baltimore overcommitted defensively, they would risk overextending themselves and collapsing entirely.
So Harbaugh didn't fall into that trap.
Instead, he willingly left some gaps, left some openings—using pass rush pressure as a lure, conceding some offensive space to the Chiefs and mentally preparing to surrender an early touchdown—while subtly disrupting Mahomes' rhythm and dragging him into an uncomfortable, unfamiliar style of play.
Harbaugh was targeting Mahomes' inexperience, patiently setting a snare:
Throwing him off his game, and then seizing control.
Playing chess several moves ahead.
The game had barely begun, but Harbaugh was already thinking about how to win the entire contest.
And so was Reid.
Reid could see the outlines of Harbaugh's strategy. But with Baltimore executing so well, there wasn't much room for immediate adjustment. Reid didn't panic—
He waited.
This produced a fascinating early stalemate.
Baltimore forced Kansas City into third down on three occasions already.
Kansas City converted all three to keep the drive alive.
A tense equilibrium.
Even Lance felt it.
This was Lance's second season, but experience-wise, he still had room to grow.
Lance could sense that Baltimore's defense was laying a trap, but he couldn't yet articulate exactly what it was.
The stalemate itself was proof enough—
The Chiefs were moving the ball, but not smoothly. Baltimore must have done something right to consistently force third downs.
Immersed in this battle, Lance didn't have time to step back and study the full picture. But even as he played, his mind was working, quietly observing:
How could they break this deadlock?
Before the game, all the media buzz had focused on this first NFL meeting between Lance and Lamar Jackson.
Back in college, Lance had been an insurmountable obstacle for Jackson—a mountain Jackson had never conquered. Now, in the NFL, it was a whole new story—
In truth, maybe they'd keep crossing paths.
Or maybe not.
After all, countless college stars flame out in the NFL.
Jackson, a once-shining NCAA star, was now Baltimore's unlikely hope, leading them on a three-game win streak and turning his NFL debut into a sort of legend.
Hence the "Lamar vs. Lance" hype.
But Lance didn't view it that way—
Lamar Jackson? Who?
Lance didn't bother remembering the names of defeated college rivals.
His focus was completely on Baltimore's defense.
This season, Pittsburgh, New England, Los Angeles—all had significantly improved defensive play, offering Lance tougher challenges.
And he welcomed that.
Lance was still leading the league in rushing yards and rushing TDs, and his receiving stats were impressive too.
Undeniably the league's top running back.
But Lance wasn't satisfied.
Beating up on mediocre defenses didn't mean much.
Battling elite defenses was where growth happened.
Jacksonville Jaguars (Week 5): "Hey, could you not throw shade like that?"
Lance was looking forward to future clashes with Aaron Donald and the Rams again.
Naturally, he wasn't going to miss this chance to test himself against Baltimore.
Every elite defense was another opportunity to hone his craft.
Lamar Jackson?
If he wanted Lance's respect, let him try tackling a running back first.
Right now, only a few minutes in, Lance's blood was already running hot.
At the Ravens' 45-yard line—first and ten.
Chiefs still had possession.
And Baltimore's defensive approach stayed the same:
Aggressive but measured.
They didn't recklessly sell out for sacks, avoiding giving Mahomes a chance for an easy deep strike, but they consistently maintained pressure and control.
Efficient, disciplined defense.
Lance was quickly stopped again—
A three-yard gain.
Second and seven.
The Chiefs' offense continued to feel fragmented.
Lance rose to his feet.
His last run hadn't ended in a swarm of tacklers—just a one-on-one encounter with Suggs—but around him, all those black jerseys looked like demons from hell.
The bitter cold didn't help either. Suggs' hit had knocked the ball loose for a split second, forcing Lance to focus on securing it, and costing him precious momentum.
Invisible tension hovered over the Chiefs' offense.
Lance flipped the ball back to the ref.
He didn't immediately return to the huddle; he lingered for a moment, thinking.
Recalling Baltimore's defensive alignment just now—
Not layered, but segmented.
Between their front seven and secondary, they were deliberately leaving a 5-10 yard pocket of open space.
So… was this an invitation to step into the trap?
"Rook?"
Mahomes' voice broke in.
Lance looked up and gave a brief reply—but said nothing else as he jogged back to the huddle.
Mahomes didn't dwell on it. He quickly called the next play.
Back at the line.
Lance bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity.
His eyes swept the defensive formation, trying to read deeper into this battlefield.
A breath.
In the freezing air, every exhale became a white plume. The frigid air made the field feel sharper, almost crystalline; skin taut, the cold stinging.
Then—
A loud voice cracked the silence, startling birds into flight.
"Offense!"
----------
Powerstones?
For 20 advance chapters: patreon.com/michaeltranslates