488 Taking a different approach

Standing behind the offensive line, Smith was observing the defensive formation. The pounding of his heart and his rapid breathing interwoven into a roaring din that brutally pummeled his eardrums, as time and air both seemed to come to a standstill.

He wanted to win, just once, not to prove anything, but simply to win.

Then, slowly bending his knees and lowering his center of gravity, he stared unblinkingly at the defensive formation in front of him, his concentration reaching an unprecedented peak—

As expected, the Philadelphia Eagles' defensive formation looked like a pocket, with the cornerbacks close to the sidelines, safeties at the back, and linemen pressing the front line, thus forming a neat square box that encapsulated the offensive group.

In simple terms, the priority was to prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from passing the ball out of bounds to stop the clock, making the Eagles' defensive priorities clear and direct.

The pressure, naturally, was all on the Chiefs.