Cut off in the middle

The air was burning.

Literally speaking, whether it was the offensive group or the defensive group, everyone faced the extreme limits of physical endurance. Steaming with sweat as if they had just emerged from a sauna room, the deadlock kept everyone tense, and no one could afford to relax. They had to grit their teeth and hold on until the end.

Not just the players, even the live audience at Gillette Stadium was flushed and sweating profusely.

Hiss.

Hiss, hiss, hiss.

Again the hisses, again the attacks. When the Kansas City Chiefs' offense took the field once more, Gillette Stadium erupted with an overwhelming noise assault resembling the eruption of a volcano—sending magma, rocks, and dust spinning through the air, invisibly hammering down on the visiting team's players.

The situation was not only deadlocked but also stagnant.