Danger—extreme danger!
Trapped in a collapsing pocket, Smith was surrounded. No space, no escape.
Two steps—that was all he had. Flowers had broken free from the line, lunging forward in two giant strides.
Smith's side-step was leading him straight into the jaws of the beast.
Fight!
It was the only thought in his mind. He wanted to try.
So—
Step up. Charge forward.
Brake!
Just as Smith and Flowers were about to collide, Smith slammed on the brakes, forcing his body to stop cold—
Then, a slight shift to the side.
Flowers had committed everything to the sack, pouring in full power. The sudden movement caught him off guard.
He tried to slow down—but his foot slipped.
Missed.
Flowers brushed Smith's arm but couldn't stop himself from flying past.
Smith held his breath, refusing to relax. Even as his balance wavered from the contact, he stayed upright—driven by sheer willpower. His eyes burned with an intensity never seen before.
Turn. Scan the field.
Plant. Step forward.
I can do this.
Just like the first deep ball in the second half.
Twist. Launch.
His entire body tightened like a drawn bowstring, muscles fully extended.
Then—release.
Whistle.
The football ripped through the night sky, tracing a breathtaking arc.
The next second, Smith was flattened by a freight train, but his eyes never left the ball.
Soaring—high, higher, unstoppable.
—
Lance, fully locked in.
Positioned at the back of the shotgun formation, he was ready.
At the snap—no hesitation. He exploded forward, cutting into the slot, sprinting straight ahead.
Flowers? Gone in an instant.
Lance didn't stop, pushing forward, overtaking Kelce, who was also running a vertical route.
Five yards.
Linebacker Harrison tracked Lance, not committing fully, instead keeping a slight gap between them—a calculated move.
Then—Lance cut inside.
Straight toward Harrison.
Harrison tensed.
But—Lance ignored him.
Instead, he crossed paths with Hill, executing a perfectly timed route switch—
Both of them took diagonal paths, their speed on full display.
What?
Harrison hesitated for half a second.
Van Noy didn't.
The corners and linebackers were in man coverage. The safeties covered zones. No matter what happened, the defenders had to stick to their assignments.
From every angle, Kelce vs. Gilmore was a mismatch—Kelce had the size advantage.
Which meant Lance was likely a decoy, and the real target was Kelce.
The routes seemed to confirm this.
The receivers were running chaotic crossing routes, but Kelce? He stayed on a straight vertical path.
Van Noy kept his assignment—he stayed on Hill.
Harrison followed Lance.
Then—
Just as Harrison crossed the 30-yard line, Lance suddenly reversed course.
Straight back.
Harrison: ???
Van Noy: ???
Lance and Hill executed a second switch, their zigzagging paths weaving a perfect trap.
Van Noy and Harrison both lost their balance for a split second.
Harrison tried to recover.
But Lance saw his chance.
Plant. Accelerate. Escape.
One step. Two. Three.
Just like that, Lance broke free, sprinting past the 20-yard line, widening the gap with Harrison.
Harrison: Shit!
He pushed forward, trying to recover—
But the moment he did, Lance collided with Kelce.
Harrison's heart sank.
Gilmore, who was covering Kelce, moved in sync.
Then—
Lance broke free.
Full sprint. No looking back.
He unleashed every ounce of speed, tearing down the sideline like a streak of lightning.
The Edge Runner—back in Gillette Stadium.
Gasp!
The entire stadium sucked in a breath.
The fans in the stands saw it first—the unstoppable blur.
Danger. Danger. Danger!
Gilmore recognized the threat immediately.
He abandoned Kelce, chasing after Lance.
Harrison couldn't recover, tangled with Kelce.
But Gilmore was too slow.
Lance was pulling away.
Faster. Faster.
15 yards.
10 yards.
5 yards.
**End zone—**right there.
Chung and McCourty were waiting.
This was the Hail Mary's final challenge.
The offense had to steal victory from the fire.
So—who was Smith throwing to?
Kelce?
No.
Lance.
"Fourth-and-7! Nine seconds left!"
"Kansas City is in trouble—New England blitzes!"
"Smith is running for his life, but he's still standing!"
"Flowers misses the sack—Smith finds space!"
"Smith throws! Smith targets the end zone! Thirty-six yards—Hail Mary! We are witnessing Alex Smith's Hail Mary attempt!"
"The target is—"
"Lance?!"
"Lance is completely unguarded! My God—how did he do that?!"
"Gilmore is chasing, but Lance is unstoppable!"
"Lance! 15 yards! 10 yards! 5 yards!"
"Lance enters the end zone!"
"Chung and McCourty are there—Lance goes straight for Chung!"
"Smith's Hail Mary pass is heading for the top-right corner of the end zone! It's slightly long—accuracy isn't perfect!"
"Three players! Three players jumping at once!"
Two versus one.
What should Lance do?
Step one—stay calm.
Step two—positioning.
Use one defender's positioning to block the other.
Then—trust yourself. Jump.
Lance turned his back, leaning into Chung, isolating McCourty.
He threw all his weight onto Chung to disrupt his leap.
Eyes locked on the ball.
Wait for it.
A pair of hands reached out first—McCourty had jumped early.
Lance didn't panic.
Wait half a beat.
Then—jump.
Chung went up, but Lance had timed it perfectly.
McCourty was already falling.
Chung was still rising.
Lance reached out—
Caught it.
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Powerstones?
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