With the New York Giants scoring on their last drive, possession of the ball switched hands. It was now the New England Patriots' turn to go on offense.
The Giants' defensive unit jogged off the field, and Tom Brady led his offensive unit onto the grass.
The linebacker who had failed to tackle Luke on the previous drive, and who was also the defensive captain, looked a bit ashamed as he spoke to Tom Brady: "We didn't play well and gave up a score. Sorry, we added pressure on you."
Tom Brady smiled and replied, "It's fine. I'll work hard to score and get those points back." The two men exchanged a smile and a morale-boosting hug.
But in the next moment, Tom Brady's smile froze:
He realized that Luke, who had just played quarterback for the offensive unit, hadn't left the field to rest. Instead, he was back out on the field as a member of the defensive unit.
In a football game, both teams can have up to 53 players, but only 11 can be on the field at the same time. These players are generally divided into three units: the Offense, the Defense, and the Special Teams.
The offensive unit, centered around the quarterback, is responsible for advancing the ball and trying to score a touchdown. The defensive unit, often led by a linebacker, is responsible for stopping the opponent and preventing them from scoring.
Offensive players need skills like running routes, penetrating the line, and catching the ball. Defensive players need skills like tackling, intercepting, and coverage. Because the skills and roles of offensive and defensive players are so different, the two units are usually separate, and teams generally do not share players between them.
Even setting aside the specialized skills, most teams wouldn't mix players due to stamina concerns. A single offensive possession often requires multiple plays, sometimes ten or more, which is extremely taxing on energy.
However, all of these normal conventions were meaningless when it came to Luke!
His previous offensive drive scored in a single play, so he didn't have any issue with being overly exhausted. Furthermore, Luke's defensive skills were practically self-taught genius. If his punches and kicks could be completely blocked, what chance did a running man have?
Since he could be the New York Giants' strongest defensive shield, why would they give that up?
Luke lined up in the secondary, towards the back of the defensive line. Since he had minimal practice time with the Giants' defense, he functioned primarily as a backup and coverage player. The overall defensive strategy was still left to the Giants' established players, with Luke simply adjusting based on the real-time situation on the field.
The offensive side was ready. Luke looked at Tom Brady, positioned at the center of the offensive formation, and quietly felt a moment of regret.
Luke actually quite liked the legendary quarterback. His career spanned 23 years and created countless classic moments. Even at the "old age" of 43, he was still active and won a final Super Bowl MVP, a true example of an athlete who gets better with age. Although he isn't as well-known in Asian due to football's limited influence there, Tom Brady's recognition in North America is absolutely on par with Michael Jordan's.
But today, he had to be trampled underfoot.
Luke needed to use the New England Patriots as a stepping stone. He didn't just have to win; he had to win without any doubt, achieving a completely dominant victory. Only then could he ascend to a legendary status and secure his reputation.
To use a slightly dramatic line: It was time to let them witness the terror of The Demon King's arrival.
"Beep!" The referee's whistle blew. The game resumed.
Tom Brady took the snap from the center and immediately started directing the offense. The New York Giants' defense was lined up in a standard 4-3 formation—conventional and stable.
From his position in the backfield, Luke clearly saw the two sides immediately crash into each other. "Thud!" "Thud!" "Thud!" A continuous barrage of hits echoed across the field.
Just then, an agile figure burst out of the crowd.
"Go!" Tom Brady yelled, simultaneously throwing the ball. His situational awareness was incredibly strong; he keenly spotted a slight lapse in his team's positioning and fired the ball into the hands of a running back on the left side.
The running back sprinted forward. By the time a Giants linebacker managed to tackle him, he had advanced more than 10 yards.
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle. The New England Patriots, on offense, had achieved their goal in just one of their four allowed attempts. The line of scrimmage would advance 10 yards, bringing the offense closer to the end zone and increasing the pressure on the defense.
"I told you this game would be good! The Patriots are playing steady. The result is still up in the air!" one fan exclaimed.
"Didn't you just say the Giants were done for and bet half a year's salary? Are you nervous now?"
"Didn't you bet on the Patriots to win?"
"Yeah, but I only bet $500. If I lose, I'll just count it as paying money to watch a miracle, so no big loss."
"Dang it, who knew Luke would be this crazy? But the win is still up for grabs."
"I hope so. This is our home field. I don't want to see our beloved team lose."
"Do you think Luke, playing defense, might actually pull off another unbelievable performance?"
"I don't know. If his defense is as ridiculous as his offense, the Patriots could be in trouble."
Unbeknownst to them, the initial optimism of the New England Patriots fans had completely vanished. With Luke's dominant performance, people were starting to reverse their thinking, believing the New York Giants now had a higher chance of winning.
"Beep!"
The whistle sounded, and the game continued.
Once again, Tom Brady directed the offense. Thanks to his teammates' excellent play, a few gaps appeared in the New York Giants' defensive line. Tom Brady chose a running back to Luke's right and threw the ball with perfect precision.
The moment he released the ball, an opposing left tackle moved forward at the exact right time, blocking Luke's path to create a clear receiving lane for the running back.
But in the very next second, Luke's shadow blurred in front of the left tackle, passing him with a rush of wind. Before the tackle could react, he watched Luke run several yards away.
Is that speed even legal? The left tackle cursed internally and chased after him.
Then he saw it: Luke leapt high like a rocket launching into the sky, intercepting the ball thrown by Tom Brady from over 11 feet (3.4 meters) in the air and tucking it securely into his arms.
At that moment, the previously noisy stadium went completely silent, as if someone had hit the mute button.
Luke's astonishing high-speed maneuver followed by a leaping interception had absolutely shattered their understanding of the game.
Is this how football is supposed to be played? With that kind of running speed, why aren't you in the 100-meter dash? With that jumping ability, you could be playing basketball or setting world records in the high jump!
Was there even any suspense left in this game?
According to football rules, an offensive pass caught by the defense results in an immediate turnover—possession of the ball shifts. The offensive drive was now back in the hands of the New York Giants.
Luke smiled and casually tossed the football up and down, looking completely relaxed. But his smile sent a chill down the spines of the spectators.
If they knew that Luke's goal for this game was to prevent the opponent from scoring a single point, they would likely be absolutely terrified.
His legendary reputation was about to be cemented today!
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