AllFreeNovel
Share Us
31
Brody
This week, we had the Monday Night Football game at home against the Chiefs. It was an important divisional game against a rival that was only a game behind us in the standings, although both of us were trailing the Denver Broncos.
During the first half, coach still split my playing time with Andrew Stark, the backup tight end. I tried not to let it bother me. Instead, I channeled that frustration into my game, allowing it to motivate me. Stark was a good player, and I needed to give a hundred percent on every play in order to show that I was still the top dog.
Despite my conviction, I didn’t have a great game. Neither did Andrew, though. The Chiefs defense was smothering us on short plays, and we struggled to get open for Dallas. That forced him to target his wide receivers more.
The Salt Lake City crowd was subdued and restless as we walked into the locker room at halftime, down 17 - 14.
In the second half, our problems continued. The Chiefs were stuffing eight men in the box, with the exception of the safety that was playing man-to-man defense against me. I glanced at the safety that had caused us problems all game. Some players wore tinted visors so you couldn’t see their eyes, but this guy had a clear visor. And in the bright light of the indoor stadium, I caught a glimpse of his eyes.
They weren’t looking at me. They were looking down. At my feet.
Wait a minute…
The next play was an out route. As I began the route, I gave a little stutter step with my feet, like I was going to curl back toward the quarterback for a dump pass. Just as I’d hoped, the defender took the bait and hesitated. I sprinted by him, gaining enough separation to get wide open.
But Dallas had already passed the ball to Kincaid over on the left sideline.
As we regrouped in the huddle, I tapped Dallas on the shoulder. “I’ve got a read on the free safety. Look for me to get open this play.”
Dallas nodded, then called the next play—one where I had a slant route across the middle of the field. I grinned at the safety, who was once again staring down at my feet rather than at my body.
“Forty-two red, set, HIKE,” Dallas called.
I took off on my route. The first five steps were straight before taking off at an angle. Just before making the turn, I stepped like I was going to take off to the right, toward the sideline. Then I slid to the left and went in the opposite direction. The defender took the bait again, giving me a yard of separation. The stutter-step meant I was slightly behind on my route, but Dallas was a pro and adjusted as he threw the ball, hitting me right in the numbers for a twenty-yard gain.
The next two plays were similar. Now that I had the safety’s number, I was able to fool him and gain enough separation to make easy passes. This forced the Chiefs secondary to come in to help cover the zone, which freed up Kincaid for a deep pass that put us two yards away from the end zone. I caught the next pass on a button route for an easy touchdown.
“Hell yeah!” Kincaid and Double-D said while we celebrated in the end zone. “Giddy-up Brody!”
I did a little celebratory dance before handing the football to the referee. When I got back to the sideline, Andrew Stark was the first to congratulate me.
“That’s why you’re the big man,” he said while clapping me on the shoulder.
It felt good to be back on top, cruising along at peak performance. It felt like the way things should be. I didn’t need this kid breathing down my neck and taking my playing time.
But this was a team sport. And Andrew was a good kid.
“For the first five yards of the play, the safety is totally focused on your feet,” I told him. “Give him a little fake-out and he’ll bite every time.”
Andrew blinked in surprise. “Thanks, Brody. I’ll do that next time.”
Dallas reached the sideline and smacked me on the ass so hard it probably left a red print on my skin. “I didn’t believe you when you said you found a way to get open. But sure enough…”
“Hope you learned your lesson, skipper,” I said. “Always trust your good buddy.”
He laughed, then looked around and lowered his voice so only I could hear. “What’s gotten into you lately?”
“What? Nothing.”
He gave me the same look he used to give when we were back in college together: Come on, dude. Tell me the truth.
I sighed, made sure nobody was within earshot, and said, “Taylor and I finally hooked up.”
A huge grin filled Dallas’s face. “I knew it!”
