The offensive line was like paper, completely useless. Von Miller, with just a lean and a turn, broke through the line in less than a second, charging toward Lu Ke without any obstacles. He easily completed the sack. Lu Ke didn't even have a chance to finish his dropback, let alone look for a receiver.
"Damn it!" Lu Ke scrambled to his feet and yelled at the offensive line in front of him. "Is this an open bar? Anyone can come in, and anyone can leave? You're more lenient than street walkers! This is a rookie training camp! Show some ability! Now is the time; don't wait!"
Even without Lu Ke's scolding, the three offensive linemen were filled with shame. This was their job, and yet they had been completely useless. With a mixture of shame and anger, their emotions also flared up. "Get out! Use your legs! Run, run!" Clint Boling yelled, his face and neck flushed. But after yelling, he awkwardly looked away, standing there and fuming at himself.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Ke quickly calmed down. "Come here, everyone, gather up. We need to focus on the second down." As a quarterback, he had to remain rational and restrained. He had to take control of the situation. "We still have nine more chances! Don't waste any of them if you don't want to become a laughingstock!"
He temporarily cleared the special mission from his mind and focused on completing each down one at a time. Focus, focus, focus!
He looked up at the three offensive linemen in front of him. He didn't know them, and he wasn't familiar with them. He tried to trust them, but... in such a foreign situation, it wasn't easy. "Guys, this is your stage. Play at your own pace, with your own judgment, and give it your all!" In an emergency, he used emergency measures. "Listen, Miller is clearly the core of their defense. The other three players' defensive rhythm is off. A simple screen pass will shift their defensive focus, and we'll complete the pass!"
The screen pass's core tactic was to use the quarterback as bait to draw in the defensive players, then have the offensive line block for the receiver, who would then break through after catching the ball. It was a quick, short pass designed to tear open the defense.
After a brief tactical discussion, Lu Ke's gaze fell on his temporary teammates one by one, and he said in a low voice, "Let the show begin!"
The seven players lined up again. Lu Ke's mind was as calm as still water. On the field, all external factors were pushed aside, and he entered a state of complete concentration. The opponent's defense had no tactical plan to speak of. All their focus was on Von Miller. That's how it is with star players—they are both a strength and a weakness. As long as you break through this key point, the entire defensive line will be torn open.
He kept replaying the first down in his mind, recalling Von's rush pattern and thinking about how to evade him.
"Hut!"
Lu Ke called the snap, and Brandon the center snapped the ball. Lu Ke instinctively reached out to catch it, but... the snap was too high!
The cooperation between the center and the quarterback is the most basic but also the most important part of the offensive unit. The snap and the catch are two simple actions that require thousands of hours of practice and training. The slightest deviation can lead to a fumble, which would completely fail the down.
This was only Lu Ke's second time working with Brandon. Brandon's snap was a little too high and hit the gap between Lu Ke's wrists. Although Lu Ke reacted in time, pulling his hands back to catch the ball, it was an unsteady catch. This caused Lu Ke to slow down his dropback. The first thing he had to do was not to complete the pass, but to control the football!
Damn it!
Lu Ke adjusted his footwork and gripped the football tightly. He managed to regain control, but out of the corner of his eye, he didn't forget to look at the situation in front of him. With one bad snap, the screen pass tactic was ruined. But the three offensive linemen had finally gotten their act together. Using a crisscross pattern, they blocked Von Miller's rush and the rushes of two other players. Only one defensive player circled around and charged at Lu Ke without stopping.
If the snap hadn't been a mistake...
But Lu Ke's mind was clear. There was no hesitation, no regret. After he regained control of the football, that small time difference was enough for Von to break through the line. It had to be admitted that Von's rush had an irresistible sharpness. With his superior ability, he had the upper hand, and he charged forward like lightning.
Von and Watt were both excellent defensive players, but Watt's speed wasn't as fast. His size and footwork gave his rush the momentum of a tiger descending a mountain. Von's speed, however, was like a sharp awl tearing through the line, a powerful, piercing force. Different styles, but a similar threat. Strictly speaking, Von was even better!
Just as Von was about to pounce, there was still a little space between them. Lu Ke called out in his mind, "Absolute Footwork!" This was the best time to use a special skill!
There was no delay. The moment his brain's nerves began to work, his feet and body also started to move. If Duan Yu's "Lingbo Weibu" from "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was real, Lu Ke was experiencing it firsthand.
In the first second, his body became light and full of power. He could clearly feel the explosive power in his muscles, like a leopard, full of speed and strength. His footwork became fast and methodical, with a special rhythm like a master's dance, moving gracefully. In the blink of an eye, he dodged the defensive player who had gotten through and then dodged Von's determined tackle. But this was not the end.
In the second second, Lu Ke's footwork rapidly took him past the offensive line and the two other rushing defensive players. At this moment, Lu Ke felt invincible. He calmly weaved through the defensive players, his body feeling incredibly light. More importantly, as his feet moved, his field of vision became incredibly wide and clear. He saw Logan, he saw Julio, and he saw Jeremy.
The original screen pass tactic had been unexpectedly ruined. The three receivers had not been able to catch the change in the play immediately and were still running their original routes. In those two short seconds, they had already run out of the planned short-pass area and entered the medium-pass area, and some were even moving toward the long-pass area.
Julio. Lu Ke keenly spotted Julio's position and situation.
Julio was now at about the thirty-seven-yard line and was still moving forward. Not far away, Richard Sherman was waiting. He had his hands open and his center of gravity low, his eyes fixed on Julio's running position, ready to move at any moment.
However, there was a gap of about five yards between Julio and Richard, an area that could be covered by defense at any time. More importantly, Julio was tall and big, giving him a physical advantage. It was a perfect opportunity!
In the third second, Lu Ke took a big step forward and quickly swung his arm. A bullet pass flew out with a whooshing sound. The immense power propelled the football forward. The pass wasn't to Julio's position but to a spot directly in front of him, which happened to intersect with Richard's defensive route. This gave Richard a perfect opportunity!
Richard charged forward, trying to get an interception or at least deflect the pass. But in a flash, Julio arrived, hitting Richard with his shoulder and extending his hands to snatch the football from right in front of Richard's eyes. Julio's hands controlled the football, and then he and Richard collided hard. Thanks to his size advantage, Julio got the better of Richard, and they both fell to the ground.
Absolute Footwork skill, on cooldown.
Surprise. All the coaches and scouts on the field had a look of shock on their faces. In that down, Lu Ke, in the face of a bad snap, remained calm. In a difficult situation where he was being attacked from both sides, he used his excellent footwork to escape the pocket, find an open space, and seize the opportunity. He made a decisive pass, and in the duel between Julio and Richard, he successfully delivered the football into Julio's arms.
Twenty-three yards! It was a twenty-three-yard long pass!
Once again, Lu Ke completed a brilliant long pass in a moving situation, which was truly eye-opening. This pass was even more valuable, especially under continuous pressure from the defensive players!
It was a close call, and Lu Ke's heart was in his throat. That pass was a dance on a tightrope. It could have been a completion to Julio, or an interception for Richard. But Lu Ke had gambled correctly!
He had estimated Julio's forward momentum and deliberately controlled his pass, trying to get the ball as close to Julio as possible. This was not easy. After he threw the ball, he gritted his teeth, anxiously watching the football fly through the air. Only when he saw Julio complete the catch did he finally let out a long breath.
But now was not the time to be happy. Lu Ke was not overjoyed. Instead, he became even calmer and called out to his temporary teammates, "Go, quick, hurry up!" The no-huddle offense was his specialty, and he would continue to use it today.
Absolute Footwork was truly amazing. In those three short seconds, he felt a sense of invincibility and unstoppable power coursing through his veins! The problem now was that he only had one more use of the special skill left, so he had to save it for when it was most needed!
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