Six offensive plays, in just 150 seconds, the San Francisco 49ers once again scored a touchdown with an unstoppable drive. The entire process looked effortless and unhurried. Everything happened so fast and so intensely that people were a little slow to react.
After the second half began, the San Francisco 49ers' offense took the field for the first time and immediately broke the deadlock again. It wasn't the Seattle Seahawks, but the San Francisco 49ers, a turn of events that was completely unexpected by all the commentators and experts.
The fans at Candlestick Park finally seemed to come to their senses, and the cheers and screams gradually began to boil over. The first two touchdowns at the beginning of the game came so quickly that they didn't have time to savor the excitement of the touchdown, and everything was over in a whirlwind. But this time, they were deeply aware: Victory, the 49ers were really on their way to victory!
Kyle Williams, Logan Newman, and Marcus Lynch all ran toward the stands, letting out all their pent-up frustration and pressure, and calling for more cheers and roars. But Lu Ke didn't.
On the third touchdown, Lu Ke just clenched his fist and celebrated simply, and that was it. At this moment, all thoughts of game tasks and special missions were thrown out of his mind. Victory was his only goal, not for himself, but for Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning. No one could act so wildly on his home turf, no one.
A determined and sharp light burst from his dark eyes, as if to say: The game isn't over yet!
That was the truth, and Lu Ke acted accordingly.
Both special teams took the field, and the 49ers had no problem kicking the extra point, bringing the score to 21-10 after a half-long stalemate. The lead was extended even further.
Caught off guard, the Seattle Seahawks fell into an even deeper mud pit before they even had a chance to counter. The expected clash of titans was turning into a one-sided game. So, what would the Seahawks' offense do in response? Could they counterattack effectively and catch up, like they did at the start of the game?
The answer was no.
Three-and-out. No one expected the Seattle Seahawks' first three-and-out of the game to happen at this moment. The San Francisco 49ers' defense showed incredible toughness. They batted away one pass, allowed a three-yard run, and then completed a clean sack, sending the Seahawks' offense off the field again without a doubt.
The ball was back in Lu Ke's hands.
The Seattle Seahawks' punt was in a terrible position, so they chose to kick the football out of bounds. The ball went out of bounds at the thirty-six-yard line on the San Francisco 49ers' side of the field. Lu Ke and the offense took the field again, starting their drive at the thirty-six-yard line.
However, Lu Ke changed his stance and chose a pistol formation to confuse the opponent again. The Seahawks fell for it again. They thought Lu Ke would continue to pass, but Lu Ke handed the ball to Marcus Lynch.
After getting the ball, Marcus tore through a gap in the offensive line and pushed forward with an aggressive posture. The Seahawks' defenders on the first line closed in quickly, but Marcus made two brilliant moves to avoid tackles, and in the small gap, he managed to rush for six yards. His performance was spectacular and eye-catching.
On the second play, Lu Ke chose a short pass to the middle, trying to connect with Ted Ginn, but the opponent's coverage was very quick. After a strong hit, Ted caught the football, but before he could control it, the ball slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. The pass was incomplete.
Third down, with four yards to go for a first down. Lu Ke lined up in a shotgun formation, ready to pass. After the snap, the pocket protection from the offensive line was very solid, giving Lu Ke enough time to look around. So he made a bold and aggressive nineteen-yard pass to Logan, who was running in the middle of the field.
Logan, who was having an excellent game, stepped up at the crucial moment and successfully caught the ball, keeping the San Francisco 49ers' offensive drive alive. On the other hand, Lu Ke once again made a decisive and brilliant nineteen-yard pass, and in one fell swoop, they crossed the midfield line and were now at the opponent's thirty-nine-yard line.
The offense continued. Lu Ke first completed a four-yard short pass in a flash. The receiver was Ted Ginn. This was his first successful catch today. Although he couldn't get any more yards, he had at least opened up the game. This also meant that all four receivers and one running back had caught passes from Lu Ke today, and the entire passing offense was completely unleashed.
Next, from the shotgun formation, Lu Ke noticed that the defense was covering deep and made a clever decision to run the ball. With the offensive line collapsing quickly, Marcus ran out of the pocket and, with the outside linebackers chasing him, he powered through for four yards, leaving two yards for a first down.
Then, Lu Ke once again chose Ginn, with a seven-yard short pass to the middle. Faced with another hit from a defender, Ginn didn't drop the ball this time. He held on tightly to the football and fell to the ground. In addition to getting a first down, the San Francisco 49ers had now, without realizing it, reached the twenty-four-yard line.
"Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the fact is, on that drive, the 49ers' number fourteen had complete control of the field." In the broadcast booth, Teddy finally couldn't hold back his astonishment. "In the shotgun formation, number fourteen's passing power has been maximized. You can vaguely see the early years of Peyton Manning's career. I know, I know, comparing any player to Manning is incredible."
Before Kirk could joke about it, Teddy admitted his mistake himself, which made Kirk laugh. "The thing is, the biggest problem with Manning's early career was interceptions, but Lu Ke hasn't had a single interception so far."
Interceptions can happen in many ways. For example, the receiver could have butterfingers, and the ball could slip from his hands after the catch, and an opponent could intercept it before it hits the ground. Or a hurried pass could be thrown under pressure from the defensive line, resulting in an interception.
But overall, the main reason for a quarterback getting intercepted is a misread of the defense, where the wrong target or route is chosen, which leads to the interception.
Aaron Rodgers is one of the top quarterbacks who is the best at controlling the number of interceptions.
"Regarding interceptions, I won't speak too soon," Teddy said, reserving his opinion. "But the fact is, in the shotgun formation, number fourteen's passing has been truly amazing. The Seahawks' defense is now exhausted and completely unable to stop him effectively. The excellent strengths of his passing accuracy, defensive reads, and pass choices are all shining brightly right now!"
The conversation between Teddy and Kirk continued in the broadcast booth, and the game at Candlestick Park was still going on.
Troy Bauer's machine-gun-like commentary was, as always, full of passion. "The Seahawks' defense is in disarray. Number fourteen passes again. With the pocket collapsing quickly, number fourteen makes a timely throw, finding wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Wow, the Seahawks' number twenty-five, Richard Sherman, can't keep up with the pace and is completely left behind. Crabtree makes a comfortable catch, and if it weren't for a teammate helping with the coverage, that pass would have been a touchdown."
"It's still the shotgun formation. Number fourteen finds Kyle Williams directly in the end zone, but...oh, the Seahawks' number thirty-one has to commit a foul, a defensive pass interference! That's a ten-yard penalty, which not only gives the 49ers a new first down, but also sends the opponent into the red zone! But if Browner hadn't committed the foul, that would have been a touchdown! In the face of number fourteen's full-force offense, the Seahawks are now having a hard time defending."
Troy's exclamations came one after another, and he couldn't believe his eyes. After the game entered the third quarter, it suddenly became exciting again and was truly astonishing.
"The 49ers have taken out Marcus Lynch and put in Kendall Hunter. Are they going for a power run, hoping to score a touchdown? The 49ers' running game hasn't been great tonight, but in the second half, the combination of Lynch and Hunter has been very effective. Sure enough, with the pistol formation, number fourteen has once again set up a smoke screen. Let's see what happens on this drive!"
"The pocket protection from the offensive line has a lapse. A defensive player charges over. Hunter makes a strong block. Wow, he completely knocks the opponent away. At the same time, the Seahawks' outside linebacker, number fifty-six, Leroy Hill, also comes around. In a critical situation, number fourteen decides to pass! Ah, under pressure, the pass is a little too far. Michael Crabtree can't get to it, and the ball goes out of bounds."
The biggest highlight of the San Francisco 49ers' shotgun formation wasn't the full-force offense, but the no-huddle offense. Lu Ke was calling plays on the fly, leaving no room for the opponent to breathe, which gave the offense a greater advantage by compressing the time. It was the same now. After one incomplete pass, Troy didn't even have time to finish watching the replay before the next play began.
"They snap the ball again. Number fourteen, in the shotgun formation, quickly takes a step back, creating a lot of distance. The defensive line doesn't have time to get to him. Pass! Pass! Number fourteen immediately chooses to pass! Logan Newman, number eighty-eight, Logan Newman, catches the pass in the end zone. It's Newman again! It's Newman again! The San Francisco 49ers have scored their fourth passing touchdown of the night! Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"
Troy's voice was hoarse as he yelled excitedly, even jumping up and down. "Let's look at the replay. Newman, it's Logan Newman again. In the end zone, there's only one defender on him. Newman easily uses his physical advantage to get past the opponent, catch the ball, and score a touchdown! It's the fourth touchdown of the night! Jesus Christ!"
The fourth touchdown was complete. It was a loud slap in the face!
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