Troy Balu was completely in his element, his adrenaline in full flow. His commentary didn't slow down; instead, it got faster and faster. He was completely worked up, his spittle flying.
"A run play, everyone thought it was a run play. But from the very beginning of that play, Lu Ke had already planned the strategy. He deceived everyone, not just his opponents on the field and the audience in the stadium, but also all the commentators! Whoa!"
Troy couldn't help but marvel. Even as a commentator who was supposed to remain neutral, he couldn't help it. What was unfolding before his eyes was simply too magical, showcasing the charm of competitive sports to its fullest!
"Just when everyone thought Lu Ke was going to scramble, he audaciously stopped and chose to pass! Because the Cowboys' defensive formation was completely in disarray, a huge gap formed in the backfield. Logan Newman ran a perfect slant route and completed a 50-yard catch! If Logan hadn't lost his balance and fallen, that pass would have been a direct touchdown!"
Troy couldn't help but pound the table, releasing the excitement and passion in his heart. This wasn't just "luring the tiger out of its mountain lair"; it was "snatching a chestnut from the fire"!
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Masterful!
It wasn't just Troy. All the commentators in the booth were uncontrollably excited, and some even started swearing—only in this way could they express their shock and amazement.
Actually, the overall strategy wasn't that complicated. The Cowboys' defense today was exceptionally good, almost impregnable in pass coverage.
So, Lu Ke first lined up in a passing formation to attract a large number of defenders, then he scrambled with the ball himself, creating a path through the defense. In a hurry, the Cowboys' defense had to come up to cover him.
Up to this point, the strategy wasn't complicated for a mobile quarterback. This was one of the most frequently used tactics. Starting from a pistol formation, they would read the defense and choose to either pass, hand the ball off, or run with it themselves, using their on-field reaction to tear a hole in the opponent's defensive formation.
Lu Ke had replicated a mobile quarterback's tactical route.
However, the surprise came here. Lu Ke didn't run with the ball; he chose to pass. With the entire defensive formation off-balance, Logan's precise run created a huge hole, resulting in a 50-yard pass that you could almost hear "ripping." This was the power of a deep pass—once it's completed, it's a deadly weapon!
"Calm, bold, precise, and sharp! In that play, Lu Ke displayed the top-tier skills of an elite quarterback. His judgment of the defensive players, his control of the defensive strategy, and his command of the offensive players were simply perfect!" Kirk exclaimed in the studio, his eyes filled with disbelief.
Even Teddy was in shock. "Whoa, is this the same quarterback from the first half? One halftime break, and he's completely transformed! He's brought back the memories of the last game! This play was even more stunning than Lu Ke's first career deep pass for a touchdown!"
Everyone, everyone in Candlestick Park, and everyone watching the live broadcast on TV, was fired up. Cheering, screaming, yelling, and roaring, the sound was like a thunderous tsunami!
A 50-yard deep pass announced the resurgence of the San Francisco 49ers' offense.
However, Lu Ke wasn't ecstatic or losing his mind. He knew the Cowboys' defense was completely flustered and confused. This was the 49ers' golden opportunity. He had meticulously planned such a bold and audacious play, even at the cost of using a special skill, not only completing the pass but also disrupting the Cowboys' defensive rhythm.
The entire strategy, from the very first second, was a pass. And a pass to the right side, the side where the most defenders were stacked.
"Fake" was "real," and "real" was "fake." The Dallas Cowboys had set up a confusing defensive formation, while Lu Ke had already devised his first-down play during halftime. It was a combination of a pass and a run, but the ultimate goal was to challenge the deep zone and strike a fatal blow!
The entire strategy was truly crazy and bold. If any single part had gone wrong, the result would have been completely different. Especially Lu Ke's scramble—if he hadn't been careful, DeMarcus Ware would have made the sack, and the pass wouldn't have even happened. What's more, Lu Ke had deliberately called for Logan, who had played poorly today.
This was a gamble, a huge one. Even Jim Harbaugh looked shocked and in disbelief.
But Lu Ke had succeeded.
More importantly, the Dallas Cowboys' defense was no longer an overwhelming force; their powerful momentum had been met with a fierce counterpunch.
Now, all Lu Ke had to do was add fuel to the fire and completely crush them!
"Go! Move fast!" Lu Ke had no time to celebrate. He urged the offense to move quickly and proudly.
In his line of sight, Lu Ke could see Logan roaring, his fists clenched, venting all the frustration and gloom from the entire first half. The screams and roars of the entire stadium's audience were like a mountainous tsunami, crashing down unstoppably.
Candlestick Park was on fire.
Lu Ke raised his right hand and waved to Crabtree, who was not far away. Crabtree immediately understood and patted Logan on the shoulder, interrupting his celebration.
Logan shot him a disgruntled look, but Crabtree pointed in Lu Ke's direction. Logan turned his head and saw Lu Ke's intensely focused gaze, which seemed to say, "We haven't scored a touchdown yet!" This immediately calmed Logan down. He touched his nose and quickly returned to the offensive line, getting into position.
With one deep pass, the San Francisco 49ers not only got their most important first down of the game but also moved all the way to the Dallas Cowboys' 22-yard line!
Lu Ke signaled for the offensive line to quickly get into formation, a pistol formation again, showing they could either pass or run. In his line of sight, the Dallas Cowboys' defense seemed to be still in shock. Everything had happened so fast that they didn't have time to discuss and deliberate. Should they change their strategy now? Or stick with it?
The Cowboys' defensive captain, Sean Lee, made a quick decision on the spot to continue with their existing strategy. However, he turned his head and exchanged a quick look with DeMarcus Ware.
Lu Ke saw all these changes. But he couldn't interpret them. There was no conversation, no hand gestures, just a look. He couldn't read minds, so he had no way of knowing what they were thinking. However, based on the formation, the Dallas Cowboys still hadn't changed anything, and now that the area they needed to cover had shrunk, their defensive density had increased.
For Lu Ke, this was a step-by-step gamble.
"Set!"
Lu Ke shouted, and the next second, after receiving the snap, he quickly dropped back. He faked a handoff, pretending to give the ball to Marcus. But at the last moment, Lu Ke pulled his right hand back and turned to prepare to pass. He never expected to only see a flash of white on his left side before the opponent slammed into him hard.
Lu Ke had no time to react. He could only hug the football to his chest as he was violently tackled to the ground, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder.
"Sack!" Troy Balu exclaimed. The second half was truly exciting. Just as the 49ers began to show signs of life, the Cowboys' defense, which had been playing so well today, delivered a shocking blow. "The Cowboys only rushed three, but the 49ers' offensive line completely failed to read the change. A surprise blitz from DeMarcus Ware, who wasn't met with much resistance, broke into the pocket like a hot knife through butter and made the sack before Lu Ke could even turn around!"
Troy couldn't help but applaud the Cowboys. Faced with the 49ers' sudden change, the Cowboys had responded in kind, launching their first truly powerful blitz of the game and catching the 49ers completely off guard. Ware didn't have to expend much effort at all to get his first sack of the day.
Left guard Mike Iupati quickly came over, reached out, and helped Lu Ke up, his face full of apologies. "Sorry, I was a half-step slow." The left side was Lu Ke's blind side, and he needed the cover of his left guard and tackle. Otherwise, his back was a huge weakness.
Lu Ke rubbed his shoulder. Ware's hit was truly brutal, clearly a form of payback for the previous play. But he shook his head. "Stay focused. Their strategy is changing. This is a good thing!"
Lu Ke wasn't worried about the Cowboys' blitz; he was worried if they didn't change at all. The unexpected first play was meant to break the balance. A change had come, and with it, an opportunity.
He organized his teammates again. The sack had lost them yards, so they needed to adjust their strategy.
Jim Harbaugh's anxious voice came through his headset. "Pass, Bambi, keep passing!" He then rattled off a series of tactical instructions. Lu Ke looked up and made a "confirmed" gesture toward the sideline, then continued to organize the play.
Second down, 15 yards to go.
It was still a pistol formation. After the snap, Lu Ke and Marcus Lynch started running in two different directions. The entire Cowboys' defense's eyes were on Lu Ke. Ware immediately caught Lu Ke's footsteps and thought, "Oh no."
It looked like Lu Ke was going to scramble again because he had once again voluntarily run out of the pocket, not even giving the Cowboys' defensive line time to blitz.
As a result, the Cowboys' defensive front and secondary all became tense. The impact of the previous play still lingered in their minds, not yet having time to dissipate. Everyone bent down, lowered their center of gravity, and began to watch the other players' running routes. Their peripheral vision still had to keep an eye on Lu Ke's scrambling route.
Unconsciously and involuntarily, the Cowboys' defensive formation was being pulled apart by Lu Ke's movement. Ware immediately got into a blitzing stance and lunged at Lu Ke. But Ware only managed to run about three yards, still at least five yards away from Lu Ke, and then he saw Lu Ke throw the ball.
"Luring the tiger out of its mountain lair," a screen pass? This was a short pass!
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