The Detroit Lions' special teams didn't miss the extra point, successfully tying the score at 7-7. Then, on the kickoff, the special teams kicked the ball directly out of bounds, which meant the San Francisco 49ers would start their drive from their own twenty-yard line.
The home fans at Ford Field were in a frenzy. The cheers and support had reached another level, surging forward like a storm to greet Lu Ke's offense as they took the field again.
First and ten.
In the midst of the noise and excitement, for Lu Ke's first pass, the entire short-passing area was completely swamped with people. It was so packed that it made his scalp tingle. He spotted a tiny window in the dense "bucket defense" and, without hesitation, quickly released the ball, finding Kyle Williams who had created an opening.
Williams adjusted his steps and successfully caught the pass. Unfortunately, the opposing defensive players were very quick to cover him. Two players teamed up to tackle him, stopping Williams from advancing further and limiting the pass to a three-yard gain.
Second and seven.
After the snap, Lu Ke quickly dropped back and found Michael Crabtree cutting diagonally outward. It was a six-yard short pass, and he completed the pass with only two steps of adjustment. The release speed was so fast that the defensive line had no time to react. He found the passing lane quickly and accurately.
Crabtree got into position smoothly, but he was suddenly surrounded by three defensive players. In a tough confrontation, Crabtree forcefully grabbed the football and made the catch. But before he could fully control the football, a defensive player's effective defense forced the ball out of his hands, breaking up the catch. The football flew directly out of bounds.
Third and still seven yards to go. But the San Francisco 49ers' offense didn't have time to snap the ball quickly. The referee blew the whistle for the end of the first quarter. The teams would now switch sides and begin the second quarter.
Lu Ke could faintly sense a subtle change in the atmosphere on the field.
The Detroit Lions' defense had clearly become more targeted. The results showed that Williams was tackled by two players and stopped forcefully, and Crabtree was surrounded by three players, who broke up the catch. On the field, the short-passing area was the hardest-hit area. Four linebackers and two cornerbacks teamed up, constantly changing positions and cross-running. The zone coverage defense had clearly become more aggressive.
Actually, compared to the Dallas Cowboys' defense, the Detroit Lions' defensive intensity was still a little lacking. Of course, correspondingly, Lu Ke had also grown quickly in the past three weeks. His ability to read the defense had improved, and his sense of finding a passing lane was sharper.
But even so, the Lions' defense had picked up the pace and momentum. In the showdown, they were starting to keep up with the San Francisco 49ers' offense. With a five-game winning streak to start the regular season, everyone said the offense led the Lions' charge, but the defense's toughness at critical moments also contributed a lot and should not be underestimated.
Following the excellent performance of the offense, the defense also started to get into the game. The home team, the Detroit Lions, was clearly determined to get a six-game winning streak.
Looking at the Detroit Lions' entire defense, the abilities of their front line, linebackers, and cornerbacks were relatively weaker. There were indeed many loopholes in their short-pass defense. The safeties were their strength. So far in the regular season, Louis Delmas and Chris Harris had both put up impressive stats.
In the defense of the two drives just now, the Lions clearly put a lot of manpower in the short-passing area, weakening the pass rush's impact and also weakening the coverage in the long-passing area. So, how should Lu Ke respond? Should he use a long pass for a deep strike, use a running play to open up a path, or...
During the short break between the first and second quarters, Lu Ke calmed down and thought quickly, looking for a solution and understanding the situation from a broader perspective. At this moment, Jim Harbaugh's voice came through his headset. "Bambi, two-tight-end formation. Two-tight-end formation."
In an instant, Lu Ke's eyes lit up.
In the tactical system of football, the tight end position is relatively special. They often have the strategic significance of enriching the team's offensive tactics, just like a mobile quarterback's read option—they can pass the ball, run with the ball, or pass to themselves. Tight ends are the same. They can catch the ball, block for receivers, open up paths for running backs, and solidify the pocket for the quarterback.
Depending on the style and tactics of different teams, the role and position of a tight end are also different.
In some teams, tight ends are used as big wide receivers, even using the same running routes and deep-strike tactics as wide receivers. But in some teams, tight ends are used as extra offensive linemen, taking on more blocking tasks.
However, in the entire league, wide receivers are relatively known for their speed and route running, while tight ends are known for their physical strength and blocking.
The reason why the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson can be an outstanding big wide receiver is that in addition to his burly physique, his speed is still shockingly fast, and his ability to strike on deep routes is devastating. But most tight ends don't have this kind of speed. Even when they are used as receivers, they are mostly limited to the short-to-medium passing areas.
Tight ends are indeed powerful, but they are like a heavy, bladed sword in Chinese martial arts. If used properly, they can seriously injure the enemy. But if used improperly, they can become a liability.
So, very few teams in the league use a two-tight-end formation. The few exceptions are the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.
Currently, the league's top tight end is the Saints' Jimmy Graham, and the second is the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski.
It's no exaggeration to say that the emergence of these two tight ends has greatly improved the tight end's tactical position in every team. The interesting thing is that both of these tight ends were drafted into the league in 2010. Graham was the ninety-fifth overall pick in the third round, while Gronkowski was the forty-second overall pick in the second round.
After both players put up good performances in their rookie seasons, they both became starters this year and began to shine in the league, becoming two of the best.
Using a two-tight-end formation means losing the agility of speed and the ability to strike deep. The offensive power in the long-passing and even medium-passing areas is greatly weakened. Relatively, more power is concentrated in the short-passing area. With the tight ends' positional advantage, they can forcefully complete the advancing task in one-on-one confrontations.
Naturally, the playbook's arrangements will be completely different, both for the offense and the defense.
Harbaugh is a coach with offense and risk-taking in his blood. Facing the Detroit Lions' tactical arrangements, he also made corresponding adjustments.
In the San Francisco 49ers' offensive lineup, speed and deep-strike ability have never been their strengths. Alex Smith was not a quarterback with an outstanding arm, and before this year, their long-passing explosiveness had not been good.
Now, with the change of starting quarterback, Lu Ke's long-passing ability has activated Ted Ginn and also made full use of Logan Newman. Even Kyle Williams has become an important receiving target for medium passes. This has given them the ability to strike deep, and the entire offensive tactics have suddenly become rich and diverse.
Even so, against the Lions' two safeties, the 49ers' long-range confrontation ability is still at a disadvantage.
In terms of absolute speed, Newman does not have an advantage. Both Delmas and Harris's speed advantage can firmly block Newman's running route, cutting off Lu Ke's passing lanes in advance. Williams's skills are too average, and he lacks a strong suit. He can't form an effective confrontation in a one-on-one situation. This also means that Ginn might have to face a situation where he has to take on two players at once, bearing a huge amount of pressure, and the situation is not optimistic.
In the first drive, Ginn made two unconventional helmet catches, but they couldn't pray that it would be successful every time.
Relatively, the short-passing area is the 49ers' strength and the Lions' weakness. Attacking the opponent's weakness with one's own strength is the correct strategy. So, Harbaugh boldly took out Williams, who had a relatively average skill set, and put in Vernon Davis, who had an absolute physical advantage, using a two-tight-end strategy.
In this way, in the short-passing area, the 49ers would have three absolutely tough receiving and blocking points: Vernon, Newman, and Crabtree. Even in one-on-one and one-on-two confrontations, they would not be at a disadvantage. If Lu Ke couldn't find a passing lane, he could use a hidden passing route. The three players could cover for each other and then rely on the tight ends' and big receiver's confrontation ability to make a catch.
At the same time, Ginn could also seize the opportunity to run open and attack on deep routes. In addition, the two tight ends could also fully invest in the offensive line's blocking, which would give the running back's running routes more possibilities.
The San Francisco 49ers' offensive routes would once again become rich, and Lu Ke's passing pressure would also be relatively reduced.
Unconsciously, Lu Ke thought of the game mission update before the start of the game today. One of them was a mission for passing yards in different areas, and the other was a mission for controlling the percentage of short passes. But now, after thinking about it carefully, the two missions could actually be seen as one mission: to fully engage in a positional battle in the short-passing area.
Maybe it's because the Detroit Lions are better at defending long passes, or maybe it's because the game's progression determined that the short-passing area would decide the winner. But without a doubt, the two-tight-end formation coincided with the mission requirements. In an instant, Lu Ke understood the coach's arrangement and intention.
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