The two-tight-end formation.
After hearing Harbaugh's tactical instructions through the headset, Lu Ke's mind raced, and he instantly understood the coach's tactical intention. Although Lu Ke had read the playbook many times, he still needed to constantly learn how to truly understand and apply it. With the help of the system, Lu Ke was growing quickly in the quarterback position.
A step behind the coach, Lu Ke's thoughts became clear again.
Through the headset, Lu Ke and Harbaugh quickly completed a simple communication. All of his guesses were confirmed, and Lu Ke's tactical thinking became clear.
Harbaugh nodded with satisfaction, expressing his appreciation. If every rookie quarterback could understand tactics and grasp the situation as quickly as Lu Ke, then teams would not be reluctant to use rookie quarterbacks. On the contrary, the vitality and youth of rookie quarterbacks could inject more energy into the team.
Unfortunately, in real life, this is just a "what if."
Among this year's rookie quarterbacks, in terms of learning and executing the playbook, Lu Ke is the undisputed leader. No one can surpass him. Clearly, everyone finally understands what a perfect score on the Wonderlic Test means.
The second quarter officially began, and the San Francisco 49ers immediately faced a difficult third-and-seven situation.
Third and seven.
Without a doubt, this was an incredibly difficult and long down, which placed strict demands on the team's tactics and execution.
Standing in the pocket, Lu Ke carefully read the opponent's defensive formation. After bending down and getting ready to snap the ball, he caught a glimpse of a defensive player moving and changing positions out of the corner of his eye. He stood up straight again and read the defense for a second time.
The San Francisco 49ers adopted a two-tight-end formation, and the entire offensive formation became heavy. There were five offensive linemen in the middle. On the left were Michael Crabtree, Logan Newman, and Ted Ginn. On the right was Vernon Davis. Lu Ke and Marcus Lynch stood in a pistol formation four yards behind the center, standing parallel to each other.
The right side was a heavy weapon, and the left side was also a heavy weapon. Both sides were strong.
First, on the right side, Vernon and Logan were both tight ends, but their styles were slightly different. Compared to Logan, Vernon was a more traditional tight end. He was physically strong and tough, and his blocking and screening abilities were more outstanding, while his receiving ability was slightly inferior.
In the short-passing area, Vernon could serve as a blocker for the running back or a screen for the quarterback. More importantly, with his physical advantage, his short-yardage receiving was very dominant. In 2009, Vernon was selected for the Pro Bowl with his excellent blocking and short-pass receiving skills.
Now, Vernon was alone on the right side, but even so, he was like a stronghold, standing there powerfully and becoming a powerful threat that could not be ignored. What's more, Marcus was also standing on Lu Ke's right side, ready to become a potential threat on the right at any time.
Second, on the left side, the big wide receiver Crabtree was the cover in the short-passing area. The tight end Logan had killing power in the short, medium, and long-passing areas. Ginn, whose speed advantage was at its peak, was a disruptor in the deep field. The three receivers could combine into countless running routes to create threats.
By simply replacing Kyle Williams with Vernon Davis, the San Francisco 49ers immediately became heavier in the short-passing area and on the running routes. They also kept the agile Ginn to maintain the threat of a long-pass strike. The entire offensive style was instantly transformed, showing a different appearance.
Standing on the other side, the Detroit Lions' defense could clearly feel the subtle change in the air in the face-to-face, close-range showdown. The air of hostility gradually became thick and steady. It felt as if a long sword had been replaced by a spiked club or a huge hammer among the eighteen weapons. The powerful deterrent weighed heavily on their chests, making it difficult to breathe.
Correspondingly, the Lions' defense also made adjustments.
On the defensive line, there were seven players. Three defensive linemen confronted the five offensive linemen. Correspondingly, four linebackers were scattered. Two linebackers stood behind the defensive line, ready to tackle a run or defend the short-passing area in the middle. One linebacker stepped forward half a step, confronting Vernon one-on-one. One linebacker stepped back half a step, staring intently at Ginn.
On the defensive secondary, two cornerbacks and two safeties were located about six or seven yards behind. One safety was a little to the right in the middle, ready to cover Vernon and Marcus and wait for an opportunity. The other three players were all on the left side, their eyes locked on Crabtree, Logan, and Ginn.
The entire Detroit Lions' defensive formation was pushed forward a little, forming a situation where they were confronting the San Francisco 49ers' heavy sword with no edge. The tense air was filled with a sense of hostility. This looked like a red-zone defense.
But in fact, they were still on the twenty-three-yard line of the San Francisco 49ers' half, still very far from the red zone. More importantly, this was just the beginning of the second quarter! The atmosphere and intensity had clearly entered another level.
It was clear that both teams showed a determination to win this game.
Lu Ke had keenly noticed that the safety on the right side of the defensive secondary, Chris Harris, was quietly moving his feet. On the surface, he was moving to the right—Lu Ke's right and Harris's left—but Harris's center of gravity remained unchanged.
Is this a smokescreen or a correct prediction?
With a prediction ability of eighty-one, Lu Ke was still a little uncertain.
So, Lu Ke stood up straight and read the defense for a second time. However, his gaze did not stay on Harris. Instead, he carefully examined the defensive line's positioning, only catching Harris's moving feet out of the corner of his eye.
The Detroit Lions' number forty-three safety, Chris Harris, is a veteran. In 2006, he represented the Chicago Bears in the Super Bowl and lost to Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts. In 2010, he was selected for the All-American Second Team and had an outstanding performance. He is not a player with outstanding talent, but he has carved out a place for himself in the league with his cunning and intelligence.
His cunning and experience, like a military veteran, are undoubtedly Harris's trump card.
At this moment, Harris made a deceptive feint. On the surface, he seemed to be moving to his left, preparing to cover Vernon and Marcus. But in fact, his center of gravity did not move. The run in the middle and Logan on the right side were his real defensive targets.
As expected, the San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback fell for it.
As a defensive player, Harris didn't need to hide his gaze. He kept his eyes locked on the rookie quarterback's movements. He noticed that the rookie stood up to re-read the defense. He then pretended to be flustered and stopped in place, as if he didn't want to reveal his defensive intentions. But in reality, he was constantly observing the rookie's movements and expressions.
He could tell that the rookie's eyes were on the right and middle areas, examining the entire defensive formation, especially the positions of the defensive linemen. The cautious gaze couldn't hide his true intentions. Clearly, he was judging the possibility of a running play and the possibility of a short-pass route in the middle area.
Only players who have actually been on the field and played a game can understand: the eyes, the eyes hidden behind the helmet, can reveal too much information, especially a quarterback's eyes. For every defensive player, reading a quarterback's eyes is a necessary skill, but only top defensive players can read them accurately.
Why do rookie quarterbacks easily reveal their tactical intentions on the field? Why are college tactics often easily deciphered in the professional league?
This is the reason.
Now, Harris read the rookie quarterback's eyes. He knew that his deceptive tactic had worked. If the opponent chose a running play, it would be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth, delivering himself to them.
"Attack!"
Hidden among a series of dazzling false snap counts, Harris caught the correct snap count. His pupils caught the muscle burst of the opposing offensive line at the moment they started. At almost the same time, he stomped his feet and pounced forward like a cheetah. It wasn't to the left side where Vernon Davis was, but to the opening in the middle of the defensive line.
This was a trap! The Lions' defense deliberately left an opening, a space for the opposing running back to run through, but Harris was going to cover it immediately and give Marcus Lynch a head-on blow.
His entire body was thrown forward. The powerful momentum was unstoppable. The joy of a sure victory had already begun to take flight, but in the next second, the smile froze on the corner of his mouth. Harris looked at the offensive line in front of him with a look of shock.
No, it shouldn't be the offensive line in front of him; it should be Marcus Lynch. But why did he only see Jonathan Goodwin and Mike Iupati? Where was Marcus? Why was Marcus nowhere to be seen?
The inertia of gravity was still pushing him forward. Harris's eyes quickly scanned through his helmet, and then he caught a glimpse of Marcus moving horizontally from left to right, running past Lu Ke as if he were a blur and not stopping at all. At the same time, another figure quickly moved from right to left, and after crossing paths with Marcus, only a shadow of wind was left behind. He quickly passed through the opening behind the offensive line and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
The entire running route was so dazzling that it was overwhelming. More importantly, the football was still in the rookie quarterback's hands!
In an instant, a thought flashed through his mind, and a cold chill ran down his spine. The expression on Harris's face immediately changed from joy to horror: the rookie quarterback hadn't fallen for it. This wasn't a running play; it was a passing play!
Damn it!
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