"Pressure, more pressure. John Skelton seems a bit flustered and throws another incomplete pass. It was so far off from Fitzgerald's position that there was no way he could have caught it. But on the bright side, at least he avoided an interception."
"The San Francisco 49ers' defense has changed their tactics. The two safeties have moved up, creating more pressure in the short-pass area, and one player is assigned to limit Fitzgerald's receiving space. They've also increased their blitzing pressure on the pocket, which has had an immediate effect. Well done, Vic Fangio."
After the Arizona Cardinals' offense came back onto the field, their already shaky momentum began to fall apart. The subtle changes in the opponent's defensive formation quickly brought a strong impact. But their offensive coordinator, Mike Miller, didn't make any immediate tactical adjustments, and John Skelton was completely at a loss. As the situation changed, their position became precarious.
"More pressure, more pressure! Sack! Wow, well done! Patrick Willis! The first sack of the game belongs to the 49ers, not the Cardinals!"
"This blitz was incredibly sudden. Almost at the same time as the snap, the 49ers' defense created a mismatch. Willis was completely uncovered and easily broke into the pocket to make a sack. Skelton had no chance, no chance at all!"
Under continuous pressure, the Cardinals' offense started to make mistakes. The first sack of the game pushed them further into the abyss. But the Cardinals' offense didn't give up easily. Fitzgerald, it was still Fitzgerald.
Larry Fitzgerald is like the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson, the Seattle Seahawks' Marshawn Lynch, the New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski, and the New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham. Their common trait is that when they are in top form, they are an unsolvable problem. Even if the defense knows that they are the target, they still can't cover them and can only watch as they get whatever they want in the defensive area. They truly embody the brutality and toughness of football.
With two successful third-down conversions and a 21-yard run, Fitzgerald almost single-handedly carried the entire offense to the opponent's half of the field. But he couldn't do it alone. After missing a 14-yard catch, the Cardinals' momentum finally came to a halt. The first three-and-out of the game came 2 minutes and 8 seconds into the second quarter. Under the cover of a pressure defense, the San Francisco 49ers successfully contained the Arizona Cardinals' offense, forcing them into a difficult fourth and 5 situation.
However, the Cardinals were already in field goal range. It was a 48-yard field goal, which was a bit difficult. But after some discussion, the Cardinals gave up the risky fourth-down attempt and chose to kick a field goal. The Cardinals' kicker was a veteran, Jay Feely, who entered the league only two years after David Akers. He was also an undrafted rookie, but Feely was slightly less skilled, only making the Pro Bowl once in 2005. His career-long field goal was 61 yards, which was on par with Akers' 63 yards. For veteran kickers, their power and distance control gradually weaken, but their consistency is their key to victory. This was also the case today. Feely made the 48-yard field goal attempt without any problem, giving the home team a 10:7 lead and maintaining their advantage.
This was not the most perfect game, but at least the Cardinals continued to score, which meant the competition was still going on. So, the pressure was now on the 49ers. If they could score a touchdown on this drive, the scales of victory would tip in their favor.
As Lu Ke led his team onto the field again, he once again became the center of attention. After the snap, Lu Ke instantly noticed the Cardinals' strong blitz, which was coming down like a fierce storm. Besides the four defensive linemen, there were also two outside linebackers rushing from the outside. The speed and strength of Haggans and Schofield were not to be underestimated. What was supposed to be a five-on-four matchup for the offensive line had now become a five-on-six. The advantage in numbers instantly turned into a disadvantage, and the 49ers' offensive line was a bit flustered.
Joe Staley and Anthony Davis on the right side kept moving outward, creating a wide-open gap between them and Jonathan Goodwin. The defensive end facing them, Darnell Dockett, didn't miss this opportunity. After a slightly delayed start, he immediately found the gap. With a quick move, a sprint, and a dive forward, he broke through the offensive line without any obstruction and got into the pocket. The speed of the blitz was so fast that it didn't even leave Lu Ke with much room to move. In the blink of an eye, Dockett's fierce and ferocious face was right in front of him.
Lu Ke had no choice but to retreat, retreat, and retreat again. With three big steps backward, he barely managed to create some distance. But Dockett was still relentlessly charging forward, about to make a tackle. Just in the nick of time, Lu Ke threw the football. Watching Lu Ke complete the pass, Dockett's feet and momentum showed no signs of slowing down. He didn't even try to stop or control himself. The entire person was like a runaway train, viciously and ferociously colliding with Lu Ke, tackling him by the waist. Like a dock worker carrying a bag of rice, he slammed Lu Ke onto the ground. With a "thud," Lu Ke felt every muscle in his body groaning, as if he had fallen from a cliff onto the surface of the water. All of his internal organs started to ache. The sudden surge of pain made him grit his teeth, and a curse echoed in his mind. Now, Lu Ke was starting to miss his "Iron Skin and Bones" special skill.
…
"Snap, danger, danger. The Cardinals' defense is using the same trick, putting huge pressure on the 49ers' offensive line. Lu Ke's footwork in the pocket isn't panicked. After calmly creating some distance, Lu Ke throws the ball just before the opponent makes a sack. The rookie quarterback, number 14, has thrown the ball!"
"The target of the pass is—Marcus Lynch! This is a quick short pass, a throw of only about four yards. Lynch makes the catch smoothly, and he's adjusting his feet, getting ready to run."
"There are three defenders in the short-pass area. Logan Newman opens up a gap with a block. Lynch finds the opening! He accelerates forcefully. Lynch explodes with speed, and before the two players can close in, he runs out of the pocket! My God! Lynch has gotten away! The three defenders in the circle couldn't make a tackle!"
Marcus was highly focused at this moment. He quickly scanned the defenders in front of him. A strong gust of wind came from behind him, which must have been the last effort of one of the three defenders. He calmly raised his feet high, avoiding the ankle tackle with a high-knee stance. He could clearly feel the rush of air behind him. But for Marcus, this was just the beginning of the drive.
He accelerated, and accelerated again. His explosive power continuously erupted. He saw the cornerback, Jefferson, trying to cover him. With a light twist of his waist, Jefferson completely lost his defensive position. His hands didn't even have time to grab Marcus's waist, and then Jefferson completely lost his balance and collapsed. Marcus continued to move toward the left, still using high knees. Ted Ginn Jr. was blocking another player diagonally in front of him. Marcus didn't have time to see the number of that defender. From the corner of his eye, he saw a safety coming to cover from the right. He quickly raised his right hand and immediately pushed against the safety's shoulder. Then, as the safety got closer, he suddenly used his body to push forward, pushing hard against the safety's shoulder, as if pushing a revolving door. The safety spun in midair and fell to the ground cleanly. Immediately after, Marcus's feet moved to the left, allowing him to take off again.
"My God! A push-off! Lynch successfully pushed off! His strong arm directly pushed the opponent down! He's moving forward, he's still moving forward! 30 yards, 35 yards, 40 yards... The Cardinals' defense has completely lost its position! Lynch is moving forward powerfully to the left! My God, my God! Crabtree makes a crucial block, pushing away another cornerback! Now the entire Cardinals' defense is chasing Marcus!"
"45 yards, the midfield line... He's still moving forward, still moving forward! Jesus Christ! One tackle, two tackles! Lynch shakes off two more tackles! Schofield makes a great effort! Schofield is chasing relentlessly, and he finally makes a tackle when Lynch's feet get wobbly, pinning the opponent down at the Cardinals' 30-yard line!"
"Unbelievable! Unbelievable! This is truly unbelievable! A pass of only four yards turned into a gain of almost 50 yards, a direct entry into the opponent's half of the field! The San Francisco 49ers' offense is in great form! The blockers, the blockers, the blockers—a full-on explosion! This is just too exciting!"
In the broadcast booth, Teddy couldn't help but cheer. You could clearly feel that the San Francisco 49ers were completely renewed today. Every part of the team seemed to be back on track, and under a powerful momentum, they were unleashing an incredible amount of energy. But before the celebration could continue, Kirk noticed something was wrong. "Yellow flags. Two referees have thrown yellow flags. What's going on? Oh, my God. Lu Ke is on the ground. The 49ers' quarterback is lying on the ground. The tension is rising. What just happened?"
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