"Hut!"
After the snap, Logan Newman immediately took off, running fast and purposefully toward the deep part of the field. However, he didn't run at his top speed. Instead, he constantly adjusted his pace, occasionally looking back and raising his hands, ready to catch the ball to try and draw the defense's attention.
This season, as a rookie, Logan had become the San Francisco 49ers' main threat with his chemistry with Lu Ke. Ted Ginn Jr., who was always underrated, used his speed and agility to become the team's second-leading receiver, contributing countless times to the 49ers' success. Statistics showed that in critical third-down situations, Logan and Ginn were still Lu Ke's most trusted targets. Naturally, every team was on high alert for these two players.
On this play, both Logan and Ginn acted as decoys, running into the deep and medium passing areas to create the illusion of a catch and tie up the opposing defenders. This, in turn, created open spaces for Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis, and Marcus Lynch. Compared to Logan and Ginn, the other three receivers had favorable matchups and were reliable options in the short-passing game. No matter who Lu Ke chose to throw to, he could complete the pass with a quick release.
But Logan was disappointed. Patrick Peterson, who was covering him one-on-one, had abandoned him to help cover Vernon! After Logan ran into the medium passing area, there were suddenly no defenders around him, and the short-pass area was a mess. But Logan stuck to his plan, continuing to push forward toward the deep part of the field.
And then, Logan was disappointed again. Adrian Wilson, the last line of defense, didn't fall for it either and went to help cover Crabtree. As a result, Logan was in an awkward situation: he had no one defending him! On the field, with 22 players, Logan was all alone, with no one covering or even paying attention to him. The wide-open deep field suddenly felt uninteresting—it was a truly strange feeling.
Logan simply turned around and started running backward, taking in the entire field. The sound of the chaos in the pocket made him frown. The next second, he saw Lu Ke, in a white jersey, take a sharp step forward and raise his right arm to throw a pass from the tight space. His heart tightened, and his instincts flared. Without even waiting for Lu Ke to release the ball, his relaxed muscles tensed up again as he ran backward, making small, quick steps to adjust his body and position for the catch.
This was an unplanned pass, with no communication between them. They could only rely on their years of practice and chemistry to anticipate each other's moves. Logan knew Lu Ke's passing habits. He glanced at his position, which was around the 47- or 48-yard line on the Cardinals' side. He was about 40 yards away from Lu Ke, which meant he should run another seven or eight yards forward, slightly toward the middle. This was a basic go route.
The stadium began to shake with the roaring crowd. The noise and cheers came down like a storm, a deafening hailstorm of sound. The University of Phoenix Stadium was filled with an incredible sound wave that connected the fans, the players, and the stadium into one entity. The wind howled in his ears, and the heat danced on his skin. Even the sound of his rushing blood felt like a thunderous roar. But Logan was completely unaware. The rush of adrenaline only made him more focused as he fixed his eyes on the football, entering a state of complete concentration.
He could even see the rapidly spinning ball creating waves of air. Even the bright sunlight had become a backdrop as all the blue, green, and dark red colors morphed into a halo of light, transforming into a magnificent, star-like projectile that charged toward his chest. All Logan had to do was put his hands on his chest and, after completing all his adjustments, make the catch near the 33-yard line. "Whoosh!" With a crisp sound, Logan felt the solid and heavy feel of the ball again. Everything was so accurate, so light, and so perfect—it was as effortless as a regular practice.
But Logan knew this was no practice.
"Pressure... oh, the pressure is coming! The Cardinals are putting huge pressure on the short passing area! The 49ers' offensive line is about to break! Lu Ke is looking for a target! Marcus Lynch, no, it's not him. Michael Crabtree! Oh, my God, the pocket is surrounded! Lu Ke has lost his balance! He's in trouble! Lu Ke is in a desperate situation!"
"He's moving forward! Lu Ke takes a step forward with his momentum and raises his arm to complete the pass! Jesus Christ, Lu Ke completes the pass in the nick of time! The target is... number 88! The San Francisco 49ers' number 88! Open space! A huge open space is completely exposed at midfield! There are no defenders around him! It's Newman! It's Logan Newman!"
"40... no, 50, this is a 49- to 51-yard pass! A rainbow pass! And Newman catches it! Newman makes a beautiful catch! My God, Logan Newman has made the catch!"
"Adrian Wilson is trying to get back in time, but he has lost his balance! He's sprinting, sprinting from the left to the right, sprinting toward Newman! Newman adjusts his steps and starts to run diagonally to the right, but Wilson doesn't give up! Wilson has pushed his speed to the limit! He's closing in on Newman, trying to make a tackle!"
"Wait, wait, Ted Ginn Jr.! My God, Ginn isn't being defended! Ginn is accelerating! His speed has exploded to the limit! He's running toward Newman, trying to block for his teammate! Jesus Christ! Ginn! Ginn! Ginn comes in for a collision! Oh, my God! Wilson dodges! Wilson makes a small hop to dodge Ginn's block! He's getting closer to Newman! He's getting closer! Here comes the tackle!"
With a turn and an acceleration, Logan started running quickly without any hesitation. But a short-distance burst of power wasn't his strong suit. He needed more time and space to reach his top speed. It was too late, though. He could see Wilson's figure rapidly approaching from the corner of his eye. The distance between them was shrinking little by little, and a collision was almost inevitable. A glancing collision still couldn't stop Wilson's powerful charge. It only slightly slowed him down.
Logan adjusted his steps and continued to run steadily, raising his left hand to create a barrier between himself and Wilson. As Wilson got closer, Logan suddenly changed direction, leaning from right to left, putting all the force of his body into his left hand and crashing into Wilson's shoulder.
A shove! Wilson was caught off guard and fell to the ground clumsily and heavily like a rag doll. The confrontation came to an abrupt end before a tackle could even be attempted, leaving him in an awkward heap.
"My God! My God! My God! Logan Newman's strong arm, with just a shove, pushes the unbalanced Adrian Wilson to the ground, and he misses the tackle! The Cardinals' last line of defense has missed the tackle! The other defenders are still trying to get back, but it's too late! They're too late!"
"There's nothing in front of Newman now! The path is wide open! Newman! Logan Newman! Logan Newman! My God, he's moving! He's still moving! It's a touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown! A touchdown!"
"Incredible! This is truly incredible! Third and 16! A serious sack threat! All the short-pass targets were completely covered! But Lu Ke did it! The 49ers' rookie quarterback, Lu Ke, did it again!"
"He completed the pass again, he advanced again, and he scored another touchdown! Facing a desperate situation, Lu Ke once again showed his heart of a hero and withstood the Cardinals' defense's counterattack. In the first offensive series of the second half, he once again widened the score! My God, it's unbelievable! This is truly unbelievable!"
In the studio, Kirk and Teddy's shocked exclamations intertwined, rising and falling. Both of them were continuously expressing their awe and excitement. Even after witnessing such an offensive play, the wave of disbelief still washed over them again and again, like an adrenaline bomb!
Clearly, the commentators were not the only ones losing their minds. In the University of Phoenix Stadium, the number of people who were feeling the same way at that moment far exceeded expectations.
"This is what I'm talking about! God damn it! This is what the fuck I'm talking about! Fuck!" Ryan Baldwin waved his arms wildly and roared with excitement as if he had never been sick, as if he was back in those golden years, partying and letting loose. Ryan's eyes were wide as he yelled at the quiet sea of dark red around him. "Shut up! Shut up! All of you, shut up!"
Not just Ryan, but Jonathan Baldwin, Cliff Hart, and Chris Wilson all stood up. All 3,500 49ers fans stood up, waving their arms wildly and letting out their emotions, fiercely declaring their dominance as if this were their home stadium!
The 60,000 home fans fell silent. The surging dark red wave completely calmed down, and a deep silence fell over the stadium. Patrick Peterson stood on the field with his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what had just happened. But it was like a puzzle with most of its pieces missing—he was confused, bewildered, and helpless.
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