On the field, the fully focused players were not affected by the commotion on the sidelines, and the game continued. First, the San Francisco 49ers' special teams came on. David Akers's performance this season had become one of the team's most reliable assets. He completed the extra point kick with a steady performance, bringing the score to 10-28. The momentum in the second half was still firmly in the 49ers' hands.
Next up was the San Francisco 49ers' defense. Facing an Arizona Cardinals offense that was clearly gaining momentum, the defense didn't seem to be able to keep up. However, after the Cardinals crossed midfield and entered field goal range, the defense led by Patrick Willis suddenly stepped up the intensity. Defensive end Justin Smith charged into the opponent's pocket and sacked the opposing quarterback, John Skelton, forcing a fumble. Defensive tackle Demarcus Dobbs immediately pounced on the ball, getting it before anyone else, and successfully turned over possession. This was the second time the 49ers' defense had forced a turnover in the game.
And so, "Lu Ke vs. Peterson," Round Two, officially began.
Peterson, back on the field, was constantly adjusting his state. He exhaled deeply, inhaled deeply, and exhaled again. He relaxed, clenched his fists, and relaxed again. He jumped, cross-stepped, and jumped again... His entire body was energized, and he was fully focused on the game. In Peterson's eyes, the first defensive series of the second half was just an accident, an ugly accident. The first and second defensive plays had been beautiful, and they had the clear advantage. They had just been a little careless on the third-down play, and the opponent had successfully exploited a gap and luckily scored a touchdown. But now, they were aware of it, and the same mistake would definitely not happen again.
So, did this mean that the Cardinals were starting their comeback? Peterson was in complete agreement and full of confidence. The fumble they had forced was on the 49ers' 28-yard line, which was an unfortunate missed opportunity for the Cardinals, and the 49ers were about to start their offensive series from that same 28-yard line.
First and 10. On the right, Peterson quickly moved forward, following Logan's movements closely, but he lost his balance when Vernon's cross-route pulled him out of position. Logan then made a sharp turn, adjusted his steps, and held his position firmly, and Lu Ke's pass arrived. Peterson tried to use his athleticism to lunge and knock the ball down, but it was a throw behind the shoulder. Peterson extended his limbs as much as he could, but he couldn't get around Logan. He could only watch as the ball quickly flew by, fell, and Logan made the catch. With a simple turn, Peterson lost his balance, and Logan took off again, running with the ball. In the end, it was safety Adrian Wilson who came to the rescue, using Logan's position near the sideline to push him out of bounds and end the play. Despite this, the San Francisco 49ers still advanced 14 yards, to the 42-yard line.
First and 10. On the left, Lu Ke made a quick release, faking a pass to Crabtree, which drew the attention of the cornerback and safety. But at the last moment, he made a subtle flick of the wrist, sending the ball over Crabtree's head and into a deeper area, where Ginn, who was running alongside him and came out at the last moment, made the catch. Once again, Ted Ginn Jr.'s explosiveness and pure speed were on full display. The only downside was that due to Crabtree's strong body blocking his view, Lu Ke's pass was not precise enough. After Ginn made the catch, he stumbled, and then he was tackled by a linebacker who came up to assist, and the play ended with an 11-yard gain. The San Francisco 49ers had crossed midfield and were now on the opponent's 47-yard line.
First and 10. Lu Ke unexpectedly handed the ball off to Marcus Lynch, choosing a running play after two successful short passes. After getting the ball, Lynch ran toward the outside on the right. With the blocks from Vernon and Logan, he lightly opened up a path. Peterson came from an angle, aiming for a sure tackle, but his position was off, and he couldn't get a good grip on Lynch. Lynch broke free with a quick high-leg swing and continued to advance. The linebackers and safeties who came up to assist worked together to stop Lynch, successfully containing the play to an 8-yard gain.
Second and 2. With huge pressure on the pocket, Lu Ke made a soft toss, throwing the ball over the offensive and defensive lines to Vernon, who had cut to the middle. It was only a 3-yard short pass. Vernon lightly jumped and caught the high-arcing ball. When he landed, he saw Peterson charging at him. Vernon remained calm, pushed his right shoulder out to block Peterson, and then swiped to the left. He saw Peterson completely lose his balance and stumble, barely keeping his balance like a tumbler. He was completely unable to stop Vernon. He could only watch as Vernon took a step forward and continued to advance. After getting a first down, he continued to advance another three or four yards before being tackled by two assisting safeties.
"Oh, a nightmare. This is a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Once again, Patrick Peterson has made a mistake in judgment, leading to him being out of position. His entire defensive rhythm is not in sync with the opponent's movements. He is constantly losing his position, unable to stick to the opponent or make a tackle. This is an absolute disaster."
In the studio, Kirk couldn't help but get anxious. Although he was a San Francisco 49ers fan, he had to be fair in his commentary. He had been looking forward to a great matchup between Lu Ke and Peterson, but now it looked like a complete disaster. Kirk lightly tapped the palm of his left hand with the back of his right hand, saying word by word, "You! Must! Do! Your! Job!" His words showed his disappointment and frustration. "You are a cornerback. You have to hold your position, either covering a zone or man-to-man. If you don't do your job, the entire defense will be in a passive position!"
"The quarterback on the other side is Lu Ke, the Lu Ke who is known for his defensive reads and play calls, the Lu Ke who got a perfect score on the Wonderlic Test. He won't miss this kind of weakness." Kirk warned earnestly. This was true. Lu Ke had noticed Peterson's defensive style. He always pushed a little too hard, causing his defensive position to be constantly off. For every rookie, there was a limited sample size. They had to constantly train and gain experience in games. After a momentary flash of brilliance, they still had to maintain a relatively stable level. This was true for Lu Ke, and it was also true for Peterson.
In the previous game, Peterson came on as a rotational player. In his limited time on defense, he performed very well, like a surprise player. In this game, after taking over as a starter, Peterson's strengths and weaknesses were amplified. His precise anticipation and natural talent were undoubtedly Peterson's strengths and rare advantages. This meant that after more experience, Peterson could grow into a top cornerback in the league. But for now, his lack of experience in games had caused his rhythm and positioning to be off, and he was constantly out of position. For a cornerback with Peterson's build and style, holding a defensive position was incredibly important. Whether it was knocking down a pass, making an interception, constantly hitting a receiver, or disrupting the rhythm of the receiver and quarterback, all of it required him to be able to hold his position in a timely manner.
If he was constantly out of position, Peterson was no different from Kyle Jefferson—Peterson was the fifth pick in the first round this year, and Jefferson was an undrafted rookie last year. This simple analogy was brutal, but it was also the truth.
Sure enough, the pass to the right was successful again.
"Wow, this play design is beautiful. A cross-route, Vernon Davis and Ted Ginn Jr. switched their routes in the short-pass area, disrupting the opponent's short-pass defense. The man-to-man coverage was completely broken, and the defenders in the zone lost their positions."
"Then, Lu Ke found Ginn with a 5-yard pass. Peterson once again lost his defensive position and couldn't stick to Ginn. He lost his advantage, and then Logan's block opened up a path for Ginn."
"First down, the San Francisco 49ers have another first down! Another first down! The 49ers are now unstoppable and have reached the 26-yard line. The red zone is close, and the end zone is within range. The pressure on the Cardinals' defense is now increasing exponentially."
Jim Harbaugh, standing on the sideline, gently shook his head helplessly. He could feel that even though Lu Ke wasn't saying it, he was still holding a grudge. Whether it was the Twitter attacks before the game or the nasty comments from the home fans, they all challenged the players' limits. What's more, the last time they played, they lost with three interceptions. For Lu Ke, there was still a part of him that was acting out of spite. In the last few passes, Lu Ke clearly had better opportunities, but he kept challenging the right side, engaging in a direct confrontation with Peterson, and dominating him again and again.
From a strategic perspective, this was not a good thing because it was too predictable and easily figured out by the opponent. It was also too emotional and could disrupt the game's rhythm. But for the team and the young players, it was a good thing. Only by bravely facing their inner demons and overcoming them could they grow. Looking at the out-of-breath and sweaty Peterson, Harbaugh gently shook his head and reminded Lu Ke dutifully, "Bambi, don't lose your focus. They're starting to figure out your rhythm."
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