Patrick Peterson slightly bent his knees and adjusted his balance with small, quick steps. His eyes were locked on Ted Ginn Jr. in front of him. After a series of defensive misalignments, he was on the verge of losing his temper. He bit down hard, and his mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood. A frightening light burst from his eyes. The San Francisco 49ers' offense had once again lined up in a strange formation. Peterson's assignment had changed from Logan Newman to Ginn, but the Arizona Cardinals' defense was not fazed. They were still committed to blitzing the quarterback and using man-to-man coverage to shut down all of the 49ers' offensive weapons.
Man-to-man coverage meant that for the cornerback, the strategy took a back seat to individual ability. The defense relied more on the players' personal skills to complete the defense. In the face of the opponent's dazzling changes, the defense was ready to respond to any situation. Each player had their own defensive task. Using his talent was Peterson's chance to shine, and he was completely confident. On this play, Peterson's only task was Ted Ginn Jr. By stripping away all the plays and formations, he only needed to stick to Ginn's every move, and Peterson would have done his job perfectly.
Peterson was sure that the 49ers would regret this. First, a cornerback vs. a wide receiver was a classic matchup of two great players. Second, Ginn's main weapon was useless against Peterson. Ginn's 40-yard dash was 4.37 seconds, while Peterson's was 4.34 seconds. Third, Peterson was 20 pounds (9 kg) heavier than Ginn. Finally, Peterson was a full five years younger than Ginn. In a matchup between a wide receiver and a cornerback, this was a huge gap. In other words, Peterson was better than Ginn in every way! If he were facing a tight end like Logan or Vernon Davis, Peterson wouldn't have the advantage and would have to rely on his skills to defend. But against Ginn, he felt at ease and in his element. The 49ers' choice to make this matchup was a terrible move. He needed to vent his anger, and Ginn had walked right into the crossfire. Peterson felt a deep sense of pity for him.
"Hut!"
The moment the snap count was called, Peterson immediately started to backpedal. As he adjusted his running rhythm, he kept his eyes on Ginn's route. He quickly scanned the field and noticed that all the players were running to the other side. This made Peterson scoff. Lu Ke was scared after all. In a crucial moment, he still didn't dare to throw the ball in his direction. But he couldn't blame Lu Ke, could he? Ginn's matchup with him was not in his favor. If he wasn't careful, he might even get an interception, and the consequences would be severe.
Peterson's focus didn't waver. His eyes only glanced away for a second before they returned, locked on Ginn. A hint of pity showed in the depths of his eyes, as if he were looking at his prey, because he realized that Ginn was a pawn for the 49ers, a pawn used to distract him. He backpedaled, quickly backpedaling. In just two backpedals, Peterson had already made a route judgment, turned, and was in tight coverage. He was running alongside Ginn and began to sprint. This was a straight-line sprint, as simple and brutal as a 100-meter dash, but it perfectly showed the beauty of speed, strength, and explosion.
Ginn was speeding up. In just five yards, Ginn had reached his top speed, but Peterson's short-distance burst was even better. He was a quarter of a body length ahead of Ginn, completely shutting down Ginn's space to speed up while also pushing his own speed to the limit. In a five-yard span, a quick burst of speed. From five to ten yards, a strong acceleration. In just one second, a single breath, the two players fully displayed their speed and explosiveness. In front of them was a wide, open green field. There were no other players, just the two of them sprinting. The wide-open space allowed them to run as they pleased. They were like lightning, both crossing the 10-yard mark, going from the 26-yard line to the 16-yard line on the Cardinals' side. They were fiercely charging into the red zone. Their unstoppable and all-conquering way of moving was terrifying. If the other side of the field was a beautiful flower garden, this side was a hurricane.
Using his body and speed advantage, Peterson completely shut down Ginn's space to speed up. In this matchup between a cornerback and a wide receiver, he was quietly gaining the upper hand. Even a hair's breadth of an advantage was a huge advantage in a game that was decided in a flash. But the problem was that the defense was the naturally disadvantaged side. This was because the offensive players knew their next move—how to change their line, how to pull, and how to switch positions. Only they knew their game plan with the quarterback, which gave them the advantage. The defenders, on the other hand, had to react to the offensive players' changes, completing their defense a half-step late. This required defenders to have greater talent and ability. Of course, top cornerbacks were different. They often had the ability to anticipate and also had the ability to unleash a huge amount of energy at the last moment, turning the tables with their superior athleticism and talent.
Was Peterson a top cornerback? At the very least, he was trying to prove his worth. Ginn and Peterson were still sprinting in a straight line. Ginn was closer to the sideline, and Peterson was on the inside. To make up for the defensive disadvantage, Peterson kept using his shoulder to hit and squeeze Ginn's space while they were running at full speed. However, the effect of the collision was limited at top speed. Otherwise, Peterson would have used his full strength and knocked Ginn out of bounds.
Ginn didn't change his route. He never changed his route. He seemed to be running straight to the end. Peterson was secretly happy. This was a good thing. Without a change, his advantage was unshakable. Just then, Peterson hit Ginn to the right again, but he found that the physical distance between them had widened. It was originally just a fist's distance, but now it suddenly became two—no, three fists' distance. Peterson's hitting motion couldn't find a target, and he instantly lost his balance. His steps became chaotic.
The opponent's 10-yard line, which marked the red zone, was within reach, and Ginn knew his opportunity had arrived. With a silent sideways pull, he didn't have to be too obvious. Just a slight adjustment with two small, quick steps, without breaking his running rhythm, his route shifted five or ten degrees to the right. Then, he used his high speed to create a little distance. Ginn's mind was completely blank. He wasn't thinking about anything else. He kept his eyes on Peterson's movements and only remembered the one thing Lu Ke had told him before the snap: Peterson is too young, arrogant, and easily makes mistakes in judgment, which leads to him being out of position. That was all he needed.
With one hit, because of his mistake in judging the distance, Peterson's steps became chaotic. In that fleeting moment, Ginn grabbed the opportunity. His speed instantly reached its peak. The second burst of adrenaline pushed his strengths to the limit. At that moment, Ginn could truly feel the movement of the wind, flowing over his helmet like a stream of water. That light and agile feeling made his feet feel like they were flying. Two big strides, just two big strides, and Ginn had already passed Peterson in a flash, a full two body lengths ahead of him!
Peterson instantly realized that he was out of position. He instinctively reached out and grabbed Ginn's jersey, pulling hard. At the same time, a yellow flag flew onto the field. But he couldn't care about that right now. Even if it was a penalty, he had to stop Ginn from catching the ball. Wait, if Ginn wasn't the target of the pass, then was this penalty worth it?
The next moment, all of Peterson's thoughts were gone. Ginn used his positional advantage to cut inside, using his shoulder to hit Peterson's shoulder. Using Peterson as a pivot, he made a quick 180-degree turn. Then, he saw the football falling like a meteor. The fast-spinning football had turned into a dark red tornado, howling as it came toward him. A powerful force came from behind him, like a bull's horn. Peterson was trying his best to tackle him.
Ginn held his position, but without a point of support, the friction under his feet seemed to disappear. He was falling fast. The pull of gravity was clearer and faster than ever before, but Ginn was not fazed. He had completely forgotten about his feet, his body, and his mind. His hands were in a perfect position to catch the ball. A little closer, a little closer. The moment the football fell, Ginn was already lying on the ground, with his helmet touching Peterson's helmet. His upper body was dangerously in the air. Then, Ginn pushed again, making a chest-up motion like a carp leaping, and dived toward the football. Then, he felt a powerful force hitting his chest.
"Thud!"
He caught it! He caught the football! His hands were tightly wrapped around the football, securing it firmly. Then, with the forward momentum of his body, he rolled to his left, and he saw Peterson lying on the ground with a confused look on his face. His mind was also blank. He just stood up instinctively and took a step, then another step—into the end zone!
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