Chapter 635: Calm and Composed
A light drizzle was falling from the sky, and large, swirling clouds covered the entire sky. Even the Golden Gate Bridge was almost lost in the rolling mist. The world was a hazy gray, as if walking through a mysterious mountain forest, getting lost among the similar bushes and trees.
This was a typical San Francisco winter. The rainy season, the windy season, and the cold season. Fortunately, there was no strong wind today, and the a sense of temperature was cool and refreshing, not to the point of shivering. This was not a perfect day for a game, but it wasn't bad weather that would ruin it either.
Standing on the field, behind the offensive line, Lu Ke stood tall and took in the entire field. All the cheers and noise in his ears completely disappeared. All the tension and excitement in his chest also completely dissipated. He had completely entered a state of absolute focus, where he was completely selfless and single-minded, carefully reading the defensive formation on the other side.
The misty rain had almost disappeared, leaving only the condensed water vapor, which was fine. It didn't affect his vision. The view on the field was clear at a glance. The New York Giants' defensive formation was clearly displayed in front of him, and the information from the past two playoff games' footage quickly matched up in his mind.
Compared to Week 10 of the regular season, the Giants' defensive alignment was clearer and more definite. It was still a "4-3" formation, with four defensive linemen and three linebackers. It was still a man-to-man defense, using cornerbacks and outside linebackers to cut off passing lanes. So, what changed after they entered the playoffs?
For one, the space between the Giants' defensive first and second lines was bigger. The first line moved up one to two steps, and the second line moved back one to two steps. This meant that the front line was putting more pressure on the offense, similar to the first three plays in a ping pong match. They were putting more manpower into rushing the quarterback, defending against the run, and defending against short passes. At the same time, they strengthened their defense against long passes, but they deliberately left the middle of the field open, creating a trap.
The Falcons' Matt Ryan, the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, and the 49ers' Lu Ke had one thing in common: they were all great at long passes. Ryan's long passes were slightly less consistent, depending on the performance of his receivers, but overall, all three of them were very daring and accurate with their throws.
The Giants' targeted defense was a significant change that utilized their manpower more efficiently to increase their intensity.
Additionally, the Giants' defense became more aggressive, both the first and second lines. It was similar to the Steelers' pressure strategy. The focus was not on a single, fatal blow, but on building up pressure little by little. At the same time, they ignored the ability of individual players and focused more on the cooperation between players to complete their defensive work.
Although they chose a man-to-man defense, their movements after the snap were more deceptive. They often used a cross-switching defense to create the illusion of a zone defense. This was something that the offense couldn't predict beforehand, just like the defense couldn't predict the offense's plays.
Of course, the Giants' defensive players were in better form than in the regular season, which was also a change.
At this moment, this was the case. The San Francisco 49ers lined up in a complex two-by-two formation.
In the center, five offensive linemen were lined up in a row. On the left were Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. On the right were Ted Ginn and Logan Newman. The overall formation was a reverse shotgun, with Lu Ke standing four yards behind Jonathan Goodwin and Marcus Lynch standing three yards behind Lu Ke.
But the complex part was this: Crabtree was not standing on the outside but on the inside, where Vernon usually was. Vernon, on the other hand, was in the slot receiver position, which was the space between Crabtree and Adam Snyder, about three yards back, forming an inverted triangle.
Ginn was not standing on the outside either, but also in the slot receiver position. Logan's position was also moved in a lot. In the end, Ginn, Logan, and Joe Staley formed another inverted triangle.
It was symmetrical. The entire formation looked like a kite with its wings spread out, ready to fly. Both wings were spread out, but the middle was incredibly bloated, with a long kite string trailing behind, making people wonder if it was top-heavy and could even fly.
Facing the San Francisco 49ers' strange formation, the New York Giants' defensive formation also made a slight adjustment. On the front line, four defensive linemen faced off against the five offensive linemen. The two cornerbacks took big steps inward, corresponding to the positions of Crabtree and Logan, to complete their man-to-man defense.
The three linebackers were about two yards behind the offensive line. The two outside linebackers were in the slot receiver lanes, corresponding to Vernon and Ginn. One middle linebacker was slightly shifted to the left, seemingly observing Marcus's position or Lu Ke's position.
The two safeties kept retreating, creating a gap of sixteen to seventeen yards. They corresponded to the positions of Ginn and Logan, defending against any potential long passes—targeting two players with deep threat abilities. At the same time, they were still moving toward the center, always maintaining the mobility of their center of gravity.
Overall, it was still a man-to-man defense, but it put the pressure on early, showing its aggression. Everything was as expected and consistent with the changes from the past two playoff games.
Even so, Lu Ke still didn't let his guard down. After carefully reading the defense, he spoke into his headset, "Brian, are Renaldo Joseph and Chris Canty standing closer to the sides? Or is it my imagination?"
Renaldo and Canty were the New York Giants' defensive tackles, standing on the inside of the defensive line, but their current position seemed to be slightly different from usual.
Brian Hampton, the tactical director in the war room, despite their disagreement in the last game, they were on the right track, so all disagreements could be put aside for now, and they could work together to get back into the game.
Standing in the war room and observing from above, Brian immediately confirmed, "Yes. Can you predict their center of gravity?"
Without hesitation, Lu Ke quickly said what he was thinking.
Harbaugh immediately understood Lu Ke's intention. He quickly moved two steps to the side and glanced at the New York Giants' defensive alignment from the side. He made a decisive decision and gave the order to change the play.
Originally, this was a pass play, using Crabtree and Logan's short runs to cover Ginn and Vernon in the slot to keep moving forward and find an open space to receive the ball. But now, Harbaugh changed it to a run play, a run play executed with a passing defense in mind.
Lu Ke quickly conveyed the new play. All the offensive players did not move and kept the same formation, but their division of labor would be completely different. This was the importance of the playbook. Only by understanding the meaning of Lu Ke's signals could the players execute the play as planned. Otherwise, it would be a disaster.
"Hut!"
After a quick snap, Crabtree and Logan, who were relatively on the outside, instantly sprinted forward, while Vernon and Ginn, who were in the slot, started at the same time and ran toward the inner middle of the field. The four receivers' four different routes created open space in just a few big strides. The cornerbacks and linebackers all started to move. The short passing area instantly became tense. The crowded people kept moving, trying to hold their positions and complete their game assignments.
At the same time, the clash between the defensive line and the offensive line was in a strange rhythm. The defensive ends on both sides moved outward, trying to get around the pocket and rush in from the sides to sack the quarterback. The defensive tackles on the inside also moved slightly outward, moving the entire defensive pressure to the sides.
At the same time, Mike Iupati and Adam Snyder on the left moved to the left together, while Jonathan Goodwin, Anthony Davis, and Joe Staley on the right moved to the right together. The five offensive linemen were like pushing open a city gate, trying to open a lane. Just like that, the defensive line and the offensive line were on the same rhythm. Then you could see the offensive line easily push the defensive line aside. A clear path appeared in the middle, just like a move in a martial arts movie, fluid and smooth.
After the snap, the Giants' number 93 middle linebacker, Chase Blackburn, quickly adjusted his steps. His eyes were fixed on the opposing number 14, constantly looking for a good opportunity to blitz. Then he saw the entire lane open up, and the figure of number 14 was completely exposed in front of him.
Without even having time to think about what was going on, Blackburn instinctively pushed off with his feet. He charged forward like a cannonball, fiercely chasing after number 14, and lunged to try to make a tackle. But in his sight, he only saw number 14 turn and take a step back. When he turned back again, the football was gone.
Damn it!
Blackburn only had time to see a nimble figure dart past his side. He instinctively reached out his hands, trying to grab the other person, but he only grabbed a shadow. After missing, he lost his center of gravity and momentum, and his feet began to stumble. He watched helplessly as the back of number 27 sped away.
This was a run play!
Marcus Lynch held the football firmly. In just five yards of space, he had already reached his maximum speed. There were no offensive linemen, no defensive linemen, and not even a linebacker. The path was wide open. He lowered his center of gravity and steadily continued to accelerate. His body could clearly feel the arms trying to change their center of gravity to make a tackle, but his steps were exceptionally fierce. He charged forward with unstoppable force, creating a clear path.
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