Chapter 636: Running Game Strategy
"Aaaah! Aaaah!"
At Candlestick Park, cheers and screams were rising, as the fans cheered on their offense. In the first play, Marcus Lynch showed excellent form, successfully running for a first down, which easily ignited the passion of the home crowd. The entire stadium began to boil.
After the snap, Marcus and Lu Ke quickly completed the handoff. The offensive line's run blocking successfully opened up a lane in the middle. Marcus's powerful run quickly broke through the defensive line's attempts to cover. Before the opponents realized it, his fierce and accelerating steps broke through the encirclement.
However, the Giants' first-line defense wasn't distracted at the beginning of the game. Although Vernon and Ginn's quick runs held back two outside linebackers, they didn't lose focus. They adjusted their center of gravity in a second movement and returned to defense in time, closing the door on Marcus before he broke through the line. They worked together to bring Marcus to the ground, stopping the bleeding in time.
Even so, Marcus still successfully ran for a full ten yards, getting a first down.
In the second play, after the snap, the entire 49ers' offense moved quickly to the left. From the offensive line to the receivers, they all lined up in a full-blown passing formation. But unexpectedly, Lu Ke handed the ball to Marcus for the second time in a row.
After successfully taking the handoff, Marcus didn't break through on the right. Instead, he followed the direction of the team's offense, went around the offensive and defensive lines, and ran in a circle from the left. He started running with unstoppable momentum.
The entire left side of the field was packed with defensive players, but it was also packed with offensive players. In the midst of blocking and clearing the way, Marcus found a narrow path. He continued to advance by going back and forth, dodging two tackles in a row. After running for another ten yards, he was tackled to the ground.
"Beautiful! The San Francisco 49ers get another first down!"
In the broadcast booth, Fox's Teddy Williams and Kirk Charleston were still the most familiar duo for the audience. The guest analyst today was Troy Aikman, the Hall of Fame quarterback from the Dallas Cowboys.
In the early 90s, Aikman led the Cowboys to a feat of winning three championships in four years. On their way to the first two Super Bowl titles, they successfully defeated the San Francisco 49ers, which established a significant rivalry between the two teams. It was indeed interesting that he was here as a guest analyst today.
"After the game officially started, the San Francisco 49ers chose to run the ball twice in a row and got a first down both times. Following the last game, they've once again used the ground game to open up the situation. This obviously caught the New York Giants by surprise. Troy, what do you think about this?" After a simple summary, Teddy threw the question to the guest analyst.
Without any pleasantries, Aikman immediately began his analysis from a quarterback's perspective. "Before the snap, you could clearly see that the 49ers' quarterback was reading the defense. After making an accurate judgment, he decisively chose a run play."
Then the replay appeared on the screen, and Aikman quickly used a yellow highlighter to circle the key positions. "On the first play, he saw through the opponent's strategy to rush the quarterback and made arrangements in advance, opening up a lane in the middle. On the second play, he used the receivers' movements to block, taking advantage of number 27's agile feet and powerful running to advance in a narrow space."
"What did we see? We saw a good defensive read and a good play call. We saw on-the-spot adjustments and a clear awareness. For any quarterback, these are invaluable." Aikman quickly concluded. "Although it's a bit of an exaggeration to say this, I really did see a glimpse of Peyton Manning."
Unexpectedly, Teddy and Kirk didn't show any surprise and instead showed a look of course. This surprised Aikman, and he immediately laughed.
"What I mean is, this rookie quarterback's sharp sense of play-calling during the game is truly impressive. He doesn't look like a quarterback, but more like a head coach." Aikman's smile grew wider and wider. "If he can continue to grow and not be bothered by injuries, then he really has the potential to become a new force in the league. For the Giants, this game will definitely not be easy."
Kirk, who was in charge of the detailed commentary for each play, also joined the conversation. "Looking at the entire season, we can clearly see that the 49ers' running game has improved significantly in the second half of the season. The offense is getting smarter in its choices and combinations of passing and running, and the offensive line's blocking is also clearer and more definite."
"It's not just Marcus Lynch. The average yards per run for Anthony Dixon and Kendall Hunter have also improved significantly. The offense's overall play-calling and combinations are getting more and more reasonable. This is Jim Harbaugh's credit, and it's also Lu Ke's credit." Kirk still didn't hide his admiration and fondness for Lu Ke.
A running back is a position that relies heavily on physical ability. But even Marshawn Lynch, who has a "Beast Mode," still can't break through the wall of a numerical advantage. So, the offensive line's blocking and the receivers' drawing of the defense are crucial for a running back.
In other words, tactical arrangements are also an important way to improve running efficiency.
Teddy nodded in agreement. "Now, the New York Giants haven't been able to keep up with the tactical changes in time and have given up two long-yard runs in a row. This means that the San Francisco 49ers have already quickly gotten into a rhythm at the start of this Conference Championship game. Don't forget, this is the team with the highest opening score rate in the league."
Then, Teddy quickly returned to the game. "Starting the drive from their own fourteen-yard line, and after two successful runs for first downs, the San Francisco 49ers are now on the thirty-four-yard line."
The New York Giants' number 90 defensive end, Jason Pierre-Paul, was ready to go. After slightly lowering his center of gravity, his right foot kept pushing off the ground, like he was stepping on the gas pedal of a motorcycle. The momentum of a tiger ready to be unleashed was not at all affected by the two previous failed run defenses.
Pierre-Paul, a sophomore, had found new life in the regular season. With fourteen sacks and seventy-two solo tackles, and two forced fumbles, he showed an unimaginable burst of power at the defensive end position. This made him the only player from the Giants' defense to be selected for the Pro Bowl this year.
For a defensive end, they have two tasks: pocket pressure and run defense. In a zone defense, the running back might be left to the outside linebacker to cover, while the defensive end goes all out to rush the quarterback. But overall, the defensive end's job is relatively aggressive.
He wasn't in position in time for the two previous defensive plays. One was in the middle of the field, and the other was on the Giants' right side, while Pierre-Paul was on the left side, so he couldn't reach them. Even if he wanted to help his teammates, he was powerless. But he was sure that if the 49ers dared to break through on his side, he wouldn't easily let them gain yards.
His eyes were locked on number 14 and number 27 on the other side of the field.
This was a basic two-by-two offensive formation and also a pistol formation. Just from the formation alone, you couldn't tell what was going on. So, this required Pierre-Paul to be even more focused, paying close attention to every subtle change in the air.
"Hut!"
Number 14 gave the offensive command. Pierre-Paul's right foot pushed off the ground, and he charged forward fiercely, crashing into Joe Staley. But his center of gravity had already shifted a step earlier. Using Staley as leverage, he turned and quickly got past him, continuing to rush forward!
He was rushing the quarterback!
Pierre-Paul was doing his part for the team, but the corner of his eye remained highly alert, always watching the quarterback's every move to make sure his play wasn't flawed. The quarterback still had the ball. Pierre-Paul quickly caught this detail, and his pupils contracted rapidly.
With a "whoosh," Pierre-Paul and Logan Newman passed each other. One was rushing toward the quarterback with great force, while the other was quickly moving toward the sideline in the short passing area. The lightning-fast crossover showed a completely different process for the offense and defense.
Even so, Pierre-Paul's focus was not at all distracted.
After shaking off Staley, his feet pushed off the ground more and more forcefully. His eyes were tightly locked on the number 14 quarterback. The other person was standing in the pocket, calmly adjusting his steps, raising his chin to survey the field, looking for an open receiver. Pierre-Paul instantly realized that his chance had come!
In his sight, he could clearly see number 14 and number 27 standing parallel to each other.
It was obvious that number 27, who had not left, was there to block, to prevent a sack, and to give the quarterback more time to pass. Pierre-Paul's brain was working quickly. His movements didn't stop, but he had already instinctively calculated the best route to dodge and block.
At that moment, number 27 unexpectedly moved sideways. In the blink of an eye, he created an open space, leaving number 14 completely exposed in front of Pierre-Paul. Then he went around Pierre-Paul's running path and darted away. Almost at the same time, number 14 raised his right arm, made a quick motion in the same direction, and the football was successfully released.
Oh no!
Pierre-Paul quickly made an emergency stop and lunged at number 27.
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