Chapter 639: A Sudden Change
"After the second quarter started, the New York Giants went three-and-out again. Then, the San Francisco 49ers' offense suddenly picked up the pace without warning. The high-frequency short-pass plays completely disrupted the New York Giants' defensive rhythm. Now they seem unable to cope. Before they could react, the 49ers' offense had already made it into the red zone, challenging for another touchdown."
"Currently, Lu Ke has completed 12 of 14 passes, an excellent performance. In the running game, three running backs have taken turns, combining for forty-nine yards. And this is only the first half of the second quarter. Without a doubt, the entire offense is firing on all cylinders, and their momentum is unstoppable. It seems the game has entered a San Francisco rhythm."
"Snap!"
"Crabtree on the left breaks straight, while Vernon on the left runs forward and then back. Ginn on the right cuts inside, and Logan on the right runs forward and breaks outside. Classic 49ers, with dazzling running routes from the shotgun formation. All it takes is one window to become Lu Ke's breakthrough passing lane."
"Lynch! It's Lynch! The familiar slot receiver route, the familiar running back receiving strategy, the familiar short-pass zone creating a mismatch. Lu Ke throws the ball! Wait, it's not Lynch! It's Ginn! Ted Ginn! At the moment of release, Lu Ke, with wrist control, chose Ginn, who was on the same vertical axis as Lynch but farther downfield!"
"Ted Ginn! Ginn leaps high, trying to make the catch!"
"Oh, the impact! This impact was too brutal! My God, this is terrible, just terrible! Derrick Martin tackled Ginn's legs, hitting him from right to left. Aaron Ross tackled Ginn's upper body, hitting him from left to right. The strong opposing forces collided, and Ginn's helmet flew off. Oh my God!"
"Player is down, and the game is stopped."
High up, the football flew high, soaring across the sky, and then quickly descended toward Ginn's position. But a second later, Lu Ke's expression changed. He looked at everything in front of him in disbelief, instinctively rushing forward and pushing through the crowd of players.
The entire Candlestick Park was covered in a humming noise. All the fans stood up, watching the situation on the field with tension and worry. That oppressive sound was slowly giving rise to fear and anxiety, making it difficult to breathe. Their hearts were about to stop.
The end zone had become the main area of chaos. Almost all the players were standing in this small area. The two players who had just caused the accident, Martin and Ross, stood nearby with nervous expressions, showing their anxiety and repeatedly apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Is he okay?"
But their apologies were useless. Crabtree rushed over, pushed Ross away, and started cursing at him. "Are you fcking kidding me? Damn it! It was on purpose! You guys did it on purpose! You bstards! You're murderers! You're a bunch of cruel murderers!"
Players from both teams started to come forward to break up the fight, but with the high emotions, more and more swear words were being thrown around. The situation didn't calm down. Instead, a bigger conflict was brewing. The scene became chaotic, blending in with the brewing atmosphere on the field, seeming to be on the verge of losing control.
Jonathan Goodwin, being more experienced, quickly stepped forward. With the help of Joe Staley and Vernon Davis, he began to disperse the crowd and control the situation. "Spread out! Everyone, spread out! We need some fresh air!"
The shouts, in the midst of the oppressive atmosphere, were like muffled thunder, but they were instantly swallowed by the humming noise. It was so faint and so powerless. The scene became more and more oppressive and anxious. The gray clouds in the sky were so thick they wouldn't disperse, as if all the light and color had disappeared.
As the captain of the offense, Lu Ke had no time or energy to deal with the situation. He couldn't take his eyes off Ginn. His helmet had flown off the field, fully exposing his face. He was drenched in sweat and his lips were pale. Although he wasn't saying anything, you could clearly feel the pain he was in.
Football is a sport closely related to injuries. Without mentioning others, after the game last week, Lu Ke clearly felt the potential danger of a concussion. This was part of the game and part of life. What's more, the injuries of other players were a direct reason why Lu Ke was able to get a chance to show himself in college and on the pro field.
But Lu Ke had never seen such a bad collision with his own eyes.
Ginn was not a big, strong guy to begin with. Lying quietly on the turf, he looked even smaller and weaker. He didn't dare to move and remained in the same position he landed in to avoid more serious injuries caused by any rash movements, waiting for the team doctor to arrive. That stiff posture made him look incredibly small and vulnerable.
Lu Ke tried to say something, but all the words were stuck in his throat.
"Hey, Bambi." Ginn noticed Lu Ke's presence. He looked to the side and gave a big smile, but then he winced. "Don't worry, it's not as serious as it looks. I... ugh, I'm just staying in the same position to wait for the team doctor."
These comforting words didn't help, because the pain and suppressed emotions on his face couldn't be hidden. It seemed even speaking was incredibly painful, and he was trying to hold back something, showing his struggle in every way, making people clearly feel the seriousness of the situation.
"Ted." Lu Ke finally spoke, but the words were squeezed out. "Don't talk. Walter will take care of you." His usual eloquence was useless now. He could only repeat the same sentence over and over. "Walter will take care of you." But it had no persuasiveness and instead revealed a guilty conscience.
Ginn pursed his lips and showed a smile that was uglier than a frown, and then more cold sweat seemed to appear on his forehead.
Without saying a word, Ginn slowly moved his eyes, searching the area, but he couldn't find his target. Lu Ke asked, "What's wrong? What are you looking for?"
"My helmet. My helmet." Ginn said in a hoarse voice.
Lu Ke quickly stood up straight, scanned the area, and found his target. He quickly jogged toward the stands. Among the photographers sitting on the ground, a chubby reporter picked up Ginn's number 19 helmet and handed it over.
Lu Ke walked up quickly, took the helmet, and whispered a "thank you." Then he heard the reporter say in a low voice, "Good luck, Bambi."
The simple sentence, at this moment, was filled with mixed feelings. It was as if everyone knew death was the end of the journey, but when that day actually came, it was still impossible to not be afraid. Injuries were the same. Only by experiencing it firsthand could you understand the devastating blow injuries had on a professional athlete.
"Thank you." Lu Ke said again, then turned around and saw that the team doctor and the cart had arrived in the end zone. They were carefully putting Ginn on a stretcher and then on the cart.
Lu Ke quickly jogged over and shouted, "Wait. Wait."
When he got to the cart, Lu Ke put the helmet next to Ginn's hand, making sure Ginn's right hand could touch the helmet. "Buddy, here's your helmet." His eyes fell on Ginn's face, which was covered in cold sweat. "Leave the rest to us."
Ginn pursed his lips. He still couldn't manage a smile. "At least, the team's first touchdown was mine. Ha! Ha!" Two dry laughs, with no humor at all. Then he paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat, and he ended up not saying it.
In that brief moment, the cart started up again at the urging of the team doctor, carrying Ginn slowly away from the field. It was not only because Ginn needed to be examined as soon as possible, but also because they couldn't delay the game.
The cart slowly left the field. The next second, Ginn finally couldn't hold back anymore. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed.
After being quiet for so long, struggling for so long, and fighting for so long, he finally had a stage to show himself and gave the best performance of his career. But at this moment, it came to a screeching halt. His season, his rise, and his glory all came to a halt.
Five years. It took him a full five years to get to where he was now, standing on the NFC Championship stage, fighting for a spot in the Super Bowl, and fighting for the most glorious moment of his career. But he fell on this stage.
Now, there might be a future, or there might not be.
But at the very least, he couldn't fight alongside his brothers for the final victory in this game. And this season, he might never again be on the same field with this group of young and passionate teammates, on the field he loved so much.
In an instant, Ginn couldn't take it anymore and began to cry uncontrollably.
Take a deep breath, and another deep breath. His surging mind finally settled down. Lu Ke realized that he was the captain of the offense. He had to calm down, and he had to pull himself together. They still had an NFC Championship to win. They still had a drive to complete. This was incredibly difficult, but he had to step up.
This was what a leader should do.
Taking a long breath, he temporarily suppressed all the mixed and chaotic thoughts in his heart. Lu Ke shouted, "Guys, we need to get it together. This is just an accident, an accident that no one wanted to happen."
He turned and looked around, his eyes falling on every teammate. A tragic mood was slowly spreading. He clenched his fists, and a powerful energy burst from deep in his core. "Come on! There's another touchdown waiting for us to score! Come on!" The passionate roar was like a heavy punch, crushing the oppression.
Twenty-five seconds later, the entire Candlestick Park went wild.
"Touchdown! Touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown!"
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