Chapter 640: Refusing to Surrender
The previous drive was first and ten, and also a first and goal. The San Francisco 49ers' offense was on the ten-yard line, in the red zone.
Before Ted Ginn could complete the catch, he was hit with a brutal tackle, and the football fell to the ground, resulting in an incomplete pass.
Now, the San Francisco 49ers faced a second-down-and-goal situation. They still had a chance to score a touchdown. The game had to go on. Although it was cruel, this was competitive sports. The best thing they could do was to fill the void left by Ginn, work together, and win this game, for themselves and for Ginn.
The offensive teammates gathered again. The player who came on was Kyle Williams. In the first half of the season, Williams was the team's number three wide receiver and had a good performance. In the second half of the season, after the two-tight-end formation opened up the game, he became a rotational player, mainly serving on special teams. Now, after Ginn's unexpected injury, Williams was back in the starting lineup of the offense.
After taking a deep breath and calming down, Lu Ke quickly called the play. Then, they quickly lined up and snapped the ball.
On the left side, Michael Crabtree not only didn't rush forward but also actively retreated, running toward Lu Ke. He adjusted his steps and made a motion to receive the ball.
But in the next moment, Crabtree made a small arc and ran out of the inside slot receiver lane, instantly arriving at where the linebacker was. He used a time gap, and no one noticed his presence.
At the same time, the entire red zone and end zone were in an uproar.
Vernon Davis, who was parallel to Crabtree, ran a diagonal line outside toward the left front pylon. His powerful run created a strong wave of air, crashing forward with brute force.
Kyle Williams, who had just come on, was on the outside of the right side, which was his most familiar offensive position. After the snap, he quickly ran along the sideline. With his light and agile running, he almost instantly passed the short ten-yard zone.
Finally, Logan Newman, who was on the inside of the right side, and Marcus Lynch, who was in the pistol formation, unexpectedly ran a cross-switch. Logan retreated and returned to the back of the offensive line, actively coming forward to receive the ball, ready to use the tight end's ability to break through and force an advance in the red zone. Marcus rushed forward and broke outside, following the route that Williams had just run, continuing to advance quickly in an empty zone. He ran for less than five yards and then turned around, ready to receive the ball.
This was a typical San Francisco 49ers, a typical West Coast offense.
The running routes on the left and right sides were diverse and varied, fully combining the individual characteristics of each player, creating the ability to strike in short, medium, and long passes. It was dazzling and caught the opponent off guard. The powerful danger was everywhere, forcing the defense to send out more people to assist in the defense.
So, what about Lu Ke?
After the snap, Lu Ke quickly backpedaled. Without any hesitation, he ran out of the pocket toward the right side. He only moved three steps horizontally. With a look over his shoulder, he jumped lightly and twisted his body slightly to the left by thirty degrees, mimicking a jump shot in basketball. He elegantly and simply tossed the football in a small arc, finding...
Michael Crabtree.
Retreat, pause, sideline, rush forward.
The four actions were connected and executed in a clear, decisive, and resolute manner. Crabtree used the space from his retreat to create a time gap. The linebacker had already retreated, and the defensive line had already rushed forward. A small open space appeared in the short-pass area in the middle.
Lu Ke's passing motion was crisp and decisive. The five-yard short pass was not a problem. After Crabtree caught the football, he paused slightly, abandoned the straight-ahead rush, and quickly advanced diagonally to the right. Following behind Williams and Marcus, he swept into the end zone.
There were no obstacles, no defense, and no one was even close to him.
Touchdown, completed!
"Touchdown! Touch... down! The referee confirmed the safe catch and that the offense was legal. This is a touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown! After an unexpected situation, the young rookie quarterback didn't panic. After calming down, he quickly set up the play, executed it quickly, and completed the touchdown without wavering!"
"Brilliant! This is absolutely brilliant!"
"This play call completely fooled the entire defense. They didn't encounter any obstacles. Michael Crabtree used a time gap to create an open space, successfully completed the five-yard catch, and then, with the blocking of two teammates, easily entered the end zone to score a touchdown!"
"During the last drive, Ted Ginn was hit with a vicious tackle while trying to make a touchdown catch. He was injured and left the game, which completely disrupted the 49ers' offensive rhythm. Ginn, who had an excellent season, was the team's most stable number two receiver and also their sharpest long-pass weapon. His absence is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the young offense."
"Despite the unexpected situation, the offense quickly calmed down and steadily set up a new play. They didn't waste the excellent opportunity in the red zone and scored a touchdown with great force! The stability and sharpness shown by this young offense once again lit up the eyes of everyone. It's safe to say that when this team fully matures, it will become one of the most frightening offenses in the league."
"What's happening on the field? The San Francisco 49ers' offense, which just scored a touchdown, is gathering together. They are dedicating this touchdown to Ted Ginn, who was injured and left the game!"
After scoring the touchdown, Crabtree raised the football in his left hand high, pointing to the sky. He gently tapped his chest with his right hand, which was in a fist, silently praying to God that Ginn was okay and could recover quickly. Then, turning around, Crabtree saw his teammates swarming toward him.
All the players spontaneously formed a circle, put their arms around each other's shoulders, and bowed their heads in silence, offering their blessings to Ginn. Then they heard Lu Ke shout, "We're still here! We're still standing on this field, and we're still fighting. Ted is watching us! Remember who we are?"
"We are warriors!" Logan clenched his fists and roared with passion.
"Yes, we are warriors! So let's fight together!" Lu Ke roared along with them, and then all the players shouted in unison, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
The fire in their chests was burning fiercely!
They refused to give up, refused to surrender, and refused to compromise. They would fight on! They would struggle on! They would run on! They would run until the last drop of their blood was burned out! Even if they were to die, they would die on this battlefield.
The offense left the field, and the special teams came on.
From a distance, Lu Ke could see David Akers and Patrick Willis standing on the sidelines, waiting quietly.
Lu Ke raised his right hand high, reaching for Akers and Willis's right hands. A simple high-five was all the encouragement they needed, and everything was left unsaid. As professional players, they knew better than anyone the fear and pain of injuries. They truly sympathized. The emotions and bitterness at this moment were the same.
Akers ran onto the field. There was still an extra point for him to score.
Willis patted Lu Ke on the shoulder and continued to stand on the sidelines. It was the defense's turn to go on the field.
Lu Ke turned around and returned to the bench on the sideline. After taking off his helmet, he put a towel over his head, completely blocking out all sights and sounds. He closed his eyes tightly. He needed to calm down, to completely calm down. In this game, the heavy responsibility of the offense was still on his shoulders.
Calmness, he needed to be calm.
What kind of play call should he make now that Ginn was out?
"Oh my God, he missed the tackle. Parese Harlson actually missed the tackle! This missed tackle is really fatal. The path in front of Victor Cruz is wide open. Even the closest defender is ten yards away. Harlson's missed tackle means that Cruz can easily score a touchdown."
"No surprise, Cruz didn't miss this opportunity. Before the defenders could get there, he successfully rushed into the end zone, scoring the New York Giants' first points of the game. With six minutes and fifty-one seconds left in the second quarter, the visiting New York Giants finally opened up the game and scored a touchdown!"
"The slow-motion replay shows that at the moment he was about to make the tackle, Harlson's judgment was off. The position of the tackle was not accurate. Cruz almost effortlessly dodged the defense. For a professional league, this is a rookie mistake."
"It's very possible that this is a mistake that will change the course of the game. Of course, it's still too early to say anything, as the second quarter is only halfway over."
"With the extra point successfully kicked, the score is 17-7. There is still a ten-point difference between the two teams. The home team, the San Francisco 49ers, still has the upper hand, but the situation of the game is subtly changing."
"Eli Manning just completed a twenty-three-yard long-pass connection, and then Cruz ran for fourteen yards to score the touchdown. Does this mean that Eli Manning is getting his rhythm back? On the other hand, without his primary deep-threat weapon this season, will Lu Ke's offensive play calls have to be adjusted? For a rookie player, this is a test."
"The game is getting more and more exciting now!"
Lu Ke, who was sitting on the sidelines, stood up. There was no panic or heaviness. His mind was calm, because he knew that the other offensive players were following in his footsteps. He had to calm down and lead the team forward.
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