Chapter 776: Full Preparation
7:30. Strictly speaking, this time isn't early. The team's collective training time can be even earlier. But today wasn't the team's scheduled training time, so Randy Moss arriving at the team office building so early was quite irregular.
In Moss's 13-year career, this was definitely a groundbreaking first.
Not to mention being early, it was already very good that he wasn't late. Not to mention extra practice, it was already very rare that he didn't miss a session. Not to mention extra studying, it was already a normal performance that he didn't completely check out. After dominating the league with his talent for many years, this was the first time Moss had truly calmed down and diligently integrated into the team, actively adapting to his teammates' pace. It was at least a start.
Standing outside the offensive meeting room, he could vaguely hear the lively discussion coming through the door. This made Moss's steps even more hesitant. Even now, he was still questioning whether his compromise was correct—changing a habit is never easy.
But in the end, Moss convinced himself: It was for the New York Giants.
The closest Moss came to a Super Bowl in his career was the New England Patriots' undefeated season in 2007. They faced the New York Giants in the Super Bowl and suffered their only loss of the season, ultimately missing out on a Super Bowl ring. That was his only chance so far.
Next week, the 49ers will face the New York Giants at home.
For the team and for Moss himself, this is a crucial revenge match. He knows that winning this game doesn't mean winning the Super Bowl, but at the very least, he can defeat the New York Giants with his own hands. He hopes he can be on the field and be a part of the victory.
Taking a deep breath, Moss mentally prepared himself and then pushed open the door to the meeting room.
Inside the meeting room, the rustling discussion didn't stop. All the players were fully engrossed in the discussion in front of them.
Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn stood in front of the whiteboard, arguing and discussing back and forth, their faces red, neither one backing down. The other teammates were scattered in front of them, listening attentively and occasionally exchanging their own opinions, blending in with the discussion of the two in front.
For a moment, Moss felt a bit awkward and didn't know whether he should go in or retreat.
Just then, the teammates noticed Moss's entry.
It wasn't a strange thing for someone to come in. The offensive meeting was supposed to have people coming and going, and not everyone could arrive on time or participate in the whole thing. The problem was that Moss stood by the door after entering and didn't come in for a long time. He stood there like an iron tower, and he was so conspicuous that it was difficult to ignore him.
At this time, the discussion died down slightly. It was obvious that the voices of Crabtree and Ginn, who were blocked by the whiteboard, became more prominent.
Obviously, no one expected Moss to show up.
Since the voluntary training camp began in May, Moss had never participated in a player-initiated tactical discussion meeting. Even in the tactical meetings initiated by the coaching staff, Moss was always an insignificant and invisible presence.
It wasn't the team's fault; it was Moss's. He barely spoke during the meetings and would even secretly doze off. He seemed to be indifferent, out of place, and detached, as if he was refusing to integrate into the team or simply didn't care about tactical discussions.
Now, suddenly seeing Moss's figure at the door, every player began to doubt their eyes and didn't know what to say for a moment. So they fell silent.
Vernon Davis instinctively tried to stand up, ready to greet him, because among the offensive players, he and a few other receivers were more familiar with each other. Now that Crabtree and Ginn were in front, the responsibility of breaking the deadlock naturally fell on his shoulders.
Logan was white.
But in his hesitation, Vernon's center of gravity shifted, and he fell back onto the chair with a thud, looking a bit flustered. He blurted out, "Randy?"
Unexpectedly, another voice rang out at the same time. "Randy." All eyes, including Vernon's, turned to the source of the sound. It was unexpected but reasonable. It was Lu Ke, the team's quarterback and the captain of the offense.
"Hey, Randy, good morning." Without any surprise or shock, Lu Ke greeted him with a very normal attitude and a smile.
"We're currently discussing the defensive interpretation of a play, the running routes for the wide receivers and tight ends, and how to break up the four-man zone. Michael and Ted both believe that their running routes are the correct and effective ones. How about it? What's your opinion? We can use different perspectives."
More importantly, there was no small talk.
Lu Ke went straight to the point, as if Moss's participation in today's tactical meeting was a normal thing. He calmly completed the welcome and acceptance transition, and in a way, he already treated Moss as a member of the offense.
Moss could feel the goodwill in Lu Ke's words. More importantly, the topic the offense was discussing was what he was best at. He didn't need any extra adjustments. He took a step forward, walked around to the front of the whiteboard, and seamlessly joined the tactical meeting.
"Which play are we discussing? A 2x2? Or a multi-line?" Moss tried his best to ignore the curious and probing gazes of the other players and focused all his attention on the tactical discussion in front of him.
Crabtree and Ginn, who were a bit confused, reacted a half-beat later. Although a hint of confusion flashed in their eyes, their attention was still on the tactics. They immediately came back to their senses and returned to the discussion. "The basic running route for a 2x2..." Crabtree was the first to speak and express his thoughts.
...
It was just after 8:15, and there was still more than half an hour until the official meeting time for the day, but Jim Harbaugh still arrived at the team office building early.
For this home game this week, Harbaugh was also holding his breath. The media and fans were constantly yelling "Revenge, revenge, revenge." After repeating the same slogan too many times, even Harbaugh himself couldn't help but start to care. Although he knew that this was just an ordinary regular season game that didn't need special treatment and that it was not a division rival after all, the influence of the media was still inevitable.
What's more, the New York Giants were indeed their nemesis. The offense, which was supposed to be as smooth as flowing water, always seemed to lack a bit of chemistry when facing the opponent's not-so-great defense. This was also a problem that had to be solved in this week's game. Otherwise, a loss was still a high-probability event, and no one could underestimate the New York Giants.
Last night, he was busy until 11 p.m. before going home. Today, he came to the office early again.
As he walked out of the elevator, Harbaugh saw five or six people gathered in front of the office, gesturing animatedly as they talked about something. After they noticed Harbaugh's appearance, their voices lowered a little, and they greeted him. After Harbaugh walked past them, the rustling sound started up again.
It was a little strange.
But what was even stranger was that a small group of people, about seven or eight of them, were crowded in the hallway, all standing at the door of a meeting room. If Harbaugh's spatial memory was not wrong, it was the offensive meeting room. So, what were they doing there?
"What's going on?" Harbaugh asked loudly.
Everyone stood up and turned around. After they noticed that the person was Harbaugh, their expressions were a bit embarrassed, but someone still bravely walked up and said in a low voice, "Do you remember? It's Wednesday today. Bambi always holds an offensive meeting in advance to exchange some ideas about watching the game film. Today, Randy came too."
Harbaugh was about to say, "What's so surprising about Bambi's tactical meeting?" The next second, Harbaugh's eyes widened, and he showed an incredible expression. He blurted out in a surprised voice, "What?"
Harbaugh's stunned expression amused all the other staff members around him. They all nodded and showed meaningful expressions.
Harbaugh couldn't help but walk over, squat down, and look through the frosted glass below the meeting room's doorknob. Then he saw Moss, who was standing in the center and having a heated discussion with Crabtree, Vernon, and Logan.
The situation was a bit intense at this time. Everyone was gesticulating and had red faces, seemingly arguing about something. There were even signs of a fight breaking out.
This was definitely a rare sight.
After Moss joined the team, Harbaugh had been struggling. He knew that Moss was a very good addition to the offense, but he still hadn't figured out how to use him. Especially since Moss's temper and personality were basically impervious to both soft and hard tactics. Even as the head coach, Moss didn't take him seriously.
As a result, five weeks into the regular season, Moss was still a "salary thief"—he was getting paid but not contributing.
Countless media outlets were complaining about the 49ers, saying that they signed Moss but still hadn't found the right way to use him. They were wasting salary and salary cap space without making an effective addition to the team. "Maybe Jim Harbaugh should ask Bill Belichick for a 'Randy Moss User Manual.'"
Fortunately, the 49ers were still winning now, so the conflict hadn't broken out yet. But deep down, Harbaugh was a little anxious.
Today, he finally saw a little change and a breakthrough, and Harbaugh couldn't help but show a look of surprise.
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