Chapter 782: Calculated Action
Lu Ke was down!
Lu Ke was up!
In just one second, the entire Candlestick Park was filled with gasps and cheers. The dramatic performance almost made their hearts burst.
Lu Ke began to adjust his footwork again and made a passing motion. At this moment, all the 49ers' offensive receivers started to move, instantly creating at least four receiving options, once again showcasing the team's varied offensive tactics that dominated the entire league.
Logan and Marcus covered for each other, pushing forward along a straight line in the central area. Ginn made a break outside, rushing toward the right sideline, and then used his speed advantage to the extreme, breaking away from the cornerback's cover with pure speed and widening the distance.
Vernon didn't push deep. He continued on his route, rushing toward the left sideline and making a receiving gesture. Only Moss's run was a half-step slower. His forward momentum was a little hard to stop, so he simply continued to rush forward and then made a 90-degree turn to the outside, like a boomerang, and started to push toward the middle-pass area along the outside route.
The situation changed dramatically!
Just a moment ago, all the receivers were trapped in a circle. Now, all of them were free, instantly forming at least four receiving options, surging toward the middle-pass and even deep-pass areas.
Ginn's deep-pass threat had already terrified the New York Giants, and the three different receiving options from Logan, Marcus, and Vernon in the middle-pass area were even more dazzling, creating countless possibilities.
What's more, there was the unpredictable and unreadable Moss!
So, the New York Giants' defense had to quickly pull back, leaving only four players on the front line.
All the other players, including former Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Tuck, quickly dropped back to cover and assist. Thus, there were only three defensive linemen and one linebacker left on the front line. Excluding Pierre-Paul, who fell to the ground and lost his ability to make a second move, there were only two defensive linemen and one linebacker left.
The problem was that two of the defensive players were on the right side of the New York Giants, while Lu Ke, after getting back on his feet, was moving toward the left side of the New York Giants. This meant that the defensive tackle on this side had to quickly cover.
The player in the middle of the defensive line is called the defensive tackle, and the players on the sides are called defensive ends. If it's a "4-3" formation, there are two defensive tackles and two defensive ends. If it's a "3-4" formation, there is one defensive tackle and two defensive ends. Many times, this one defensive tackle may use a more special technique.
Therefore, the defensive tackle's position is always in the middle. Their main task is to block running backs and crash into the offensive line, disrupting the balance and stability of the entire pocket. They also train for pass defense and sacking the quarterback, but they are not necessarily proficient enough.
There are also defensive tackles who can break through the offensive line to sack the quarterback, but on average, they can be classified as anomalies. Occasionally during a game, a commentator will say, "Wow, the defensive tackle actually got a sack!" This is actually a way of complaining that the offensive line's pocket protection is a disaster and the quarterback's footwork is also a mess.
Now, the responsibility of defending the quarterback fell on the shoulders of the New York Giants' defensive tackle, whose name was Linval Joseph, number 97.
Linval Joseph, who had already suffered a lot in the first clash.
The third second!
Lu Ke's eyes could already catch Linval's quick-moving feet as he came to cover.
Linval was moving quickly along the diagonal with small steps. The 49ers' right offensive tackle, Alex Boone, was blocking his view and trying to make a block, but Linval could still see Lu Ke looking for a receiving target. His mission was not to sack Lu Ke but to disrupt Lu Ke's passing vision and get closer to him, messing up Lu Ke's passing rhythm.
Because of the mismatch in tactical needs, Linval had a slight advantage in his duel with Boone.
Linval and Boone collided, but his forward momentum was not fierce. Instead, he maintained a flexible rhythm, continuously pushing forward and moving sideways, avoiding further entanglement with Boone, but creating chaos in the continuous collision. Even Boone, who had lost his balance, was helping Linval achieve his tactical purpose: the two of them were clumsily compressing Lu Ke's moving space.
Linval immediately caught Lu Ke's hesitation. His feet paused slightly in place, and his gaze was constantly searching for a receiving target, but he still couldn't get a satisfactory result.
This was not surprising. The current tactics had already deviated far from the pre-snap plan, and they could only rely on the players' on-the-spot performance to make progress. The 49ers' offense was not in its best state today, which also put Lu Ke in a difficult position.
Linval realized that his opportunity had come.
After continuous collisions, Boone's feet were no longer steady. Linval suddenly reached out and pushed Boone away, but he didn't expect Boone to latch onto his arm. This made Linval subconsciously raise his hand and push outward reflexively: Damn it, he pushed his helmet!
As expected, the sharp-eyed referee threw a yellow flag immediately.
However, Linval's start had already been completed. His body still continued to rush forward with the momentum of his explosion. After pushing Boone away, he rushed toward Lu Ke, but then, Linval's pupils suddenly dilated. "What... what's going on? Why did Lu Ke predict it in advance? Why did Lu Ke move in advance?"
There was no time to think. Linval felt a trip under his feet, stumbled over Boone's foot, and his entire body fell forward like a mountain of gold collapsing. His face slammed into the grass, and he couldn't see what happened next.
This was not a pass.
From the first second of the drive, this was not a passing play but a running play. The only difference was that the one who was running was not Marcus but Lu Ke himself.
Today's rushing progress was really too bad. They were affecting and dragging each other down and couldn't open up the game. This also brought more pressure to the offensive players. The two running backs, Marcus and Gore, needed to change their rhythm. The best way was for a third running back to continuously charge the defensive line, especially a bulldozer like Kendall Hunter, to make the defense unable to adapt to the running rhythm, but...
Kendall was injured, and LaMichael's running style was relatively monotonous.
Therefore, Lu Ke chose the last resort, like a running quarterback, to take a risk and make himself the bait, disrupting the defense's rhythm step by step. Since the New York Giants always used an unchanging strategy to respond to all changes, he would force his opponent to change.
Although Lu Ke had practiced his footwork hard in the offseason, his rushing with the ball was now a solid 81. But at his core, Lu Ke was not a quarterback who was used to running with the ball himself. He still made a series of protective moves. The run-pass option was actually meant to allow Marcus, Logan, and others to meet up and complete the blocks together.
The fall was an accident.
But using the accident, Lu Ke smoothly returned to the right side. He was not in a hurry to run but made a fake passing motion to allow the receivers to continue to push deep, leaving more space for his run. As for Linval, his sack was completely under Lu Ke's surveillance. Under the cover of "Bullet Time," he had no trouble reacting a half-step in advance and quickly widened the distance.
After avoiding Linval. Lu Ke then began to execute the real tactic.
The fourth second.
Lu Ke moved two steps to the right nimbly, further widening the distance and making sure that he was far enough from the other defensive linemen. Then, he started to accelerate with all his might.
The 70-point acceleration and 73-point speed were not impressive for a wide receiver or a running back. The cornerback, linebacker, and safety could all make up for it in time, but after activating the special skill "Bullet Time," it was enough for Lu Ke.
He sprinted!
For the first time, Lu Ke increased his speed to the maximum like a sprinter. He ran as fast as he could, and the corner of his eye kept looking to his left, guarding against the approaching defensive players. Two seconds, the special skill had two more seconds. He needed to make full use of these two seconds to gain as many yards as possible.
Do you still remember the 40-yard dash in the training camp?
"This is a pass! Lu Ke is looking for a passing target, wait, wait, wait, oh my God, my God!"
"This is not a pass, this is a run! My God, this is a run by Lu Ke! No one expected it, no one in the stadium could have expected it! Linval Joseph was trying to sack him, but Lu Ke anticipated it a step ahead and dodged this important defensive move. This is a premeditated quarterback run!"
"My God, what did we just witness! What happened in the past offseason!"
"Let's look at the field now. The 49ers' receivers have all rushed past at least the 35-yard line. The New York Giants' defensive players have also all pushed past the 35-yard line. They have all crossed the midfield, which means that there is a 25 to 30-yard gap on the entire field! This is Lu Ke's absolute domain! This is the area where Lu Ke can run freely!"
"The defensive players are trying to chase back, but they are a step slow! Two steps! Three steps! They can't catch up at all! My God, the entire field is open. Lu Ke is running freely, just like... just like Bambi!"
"Bambi! Run! Bambi! Run fast!"
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