Chapter 788: Two Changes
In fact, the San Francisco 49ers' entire strategy was not complex at all. On the contrary, it seemed incredibly clear. The entire logic, calculation, and operation were obvious.
But this was the commentators' hindsight.
Because on the field, before the tactic was executed, Lu Ke had already calculated the entire situation. No one else could see it. It was only after the tactic was executed that the observers would have an "Oh, I see" moment.
This is like a game of Go where you've already thought three or four moves ahead. This makes the opponent fall into a trap immediately, but unless the trap is fully revealed, the opponent can't know that they have walked into it.
This is the sign of a true master of the game!
Although the league has always emphasized the importance of the Wonderlic Test, a high score on the test doesn't mean that the on-field performance is good enough. Football is, after all, a sport closely related to teamwork and physical contact. Lu Ke's fellow rookie Blaine Gabbert is the most direct comparison. His Wonderlic Test score was also as high as 42, but his performance to date has been far from satisfactory, not even reaching the league average.
Now, with Lu Ke, people are truly feeling the difference that the Wonderlic Test makes. A perfect score on the test has a far greater impact on a quarterback than imagined. From last season to this season, especially in the last drive, it was a complete victory of intelligence.
The pass didn't require any risk, and even the technique didn't need to be precise. He already had the upper hand just by relying on the tactical layout.
No wonder people always say that a truly clever strategy doesn't require taking risks. As long as your layout is meticulous, wise, and comprehensive enough, you can achieve your goal steadily. In other words, the risk has been minimized compared to the reward. In contrast, those tactics where the risk outweighs the reward cannot be called clever.
This was not the first time people had marveled at Lu Ke's tactical layout, but it would not be the last.
"In the first half, the San Francisco 49ers' receiving players were generally in a mediocre state. In the past two drives, Lu Ke made corresponding adjustments. First, he chose short passes with a relatively high safety margin. Second, he used different receivers to change the passing rhythm. Third, he surgically dissected the defensive layout to complete the offensive tactical arrangement. In the end, he found Moss on both drives and completed the touchdowns."
"We can see where Lu Ke has grown. The last pass that led to the touchdown was a quick three-yard short pass. The New York Giants' defense was completely out of sync with the rhythm. Moss ran into the end zone without any challenges or risks and successfully scored another touchdown."
After Kirk finished his commentary, he let out a sigh of admiration.
Now, after re-watching it, the maturity and wisdom of Lu Ke in these two drives were evident. They were truly exceptional. Kirk continued to summarize, "Now, there are still three minutes and twenty-one seconds left in the third quarter. The San Francisco 49ers completed two touchdowns in the fastest and cleanest way possible, which means the game has returned to an even playing field. Therefore, the New York Giants' next drive is crucial."
"Or, the San Francisco 49ers' next defensive stand?" Teddy joked with a laugh, and the atmosphere instantly lightened.
After David Akers led the special teams to complete another extra point kick, the score came to 28:35.
The third quarter was coming to an end. When the New York Giants' offense took the field again, the score had already been shortened to a one-touchdown difference without anyone noticing. This was something no one had expected. The fast pace of the game completely ignited everyone's adrenaline.
After the second half began, the New York Giants immediately scored a touchdown, further widening the score, which made the suspense of the win slowly decrease. It seemed the scale of victory was slowly shifting toward the New York Giants. But who would have thought that after that, the San Francisco 49ers' offense, defense, and special teams would all explode, completing two touchdowns in the fastest time possible, making the suspense of the win wide open again?
At this moment, no one could predict the outcome of the game.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Eli Manning led the offense back onto the field. In the last drive, the New York Giants' offense suffered a three-and-out, and it was a crushing defeat. This also meant that Eli Manning had to pick himself up and give a strong response with an even better performance.
As Kirk said, the New York Giants' special teams' mistake was an accident. The San Francisco 49ers' offense successfully seized the opportunity and turned the accident into a touchdown. Now, the New York Giants' offense had to stop the bleeding as soon as possible, prevent the aftershocks of this accident from spreading, and try their best to keep their offense on the field and pin the San Francisco 49ers' offense on the bench.
At the same time, this was also a severe test for the San Francisco 49ers' defense.
These two drives were decisive for the course of the game. The San Francisco 49ers seized the first one, and now it was the New York Giants' turn to face the second.
Standing in the pocket of the offensive line, Eli Manning frowned slightly, staring intently at the defensive line and linebacker's formation. It wasn't because of tension, but a habitual action in the process of thinking. Of course, the opponent's defensive formation was also a problem, not because they changed their tactics, but because they still didn't change them, responding to all changes with no change.
The New York Giants' defense was like this, and so was the San Francisco 49ers' defense. Now it was Eli Manning's turn to think of a solution. His mind was working quickly.
Back on the sideline, Lu Ke and the offensive players were holding an emergency meeting.
The field was handed over to the defensive teammates, and Lu Ke naturally trusted them with all his heart. At the same time, the offense also had a lot of work to do.
The first touchdown, with the help of a special ability, was an audacious and risky offensive play that carved a path to victory. The second touchdown was a result of an unexpected situation where they struck swiftly to score a touchdown while the opponent was still on shaky ground.
Both touchdowns had a little bit of luck and a little bit of chance.
There was still more than a whole quarter left in the game. They couldn't always rely on luck. The receiving players had to execute the tactics and get into a good state, and the running backs also had to tirelessly look for opportunities. After all, they were still the trailing team, and there was a long and thorny road to victory that they had to complete.
So, after the red zone drive just now, Lu Ke immediately called the offensive players together.
This time, Moss was not absent.
After the first touchdown, he was so excited that he couldn't control himself. After all the emotions were released, Moss gradually calmed down. In his entire career, scoring touchdowns had become a habit. After retiring and coming back, all he needed to do was awaken this habit.
So, for the second touchdown, Moss didn't celebrate much. He just clenched his fist tightly and then completely released himself, truly entering a full-on combat state.
After the practice of the two touchdowns, Moss had slowly adapted to Lu Ke's tactical layout.
Once he opened his mind, things suddenly became clear and presented a completely different picture.
In fact, Lu Ke's tactics were not rigid or stubborn. On the contrary, Lu Ke's tactics were varied, and his adaptability was very high. He mainly laid out a tactical area and a tactical trend, and then made local fine-tuning to the tactics and passes based on different passing strategies and receiving targets.
The main reason why Moss was always resistant to working with Lu Ke was Lu Ke's youth and immaturity.
How deep could a mere second-year player's understanding of the playbook be? How good could his grasp of the game situation be? Not to mention changing things, he would probably be a straightforward tactical executor. He was not a game-reader and game-controller like Tom Brady, after all.
This also made Moss always worry that his running talent and route-running intuition might be completely confined in a rigid framework, that he would be reduced to a mediocre pawn, an unremarkable part of the tactic, completely losing himself, and then he would no longer be "Randy Moss."
However, in the last two drives, his connection with Lu Ke was very comfortable and appropriate. In the pre-designated tactical area, he could run his route based on his own reading and understanding and arrive at the predetermined tactical position in time to successfully complete the catch and the subsequent run.
More importantly, Lu Ke's reading of the defense was clearer and more accurate, and he was often able to guide him to better passing routes and receiving positions.
These were things that a wide receiver couldn't see.
Although such a comparison was meaningless, Lu Ke's passing technique was more solid, stable, and accurate than Brady's. The control of the spin, landing spot, arc, and power was enough to give the receiver more reaction time, which made Moss's catches more relaxed and free.
In a real game, such reaction time might only be a millisecond, or even shorter, but for the ever-changing outcome of a game, it vividly demonstrated the true meaning of "a miss is as good as a mile." It was incredibly precious and rare for a receiving player.
Past experiences were a weakness for the former Lu Ke, but for the grown-up Lu Ke, they were now becoming a strength.
In other words, this was only the first part of Lu Ke and Moss's official collaboration. They were both still looking for a rhythm that was comfortable for each other. So far, the effect was good. However, there were still many flaws in their rhythm coordination, and they needed more practice and a better understanding of each other.
So, when Lu Ke called a tactical meeting, Moss didn't hesitate.
This was another change.
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