Chapter 789: Step by Step
It's unfair to compare and discuss Brady and Lu Ke.
Brady is not a quarterback famous for his passing accuracy. His tactical choices, feel for the game, and short-pass strategies are what make him a force in the league. If you only talk about Brady's passing accuracy, it is often very erratic, forcing the receivers to rely more on their own talent to make the catch.
In fact, it's not just Brady. Most quarterbacks in the league don't overly refine their passing accuracy. After all, a football's target is moving, unlike a basketball's fixed hoop. It's really hard to elevate accuracy to a new level. It's more about the chemistry between the passer and the receiver.
So, this kind of solid fundamental skill is mostly polished and refined over and over again by those tireless practice players and substitutes.
Among the four elite quarterbacks, Drew Brees's passing accuracy is undoubtedly a cut above the rest, but this is directly related to his height. He is only six feet (183 cm), which is not considered tall for a quarterback; in fact, he is considered short. This severely affected his draft prospects, which forced him to constantly refine his passing accuracy. He is currently a prime example of a "short" quarterback.
In addition, Aaron Rodgers is also famous for his passing accuracy. He is another case. Rodgers is a player who is extremely demanding of himself. In daily practice, he conducts a variety of passing drills, tirelessly improving his passing skills. Strictly speaking, his training regimen is even earlier and more rigorous than Lu Ke's.
All in all, comparing the passing accuracy and catch comfort of Brady and Lu Ke is pointless. But for Moss, he has only worked with five quarterbacks throughout his career, and the objects for comparison are truly limited, so this is a natural choice.
But precisely because of this, Moss now has a deeper understanding of Lu Ke's passing and tactics, and a door to a whole new world has gradually opened up. When Lu Ke quickly called a tactical meeting, Moss followed Lu Ke without any hesitation or doubt. It was an instinctive reaction.
It wasn't because he had now become the main player of the offense, but because of the confidence and belief brought by the two touchdowns.
If you were to go even deeper, perhaps that conflict in the first week of the regular season had already quietly laid the groundwork.
Moss was fully focused and immersed in the offensive team's tactical meeting.
From the beginning of the game until now, it was clear that the New York Giants' defense still hadn't changed their tactics. They continued to increase the compression of the short-pass area, fully utilizing the pressure and contraction of the front field to create more open spaces for their secondary defense and to create more opportunities in the front field. They had achieved remarkable results.
For the San Francisco 49ers, the short-pass area was actually one of their strengths. However, they now had to face the fact that Crabtree was in poor form and the other receivers were generally not at their best. The offense had to adjust its strategy to find more solutions in the strong-on-strong matchup.
At this moment, the importance of the pre-game player tactical meeting became apparent. All the situations and considerations had already been put on paper. Now they only needed to stand next to the field, further analyze and deduce, and they could quickly understand Lu Ke's arrangements and changes, as well as the explanations from the offensive coaches.
In the midst of the heated discussion, the third quarter came to an end.
The offensive players looked up and scanned the field. The New York Giants' offense still hadn't managed to cross the midfield. The last three-plus minutes of the game were a foul fest. There were a total of seven yellow flags between the two teams, constantly interrupting the rhythm of the game. You could clearly feel the rapidly increasing tension and the unwillingness of the players on both sides to yield.
But looking at the current situation, in this strong-on-strong matchup—or rather, this no-holds-barred, full-out showdown—the San Francisco 49ers' defense was still a little bit better.
After the fourth quarter began, the New York Giants' offense refused to give up and continued to advance. In an offense that lasted for a full two minutes and fifty-three seconds, they encountered two yellow flags and two third-down situations. In the end, they still couldn't break through the San Francisco 49ers' defense.
On their own 40-yard line, the New York Giants' offense suffered a three-and-out. And it was a long-yardage fourth-and-six. Head coach Tom Coughlin did not have the daring and craziness of a "youngster." He not only didn't dare to go for it on fourth down but also didn't dare to try a 57-yard field goal. He conservatively chose to punt.
This drive took more than six minutes, but it was mainly due to the yellow flags that consumed a lot of game time, and the offense was constantly going back and forth.
Facing the San Francisco 49ers' relentless pressure, Eli Manning unfortunately failed to make a breakthrough. Not to mention a touchdown, he couldn't even advance into the field goal range. Now, the initiative was back in Lu Ke's hands, and the suspense of winning or losing was truly becoming more and more unpredictable.
The only silver lining was that there was still plenty of time left in the fourth quarter, and anything was possible.
The New York Giants' special teams did not make a mistake this time and kicked the football out of bounds, leaving no chance for a return and no chance for an accident. It forced the San Francisco 49ers to start their drive from their own 20-yard line.
First down and 10.
Using a screen pass, Lu Ke fully utilized the New York Giants' front-line defense's tendency to constantly rush forward and turned a disadvantage into an advantage.
Facing an unstable pocket, under extreme pressure, he threw a small diagonal pass to the right. The pass was only two yards deep, but it was a full six yards wide. The football went from a dense crowd to a sparse one, finding Logan, who had been consistently performing well in this game.
Logan sprinted forward, then stopped and turned sharply, quickly running back to connect with Lu Ke. He successfully caught the football and, under the blocking of Vernon and Marcus, advanced a full eight yards before being pushed out of bounds by two defensive players, ending the drive.
Second down and two yards.
Under the cover of a two-tight-end formation, Lu Ke once again faked a run and made a real pass. The substitute Frank Gore's realistic run-with-the-ball deceived two linebackers, and then Lu Ke swiftly found Moss, who easily advanced two yards, and then another four, once again getting a first down.
Moss's running was absolutely elusive. One second he was moving toward the left sideline, and without any warning, he made a sharp stop and turn. Then, he cut into the middle like a rocket. He completed the catch at high speed and used his explosive power and control to complete the entire advance in a dense crowd.
Another first down and 10.
It was still a two-tight-end formation, but Lu Ke unexpectedly ran out of the pocket on his own. The defensive linemen who were rushing the quarterback suddenly became flustered and embarrassed. Pierre-Paul tried his best to keep up with Lu Ke's steps, and everyone was worried that Lu Ke would run with the ball again.
But this time, Lu Ke completed the pass one step before the defensive players got close, with a four-yard short pass to Vernon.
Vernon's hands were still shaky today. Lu Ke's pass had no problems. The power, spin, and landing spot were just right, and there wasn't much risk in a four-yard pass. Without a defensive player covering him, Vernon almost had another drop. The football rolled in his hands like a hot potato several times before he finally gained control of it.
Although he successfully caught the football, there was no more space to advance. The defensive players rushed over and pinned Vernon to the ground.
Second down and six yards.
Although the effect of the advance did not meet expectations, it was obvious that Lu Ke was diversifying his tactics. He even used himself as bait, changing the tactical habits of a traditional pocket quarterback, and frequently using fake moves and runs to distract the defense, forcing them to be clumsy in their front-line defense.
The same was true for the next drive.
Standing in a shotgun formation, Lu Ke did not adjust his steps and did not have too much ambition. After the snap, he raised his hand and passed the ball, quickly finding Logan again. Relying on Vernon's blocking, Logan successfully advanced six yards before being hit and falling to the ground to end the drive.
They got another first down.
Logan did not greedily look for the possibility of a breakthrough. He fell to the ground when the opportunity was not clear. This was also Lu Ke's tactical arrangement: they were fully increasing the speed of the offense. Following the defense, the offense was also pushing forward step by step.
The entire league clearly knew that the San Francisco 49ers' offense had the ability to accelerate powerfully. Every team was trying to solve this tactic, but the best defense is a good offense. When Lu Ke was in excellent form, with his defensive reading and offensive layout, the defense was truly exhausted from running.
Today, due to the mediocre performance of the receiving players, Lu Ke was unable to fully accelerate. But now, only relying on Logan and Moss, Lu Ke still forced the acceleration when the opportunity was not appropriate, and it had some effect. The New York Giants' defense was slowly losing its defensive advantage.
Another first down and 10.
Unknowingly, the San Francisco 49ers had reached their own 44-yard line, approaching the midfield.
After the snap, Lu Ke unexpectedly dropped back quickly. It was a regular passing play, but after the previous buildup, it forced the New York Giants' defense to be more cautious, and their reaction was a half-step slower. Lu Ke didn't face any pressure and completed the pass decisively.
Is this... a middle pass?
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