Chapter 1145: An Even Match
The entire stadium erupted!
"First, Ted Ginn, under a three-man blitz, made an impossible catch for a touchdown. Then Lu Ke, while being sacked and losing his balance, threw the ball awkwardly. Michael Crabtree used his man-to-man advantage to narrowly complete the catch, successfully converting for two points!"
"Two passes and two catches, both of which are worthy of being the best plays of the season! The San Francisco 49ers' offense is dancing on the edge of a knife, yet they have put on a top-notch 'Swan Lake,' captivating the entire audience! This is what a real Super Bowl is like! Now both sides are back at the starting line!"
The Superdome was roaring.
TVs across the world were roaring.
Even the VIP suites were roaring.
Emma Watson couldn't hold back her excitement either. She clenched her fists and jumped up and down, but she didn't know what to shout, so she just screamed, "Ahhhh!" She looked at everyone around her and continued to scream ecstatically, "Ahhhh!"
This simple cry contained a thousand words, perfectly capturing the excitement and exhilaration of the moment. This is the most beautiful and moving charm of sports. If you are willing to let go and get involved, you can easily become a part of it.
"35-38".
The score spoke for itself. The suspense of the game had completely returned. There was only a one-touchdown difference between the two teams. No one could say for sure what would happen next, and no one could predict it. From this moment on, every down was a heart-stopping moment.
After the power outage in the second half, the San Francisco 49ers, in a desperate situation, chose to fight with their backs to the wall. Their momentum of continuously scoring was unstoppable. From a twenty-nine-point deficit to just a three-point deficit, the team showed the strength and ferocity of their undefeated season. The opponent was unable to stop them effectively, and they completely turned the tide of the game in one fell swoop.
They were on a roll! The momentum was huge!
But now, it was the Baltimore Ravens' turn to be in a desperate situation. No one could ever underestimate this team. Even though they had been plagued by injuries this season and had stumbled into the playoffs, they were still a powerful opponent that should not be underestimated in the AFC. What's more, their form had been continuously improving in the three playoff games, and after arriving at the Super Bowl, they had shown a tough, dominant style.
If it were any other team, or a normal regular season game, facing the San Francisco 49ers' strong momentum, they might have surrendered and been swept away. But the Super Bowl was different. This was the stage for a once-a-year showdown! This was the farewell stage that the Baltimore Ravens chose for Ray Lewis! They would never give up!
This last drive was the best proof.
After losing the ball on their own 25-yard line, the Baltimore Ravens' defense finally showed their fighting spirit: first, they got a third-down stop, stopping the San Francisco 49ers' momentum. Then, they created enough trouble on the fourth-down conversion. If Ted Ginn hadn't been so fortunate, the touchdown would not have happened. Then, on the two-point conversion, they won with a great play, almost sacking Lu Ke.
A hair's breadth.
Everything was just a hair's breadth away. A slight error, and the situation could have been completely different.
Although the Baltimore Ravens' defense failed to stop that last drive, their form was back on track. Now, both sides would have a head-on clash, and it was still anyone's game.
And so it was.
Joe Flacco led the offense back on the field. They showed great form, as if they were back in the rhythm of the first half. Although the defense led by Patrick Willis also got back in form in time and truly entered a state of selflessness, forcing the Baltimore Ravens into a third-and-long situation three times, they successfully converted all three third downs.
The description seems very simple, but the entire process was very dangerous.
The Baltimore Ravens' rookie running back, Bernard Pierce, was injured and left the field. The San Francisco 49ers' defensive tackle, Justin Smith, also suffered an injury and had to be subbed out for three downs before returning. In addition, the tension between the two sides had clearly risen. Both teams committed a combined seven fouls, breaking up the game.
Stumbling along, the Baltimore Ravens made it into the red zone!
Joe Flacco was at the San Francisco 49ers' six-yard line. If they could score another touchdown, the momentum of the game would be firmly in John Harbaugh's hands. Not long ago, people were surprised that the suspense had returned, but now the Ravens had a chance to end the suspense.
The San Francisco 49ers' defense stepped up, making one stop on a run play, one on a pass play, and one sack of the quarterback, cleanly forcing the opponent into a third-and-fifteen situation, creating a third-down stop without a doubt. The tough defense at the critical moment finally saved the day.
In the end, the Baltimore Ravens did not choose to go for it on fourth down and instead opted for a field goal.
Another turning point in the game had appeared:
Facing a 32-yard field goal, the Ravens' undrafted rookie kicker, Justin Tucker, came on. This rookie had shined throughout the league, from the regular season to the playoffs. He was perfect on field goals within 35 yards, only missing three of his 33 attempts all season, and he was one of the key players who eliminated the New England Patriots in the playoffs.
But tonight, Justin Tucker missed this crucial 32-yard field goal.
He watched as the football went wide left of the goalpost. The referee waved his hands, signaling: no good.
The Ravens' fans in the stadium gasped in disbelief. The nightmare of losing to the New England Patriots in last year's AFC championship game once again appeared before their eyes. Even the commentators in the broadcast booth couldn't explain this phenomenon. The only thing they could say was that the Super Bowl was, after all, the Super Bowl, and everything became unusual and couldn't be measured by normal standards.
Justin Tucker missed the field goal. This was the first time he had missed a field goal within 35 yards all season. He had handed the momentum to the San Francisco 49ers. If the Baltimore Ravens lost this game, this field goal would likely be the target of all the fans' criticism.
Thirty-two yards. Just a mere thirty-two yards.
Then, Lu Ke led the offense directly onto the field.
Because the field goal was a miss, they didn't need a kickoff. The offense started their drive from where the ball was spotted. If the ball was spotted within the 20-yard line, the offense would start from the 20-yard line. The Baltimore Ravens' drive stopped at the 15-yard line, so the San Francisco 49ers started from the 20-yard line.
Just when everyone was expecting Lu Ke to take the lead on this drive, the Baltimore Ravens' defense, like the San Francisco 49ers before, showed incredible energy at the edge of the cliff.
The defensive front forced five hurried throws, made three effective hits, and got one sack, once again forcing Lu Ke to scramble in the pocket and further compressing his release time. This also caused Lu Ke to have to choose quick, short passes to get something going. And Ray Lewis shone in this drive.
Lewis successfully stopped three run plays and made four effective tackles.
Even when Lu Ke connected with his receivers, they couldn't continue to gain yards. They were often immediately tackled to the ground, which severely affected the San Francisco 49ers' offensive efficiency.
However, Lu Ke still did not give up easily. He used a Absolute Footwork to escape the pocket, completed a 26-yard deep pass, successfully found Vernon, and led the offense across midfield to the opponent's 35-yard line in one fell swoop.
Afterward, the San Francisco 49ers also unfortunately got a third-down stop. Because of consecutive fouls, they stopped at the 33-yard line. Facing a fourth-and-eight situation, Jim Harbaugh did not go crazy and try to convert. Instead, he sent out the special teams and had Akers attempt a field goal.
This was a 50-yard field goal, which was a huge risk, but Jim Harbaugh still chose to go for it.
At the crucial moment, John Harbaugh showed his true nature as a ruthless leader.
Akers's field goal attempt was wobbly but went through the uprights. But John Harbaugh had used his first timeout at the moment of the snap, forcing the field goal to be invalid and disrupting Akers's kicking rhythm. In Akers's second attempt, the football went wide left of the uprights.
Like Justin Tucker, David Akers's field goal also failed, and it also went wide left of the goalpost, which meant that the wind direction tonight had a significant impact on field goals.
Watching Akers miss the field goal, Tucker let out a long sigh of relief. At least he wasn't going to be the biggest villain in history. This game could still be fought.
In the end, both sides had missed a field goal. The game clock was rapidly winding down, and the score remained the same. The evenly matched game was getting more and more intense and exciting. The back-and-forth between the two sides had neutral fans cheering with excitement.
Then, the Baltimore Ravens' offense came back on the field, starting from their own 35-yard line. This was equivalent to a very good kickoff return, from the 20-yard line to the 35-yard line. The direct result of Jim Harbaugh's risky field goal attempt had appeared. Now it was up to Flacco to see if he could capitalize on it this time.
The problem was that there wasn't much time left in the game.
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