Chapter 1049: Widening the Gap
He caught it!
Ted Ginn Jr. had the football firmly in his hands. With a quick glance at Richard Sherman, who was trying to start his defensive return, he quickly turned and moved diagonally to the front left. He didn't rush to increase his speed. Instead, he took advantage of the gap while Sherman was still adjusting his balance and steps to quickly assess the situation in front of him.
On the diagonal to the front left, it was Logan Newnam vs. Kam Chancellor.
In the middle, directly facing the goal post, it was Michael Crabtree vs. Earl Thomas.
In the parallel area to the left, Brandon Browner was confusedly looking for the offensive player who had just caught the ball. His feet were stuck in place, and his eyes were quickly scanning, looking a bit lost.
Ginn had about five yards of space to advance in front of him. As long as he could break through the blockade, the end zone would be within sight. But he couldn't forget that Sherman and Bruce Irvin were quickly returning from behind him. There was only about four or five yards of space between them. With a little bit of carelessness, this small distance could be erased.
With just a glance, Ginn had already made a judgment. He quickly continued to advance two steps diagonally to the front left, and then, with a sharp turn, he quickly ran diagonally to the front right at a 45-degree angle. The entire running route looked like a small "check mark," just like the Nike logo.
Sherman seemed to have anticipated Ginn's running route, but because he had lost his balance and the initial advantage, his footwork still took a small arc. He wasn't able to get in front of Ginn's path in time, and then he saw Ginn sweep past him like a red whirlwind.
Sherman quickly adjusted his steps and fully unleashed his speed. Don't forget, in the defense not long ago, Sherman used his speed to catch up to Crabtree. Although he wasn't able to complete the tackle, speed was definitely not his weakness.
But what was frustrating was that even with all his effort, Sherman still couldn't close the distance. On the contrary, the distance was widening little by little. He could only watch helplessly as Ginn got farther and farther away.
That sense of powerlessness and frustration erupted again.
Ginn was speeding up. After adjusting his direction, his speed and energy completely burst out. Although he had just been bothered by a small injury, after returning to the field, Ginn's desire to win was continuously released, showing his advantage in speed. It was like "the sky is high for birds to fly, and the sea is wide for fish to leap." At this moment, this was his stage! His world!
On his left, he could see Thomas's figure. He had already gotten rid of Crabtree's entanglement and was quickly returning to his defensive position.
The key point was that there was only a five-yard straight-line distance between Thomas and Ginn.
Ginn had just started. His light and agile steps had already passed the positions where Thomas and Crabtree had been. Then Thomas was in a difficult position to catch up. At this moment, the end zone was only six yards away.
Ginn's running was light and agile. The control of his cadence and stride had its own unique characteristics. The light tap of his toes released the full power of his calf push. The gentle breeze gradually began to become a strong wind, but before the wind had time to make a sound, his feet had already entered the end zone.
Touchdown.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
This was a drive that started on the 20-yard line. This was already within Lu Ke's range of attack. Short passes, medium passes, long passes, and all the areas and corners on the left, middle, and right were all Lu Ke's targets. Lu Ke chose Ginn, who had the best speed advantage, not Crabtree, who was better at positional battles, or the two tight ends. This meant that the entire offense was still focused on being small and agile.
Compared to the clumsy movement of the team like a migrating species in the first half, the passing style that followed was as light as the Six-Vein Divine Sword. The gradually maturing Lu Ke was becoming more and more unpredictable in terms of tactical combinations.
For Ginn, his speed hadn't been fully unleashed, and his feet had already entered the end zone. Neither Sherman nor Thomas could catch up. The acceleration period was simply too short, but people couldn't help but wonder, if the acceleration period was longer, would they have been even less able to catch up?
Standing in the end zone, Ginn didn't vent or roar. Instead, he turned around with a smile and opened his arms, making a hugging motion toward Lu Ke.
No extra words were needed. One motion was enough to express all the excitement and joy in his heart.
Then, you could see Crabtree, Logan, and Vernon Davis all walk into the end zone and stand in a line with Ginn, opening their hands to make a hugging motion, as if they were expressing their desire for a touchdown: it's my turn to score a touchdown next!
Especially Vernon, he even imitated a zombie's walk, moving forward step by step, closing in with a desperate look, vividly expressing his sincerity. It had been a long, long time since he had tasted a touchdown, and even his catching opportunities were limited.
But Lu Ke shook his head lightly. The expression on his face, hidden behind his helmet, was one of disgust. He curled his lips in a sign of not wanting it, and then he turned and walked away quickly. This made Vernon droop his shoulders in annoyance and then turn into an accelerated zombie, quickly chasing after Lu Ke. Ginn and the others also followed him step by step.
Lu Ke immediately fled in a panic.
This kind of lively performance made the entire crowd burst into laughter. The tense atmosphere of the game immediately dissipated a lot, and everyone began to enjoy the game.
"Touchdown!"
Because the entire touchdown looked too easy and too simple, Ginn almost walked into the end zone leisurely. There was no sense of a sharp standoff or confrontation, so the analysts in the broadcast booth were also a little calm and composed. Their emotions hadn't had time to be fully released, and then they realized: it was a touchdown.
They looked at each other and couldn't help but chuckle.
"The 49ers have scored another touchdown! This was a premeditated tactical plan. From the snap to the touchdown, the situation on the entire field was firmly in Lu Ke's hands. By linking one play to another, he gradually disrupted the Seahawks' defense, building up enough advantages for the offense."
"The entire offensive play completely broke all the Seahawks' defense's predictions. The members of the Legion of Boom also fell into the trap of the tactical plan. Their extraordinary individual abilities could not be used. Ginn's running, moves, and sprint all had the upper hand. The entire catch and touchdown looked incredibly easy."
"Wow! The 49ers are really on fire now!"
"Although the home team's offense was also excellent in the first half, after entering the second half, they started to gradually speed up. The entire rhythm and intensity are showing their powerful foundation. The quality of the game is truly eye-opening."
"The situation on the field now creates an intuitive feeling: the Seahawks' defense can't keep up with the 49ers' offense."
"This sounds a bit unbelievable because we are talking about the number one defense in the league this season, with the lowest yards and points allowed in the league. But the fact is, from the two regular season matchups to this game, this defense has not been able to find a way to deal with Lu Ke. Perhaps, Lu Ke is the nemesis of this defense?"
"This might sound a little unfair, but we must admit the reality that the Seahawks' defense has indeed not been able to effectively contain Lu Ke. On the contrary, Lu Ke has been continuously growing in this clash of titans."
"Who can forget? Lu Ke almost joined the Seahawks. Of course, Russell Wilson is very good, and he fits Pete Carroll's tactical system perfectly. But if Lu Ke hadn't joined the 49ers and had gone to Seattle, would the division's situation be completely different? This inevitably makes people have some associations."
"Those unproven hypotheticals can be set aside for now, but what is certain is that the Seahawks' situation is getting more and more difficult."
With the extra point successfully kicked, it was "34-21." The 49ers had once again widened the gap. Since the start of the second half, the game has been full of twists and turns. In the blink of an eye, the Seahawks were already behind by two touchdowns.
So, do the Seahawks, who were defeated by their opponent on the road and at home in the regular season, still believe they can win the game now?
Russell Wilson led the offense back onto the field.
However, the Seahawks only had one play, advancing two yards with a run from Leon Washington, and then the third quarter officially ended.
The game was more intense and faster than expected. It seemed that before people had time to savor it, this fierce game had already entered its final stage. There was not much time left for the Seahawks.
Under great pressure, Russell finally seemed to have shaken off his burden, and his passing performance began to get strong again.
The 49ers' defense's overall pressure on the front line created more pressure and impact, which also meant that the secondary defense was relatively thinner.
In the first half, Russell had taken advantage of the open spaces and completed some passes. But overall, his passing form today was truly too poor, and the threat he created was also very limited. He was not able to push the 49ers' secondary defense back, and then a vicious cycle was formed, putting the Seahawks in more difficult situations.
Now, in a desperate situation, Russell finally began to fight. He continuously used the constraints of the read-option offense, abandoned the run, chose to pass, and gradually found his rhythm, showing his strength as a quarterback with a rating of over 100 this season. He led the offense all the way into the red zone, as if he had just woken up from a dream.
A first-and-goal. The Seahawks had a great opportunity to catch up!
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