Chapter 1061: A Friend's Belief
The AFC Championship: The Baltimore Ravens versus the New England Patriots.
The NFC Championship: The San Francisco 49ers versus the Atlanta Falcons.
The roaring fire of the playoffs was getting more and more intense. All of America's attention was on the NFL conference championships. Analyses of the four teams' strengths and conditions were flying around. Professional analysts, veteran coaches, players, and eager neutral fans all started to join in this feast.
Can the Patriots make it to the Super Bowl for the second consecutive year? The Ravens' overall condition is not good this year. Can they continue their luck from the divisional round? How effective is the Ravens' defense, and can they contain the Patriots' offense, which has improved this season? Will the Patriots' defense be a burden again and put the team in a tough battle?
Can the 49ers make up for last year's regret? Their lack of experience and luck made them fall in the NFC Championship last year. Can they go a step further this year? The Falcons were on par with the 49ers in the first half of the season, and now they are finally about to face each other, which is a highly anticipated matchup. So, how much strength and skill can the Falcons' offense show?
From players to teams, from coaches to logistics, from strength to condition... there were countless hot topics of discussion, one after another, fiercely drawing all the attention. The different combinations of wins and losses for the four teams could lead to different Super Bowl matchups, which continuously raised people's expectations!
Among them, the potential matchup of the New England Patriots versus the San Francisco 49ers was undoubtedly the most talked about. This doesn't mean the game would be the most intense, exciting, evenly matched, or suspenseful. It was because the "Brady vs. Lu Ke" matchup was so full of talking points.
One is one of the iconic quarterbacks who overcame a low draft pick in the past decade, and the other is one of the biggest regrets in the draft since the new century.
One is one of the most commercially valuable brand quarterbacks in the league, and the other is one of the most marketable up-and-coming quarterbacks in the league.
One is an elite quarterback, and the other is a potential elite quarterback candidate.
A clash between two players like this is almost like a head-to-head battle between two mountains of the league. How could people not be excited and look forward to it?
The "elite quarterback" debate that was sparked before the divisional round is now starting to reignite with hope again. If Tom Brady and Lu Ke could meet on the Super Bowl stage, it would definitely cause a surge in viewership.
Although the other three potential matchups were also full of talking points, and each possibility was enough to get people excited, when it comes to the explosive nature of the matchup, this one would easily blow all others out of the water!
The divisional round had just ended, and the conference championships were already hitting the airwaves! Even the news programs on the four major public television networks couldn't wait to turn their attention, pushing the momentum of America's number one sport to a new high. Every move of the four teams became a topic of interest, but Lu Ke quietly left the public eye.
"Hold on, I'm pulling over."
Lu Ke said into his speakerphone and slowly parked the car in a parking spot on the side of the road. The other end waited for a moment. After noticing the engine roar had stopped, a teasing voice rang out. "Don't tell me you're still a rookie and have to be so careful even when parking."
"You can come to San Francisco and try to park. I guarantee you it's much harder than in Houston." Lu Ke retorted without showing any weakness. Because the entire city of San Francisco is on hills, steep slopes are everywhere, making parking difficult. At the same time, he glanced across the street through the window. "I don't see the person I'm meeting yet, so I can wait. Tell me, you didn't call just to make fun of my parking skills, did you?"
Lu Ke had some personal matters to attend to this afternoon and drove out specifically for it. As he was about to arrive at his destination, he received a call from his good friend, and they started teasing each other. The person on the other end of the line was J.J. Watt, the Houston Texans' defensive end who had an outstanding performance this season.
"I just called to congratulate you. Yesterday's game was truly exciting. Your tactical layout was really difficult for the defensive linemen." Watt was still Watt. He couldn't go three sentences without talking about his profession. After just two sentences, he was back to the topic of football.
Lu Ke was used to it and chuckled. "It's rare. I'm a little excited to receive such praise from the future number one defensive end in the league." A laugh came from the other end of the phone. "So, if it were you, how would you have defended?"
"Keep the pressure on," Watt said without hesitation, not holding back his opinion. "In fact, your blind side has improved a lot this season. Joe Staley and Mike Iupati's work is truly admirable. In comparison, your right side is a bit weaker, mainly Anthony Davis."
"Oh? What about Alex Boone?" Lu Ke asked with interest. He and Watt were two of a kind. Just a moment ago, he was thinking that Watt couldn't go three sentences without talking about his profession, but he was doing the same thing.
"Boone's performance is underrated in the league. His improvement this season is truly obvious. I think he's excellent. Unfortunately, Anthony Davis is slowed down by injuries and can't quite keep up with the pace, which forces Boone to take on more pressure. A lot of the time, he can't break free." Watt said with conviction. "If it were me, I would break through from your right side and keep the pressure on. Your passing options would be narrowed."
Lu Ke nodded slightly to show he understood. "So, is that how you dealt with Tom Brady?"
"Ouch." Watt also let out a painful sound, which made Lu Ke laugh. "Dude, can we still be friends? My wound is still hurting, and you're stepping on it without mercy? That's not cool!"
The Houston Texans' loss to the New England Patriots was just 48 hours ago. After working hard all season, it just ended like that. The bitterness and disappointment were unavoidable.
This was especially true for Watt. His strength and performance finally reached a top level this season, surpassing his fellow draft class member Von Miller and becoming the leader among second-year defensive players, injecting vitality into the Houston Texans' defense. But the terrible performance in the divisional round was very disappointing. The efforts of the entire season just came to an end.
But Lu Ke had experienced it himself. He knew that no words could alleviate that sense of frustration. Even comfort would feel annoying. Watt had experienced it once last year. After experiencing it again this year, things wouldn't get better, but at least he wouldn't be flustered anymore.
Facing Watt's "accusation," Lu Ke said with a serious face, "So, are you looking for comfort now? Do you need to come to your big brother here, and I'll lend you a shoulder to lean on? You know, I don't mind."
Watt opened his mouth helplessly but didn't know how to retort. He could only laugh wryly. "Save your shoulder for those who need it. I'm fine! I'm fine!" He repeated it twice to emphasize his point, then quickly changed the subject before he forgot. "I specifically called you to ask if you have any open spots for guests in your player box if the 49ers make it to the Super Bowl?"
"If you're not worried about rumors spreading and people speculating that you're about to transfer to our team, there will definitely be a seat reserved for you in the VIP box. You're always welcome!" Lu Ke teased with a smile.
Watt chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm staying with the Texans. Maybe we'll meet on the Super Bowl stage next year? I'm not interested in the 49ers at all."
"Your loss," Lu Ke retorted. "If all goes well, Stephen Curry will also be there. But are you guys that confident in me? That you firmly believe I'll make it to the Super Bowl?"
"That's because your opponent isn't me," Watt said confidently. "So, I can only support you." Although he said that, Watt's words showed an unwavering confidence and a firm belief in his friend's victory!
"Let's see when we meet in the regular season next season. I guarantee you'll regret what you said today." Lu Ke also retorted without showing any weakness. Friends off the field and opponents on the field. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that.
As he spoke, he saw the person he was waiting for appear, but Lu Ke still didn't rush to hang up the phone. Instead, he continued with a serious tone, "After the season is completely over, how about we get together and watch the divisional game footage? I mean, if your coaching staff doesn't mind."
In reality, the game footage of all 32 teams is public. The only difference is the first-person and third-person view. Even if opponents watched the game footage together, the impact would not be fundamental. Moreover, after the season ends, each team's playbook will change, so watching last season's game footage would have even less impact.
The reason Lu Ke extended such an invitation was that he was subtly hinting that they could sit down and analyze the footage of the Houston Texans' loss to the New England Patriots from different offensive and defensive perspectives and also from a third-person view. This would be very helpful for their preparation for the new season.
However, the offseason hasn't even started. There are probably only a handful of people in the entire league who would arrange their training ahead of time like Lu Ke and Watt.
"Okay, no problem." Watt immediately understood Lu Ke's intention. This was Lu Ke's way of showing comfort and support, which was exactly what Watt needed. "Prepare well for the game! This week is on you. Matt Ryan is in excellent form this season. You absolutely can't let your guard down."
After that, the two didn't talk much more and then hung up the phone.
Lu Ke didn't stay long. He put his phone in his pocket, opened the car door, and walked straight toward "Joe's Bar" across the street.
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