A hundred, a thousand snaps in practice might not have a single mistake, but when it mattered most, a bad snap appeared unexpectedly.
High over his shoulder and above his head, the snap clearly deviated from the expected trajectory, and it also disrupted the screen pass strategy. Although Lu Ke managed to catch the football in time, it was a close call, and his reaction time was still a half-step too slow.
He started his dropback again, started reading the defense again, and started moving to the left again. The black and white jerseys in his line of sight were intertwined and complex. The intersection of countless routes was like a completely tangled ball of yarn.
The 49ers' entire offensive line moved to the right, while Lu Ke moved to the left. This out-of-sync movement blocked the Bengals' defensive players, but the brief disruption in rhythm revealed a slight gap. Lu Ke's peripheral vision caught sight of number 97.
He wasn't rushing from the left but from the right! A simple blitz during the exchange of positions. In a flash, number 97 was all over him, like a hot knife through butter.
There was no time to judge or hesitate. Lu Ke quickly moved his feet and threw the football in a short diagonal line toward Michael Crabtree, who was running toward the middle. At the same time, he quickly stepped back to avoid number 97's tackle, protecting himself.
After the snap, Crabtree started running and then stopped abruptly, moving horizontally to create an open space in the middle.
Originally, he was just supposed to be a decoy, but he became the target. He was highly focused, and with his long arms, he caught the football, turned, lowered his shoulder, and started running aggressively. But then, two defensive players came from either side and tackled him, pinning him down and making it impossible for him to move.
The drive was stopped.
Lu Ke didn't have time to be frustrated. He quickly scanned the field, paying attention to all the players' running routes and observing the defenders' habits and advantages. Kyle Williams had an open space on his side, but in his haste, he missed that passing target.
Lu Ke pulled his gaze back and saw number 97 standing three steps away from him.
Atkins was breathing heavily, his sharp and serious eyes fixed on Lu Ke without any hesitation. He ground his teeth fiercely, as if he was frustrated that his movements were not fast enough to stop Lu Ke from making the pass at the last second. He punched his fist hard and walked forward, returning to his defensive position.
In the first two defensive drives, Atkins showed a strong desire to win, and his aggressive play was fierce and powerful.
So far, the top pass rushers Lu Ke had encountered were linebacker Von Miller and defensive end J.J. Watt. Today, he was facing Geno Atkins, a defensive tackle. A defensive end is a player on the outside, while a defensive tackle is a player on the inside. That's why in the two defensive drives, Atkins tore a hole next to the center and made a blitz.
Atkins was not a fast defender. His weight was comparable to Watt's, but he was four inches (10 centimeters) shorter than Watt. He was more solid and more flexible. The pressure from him was like a mountain falling.
Speed and weight. Lu Ke's brain was working quickly. He tried to communicate with his coach through the headset in his helmet, but the cheers and shouts were too noisy. He had to turn his head and communicate with hand gestures.
"After the start of the game, the San Francisco 49ers' offense has run into some trouble. The Cincinnati Bengals' blitz strategy has put a lot of pressure on them, forcing the 49ers to condense their offensive formation. On the first down, they lost six yards after a sack. On the second down, in a crisis, Lu Ke completed a pass, but it didn't lead to a sustained drive, only gaining five yards. Now, the 49ers are facing a tough situation with third down and eleven yards to go. Now we'll see how Lu Ke handles it."
In the broadcast booth, Teddy's commentary was timely and accurate.
Although everyone was looking forward to the "rookie showdown," in reality, the two quarterbacks would not face each other directly. Instead, they would face the opposing defense and show their abilities. In the first drive, Andy Dalton's performance was decent, but at least he made it past midfield. Lu Ke, on the other hand, was now in danger of a three-and-out.
Third down and eleven yards to go was more than just a difficult situation.
"In today's game, Lu Ke's defensive reads have clearly been a little off. He lacked variety in the two defensive drives. Of course, on the second down, the center's bad snap disrupted the rhythm. In the rest of the game, Lu Ke needs to adapt to the away game atmosphere as soon as possible, or it'll be like quicksand. Once you get stuck, things get tricky."
Then, Kirk also gave his opinion. Before he could finish, the players on the field had already lined up again.
"The 49ers are still in a shotgun formation. The starting running back today is still Marcus Lynch. For Lu Ke, Lynch's receiving ability is undoubtedly a very important part of his offensive arsenal. The snap!" Kirk's voice tightened slightly as he said, "Lu Ke takes the snap, drops back, and gives the ball to Lynch with a light pass! In the face of the Bengals' fierce blitz, it looks like the 49ers have given up on this drive and are planning to use a run to get a better punting position."
"Lynch takes the ball and moves quickly to the right. The offensive line's protection is not solid enough, but they used a lateral movement to block the Bengals' first wave of blitzing. Lynch is still looking for a gap, trying to advance, wait, wait, Lynch! Lynch passed the ball! Oh my god, Lynch passed the ball to Lu Ke! Lynch passed the ball! The Bengals' defense was completely caught off guard!"
Marcus Lynch was highly focused. After the snap, his eyes were locked on Lu Ke. Without any hesitation, Lu Ke turned around and tossed the football to him. Lynch successfully caught the ball and then quickly moved laterally to the right.
At the same time, the entire offensive line also moved with him. This was not a screen pass but a running play. The entire team moved quickly to the right. Since the football was in the running back's hands, the defensive line also moved horizontally with the offensive line.
Atkins was rushing fiercely, trying to break through the pocket for the third time in a row to make a sack. But the lateral movement slowed down the vertical impact. He was blocked on the first attempt, but he didn't give up. He gritted his teeth and stared at the opposing number 27 running back. But then, Atkins saw something incredible.
The running back passed the ball!
Atkins immediately realized that they had all been fooled. It was too late for him to change direction, and he couldn't keep up with their speed.
After Lynch had moved laterally for about five or six yards, he suddenly stopped, faking a run, but his body turned around, and he tossed the football high to Lu Ke. The movement was a little clumsy, and his body was a little awkward. The reddish-brown football made a beautiful arc in the air. There was no spin, no parabola, and no power control. It was just the most normal and simple toss.
But Lu Ke stepped forward and caught the football firmly.
He turned around and started reading the entire defense again. At this point, Lu Ke was completely outside the pocket. The entire field was open and empty in front of him. The positions of Michael Crabtree, Logan Newman, Ted Ginn, and Kyle Williams were clear at a glance. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a Bengals defender relentlessly rushing toward him. It should have been outside linebacker Manny Lawson.
Lu Ke even had time to identify the opponent's jersey number, 99. Michael Crabtree, who was close by, hadn't run a receiving route. He had been running side-by-side with Lu Ke. Now that he saw Lawson, he immediately filled in, stepping up to buy Lu Ke more time to pass.
He stepped back, pulled back, put his weight into it, twisted, and threw. Without any hesitation, Lu Ke's forearm swung quickly. His muscles exploded with astonishing energy. The football flew through the air like a missile, flat and fierce. The sound of the wind left a faint trail of white smoke.
"Lynch passed the ball! My God, my God, my God! Lu Ke successfully caught the ball, dropped back, observed, and read. With two tactical changes in an instant, the Bengals' defense couldn't keep up. Only number 99, Lawson, was able to change his center of gravity in time. He was less than three yards away from Lu Ke, but... oh, Crabtree made the block. Lawson was already off balance, so he didn't need much force. He just flew out. A beautiful interception!"
"Lu Ke, he's throwing a pass. He's aiming for a target far down the field. This is a bullet pass! A bullet pass! Wow, the power is incredible. The football is flying so fast. The Bengals' secondary can't get back in time. They can't even figure out the passing route or the target. The entire backfield is a mess."
"Newman! The San Francisco 49ers' tight end, Logan Newman, is starting to accelerate, accelerating like crazy. Nobody noticed Newman's running route. The Bengals' defense was completely fooled. Newman ran a 90-degree right-angle route, going from the right to the left, and then turned 90 degrees again, moving quickly down the left sideline. The Bengals' defense on this side is completely empty, and the field is wide open."
"Newman is sprinting, Newman! The 35-yard line, the 40-yard line, the midfield line, the 45-yard line... Newman! Newman! Logan Newman's speed is at its maximum, but the football is flying too fast, beyond his limit. Speed is not really Newman's strong suit. Lu Ke chose a bullet pass instead of a rainbow pass to fool the defenders, but it seems he might have to pay the price. Can Newman catch the football?"
"The 40-yard line, the 35-yard line! Oh my god, oh my god! My God! What are we witnessing! What is happening!"
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