"False start, the Bengals had a false start!" After hearing the referee's whistle, Kirk made his judgment without waiting for the penalty to be announced. "In the confrontation between the defense and offense, both sides are now playing at a high level. The intensity of the entire game is rising. You can see that Lu Ke keenly sensed the atmosphere, first using a tactical change to disrupt the opponent's rhythm, and then using a fake snap to get a first down without any effort! Can you believe it?"
The last sentence was a question to Teddy, who was sitting next to him.
Teddy gave a wry smile and shook his head repeatedly. "Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. There were only 14 seconds left on the play clock, but the 49ers' rookie quarterback still calmly and skillfully completed all the deployments. The way he carried himself, he looked like a veteran who had been playing for twelve years. How could he be a rookie quarterback? Wait, is this just his first away game?"
Creating a false start is an advanced skill that only true tactical masters and veterans of the game dare to use. Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers were masters of it.
The real snap count is decided in the huddle before each play. For example, two consecutive "Hawaii" calls followed by "Hut" is the snap count. Or, five consecutive "Hut" calls followed by two "Hut" calls, and the second "Hut" is the real snap count. Or, two short "Hut" calls and one long "Hut" is the real snap.
The center will only snap the ball after hearing the pre-arranged snap count. Everything before that, no matter how clever or complex, is a fake snap.
If you watch Peyton Manning's games carefully, his snap count is very simple, a single "OMAHA," which seems like anyone could figure it out, but different combinations have different meanings, which can be very confusing. The defense might fall for it with a single lapse in concentration.
Of course, the fake snap tactic is inherently deceptive. As long as the defense is focused enough and listens carefully, they won't fall for it. The real purpose of a quarterback using a fake snap is not to trick the opponent into a false start but to gain a few milliseconds of reaction advantage and get the upper hand in the drive.
Even for Manning and Rodgers, a fake snap needs to be used unexpectedly. If it's used too often, it's impressive to succeed once every ten times. More often, a quarterback will intentionally use a fake snap on fourth and short to see if he can trick the opponent into a false start, which would automatically give them a first down.
As Teddy said, a fake snap and creating a false start are skills for veterans. For rookies, they haven't even memorized the entire playbook, let alone using tactical arrangements to create a fake snap. But, in the last drive, Lu Ke unexpectedly used a fake snap to disrupt the defense's rhythm again.
"If our research is correct, I remember his Wonderlic test was perfect. This has never happened before, so we have no way of knowing," Kirk also laughed wryly. "I guess the rest of the game will give us the answer. Let's watch this drive!"
Kirk and Teddy both turned their attention to the field. The players on both sides had already lined up on the 23-yard line.
"On the field, the 49ers are in a strong running formation. In the 'I' formation, Lu Ke is standing behind the center, observing the opponent's defensive formation from a close distance. Lynch is standing about six yards behind him, ready to charge forward."
Before the snap, Kirk, from a professional perspective, analyzed the offensive and defensive formations.
"It's clear that Lu Ke has read the change in the defensive formation. The Bengals' cornerbacks and safeties have moved back slightly, and the linebackers have moved up, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the defensive line, covering the 49ers' four receivers one-on-one."
Teddy agreed with Kirk's analysis. "When they get to the edge of the red zone, Lu Ke's ability to throw long passes must be taken seriously, or a touchdown is a high-probability event. This undrafted rookie has already gotten eight touchdowns in the last two games. The Bengals' defensive formation has been adjusted, but Lu Ke has unexpectedly given up on the pass. What do you think, is this a smoke screen or a real run?"
"It's hard to say. Lu Ke's ability to read the game was proven in the previous two regular season games. The question now is, what did Lu Ke see? And what did the defense see?" As Kirk was answering, he suddenly stopped. "The snap! The San Francisco 49ers snapped the ball without any warning!"
"Hut!"
Atkins's attention was highly focused. This time, he didn't miss the exact moment of the snap. His eyes were locked on Lu Ke, who was quickly dropping back. He charged forward fiercely, lowering his shoulder to lower his center of gravity. He missed the opponent's shoulder and hit the outside of their arm, viciously knocking their center of gravity off balance. The opponent stumbled sideways, and a gap was torn in the offensive line.
His peripheral vision saw Lu Ke quickly dropping back, with his right hand on the football, making the motion of handing it off: a run? Or a fake handoff?
In a flash, Atkins didn't have time to judge. All he had was instinct, the instinct of a beast. So, his muscles tensed to the maximum. Using the momentum from the first collision, he charged toward another player who had come to cover. This time, he didn't use his shoulder. Instead, he turned slightly to the left and used the thick muscles on his right shoulder and back to hit hard.
The opponent hit him squarely and tried to grab his shoulder, but he was already prepared. Using the opponent's shoulder as the center, he spun 360 degrees, completely getting away from the opponent's tackle. Then he charged forward, and he was already in the pocket. He could clearly see Lu Ke's figure.
A fake run and a real pass!
Atkins saw the football in Lu Ke's hands. Without any hesitation, he decisively lunged forward, creating a gust of wind, and tackled him like a grizzly bear, solid and vicious.
He got him!
Lu Ke and Lynch had a cross-over. At the last second, Lu Ke pulled the football back. He didn't choose to run. He turned around, and his eyes began to scan for the receivers' running routes. But he was only halfway through when his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a white jersey. Instinctively, Lu Ke started to run in the opposite direction.
After the turn, his feet had just stabilized, and he was adjusting his steps. Now, on the second launch, the lack of explosive power in his muscles meant that his reaction time was also a thousandth of a second slower. But it was this split-second, which even the nervous system couldn't calculate, that put Lu Ke in a dangerous situation.
"Absolute Steps!"
Lu Ke shouted subconsciously, but his steps were not as quick and light as he expected. He just clumsily took two steps. The special skill was disabled. He then felt a powerful force, like a mountain coming down on him, solid and without any gaps or opportunities. The call of gravity hit him hard.
In the middle of the crisis, Lu Ke held the football tightly to his chest, but the powerful collision hit the football hard. There was a dull thud in his chest, and amid the intense pain, Lu Ke felt a void between his right hand and his chest, and then the counterforce from the ground hit him hard.
"Fumble! The Cincinnati Bengals' number 97 caused a fumble!" Kirk's heart felt like it was stuck in his throat. His eyes were wide as he quickly commented, "After the snap, Atkins first pushed away Goodwin and then nimbly went around Ruparti. The 49ers' entire offensive line was useless. With almost no effort, Atkins completed the blitz, getting his second sack of the game and causing a fumble before Lynch could get there!"
"The Bengals' number 97, Atkins, has been in great form since the start of the game, with two sacks and one rushed throw. These stats are very impressive," Kirk praised him endlessly. "In that last defensive play, Atkins keenly spotted the gap between Goodwin's and Ruparti's defense. With a clever use of pure strength, he tore a hole and didn't leave the opposing quarterback with many opportunities."
After a series of comments, Kirk patted the commentary table hard. "Wow, this game is amazing. The Bengals' defense and the 49ers' offense are definitely creating sparks! Every drive and every defensive play are a head-to-head confrontation. My God, why wasn't this game a Thursday Night Football game?"
Teddy, sitting next to him, was also amazed and had no chance to interject. He finally added after Kirk finished commenting, "In addition to the sack, he also caused a fumble. Fortunately, the San Francisco 49ers' running back, Marcus Lynch, was the first to grab the fumble, so it wasn't a turnover. This is a blessing in disguise. The next drive will be another new challenge for Lu Ke."
Lynch gritted his teeth and held the football tightly. He heard the referee's voice. "Give it to me, give me the football! Don't worry, this is the 49ers' offensive possession! It's yours!"
Lynch finally reacted. After missing the tackle on Atkins, he was frustrated. Then he saw the fumble and was the first to grab it. Then the Bengals' linebackers, defensive ends, and others all swarmed over, trying to take the football, but Lynch still held on to it tightly—
He was even holding it too tightly, and even the referee couldn't get the ball.
After coming to his senses, Lynch gave the football to the referee. He turned around and saw Lu Ke sitting on the ground, breathing heavily. He spit to the side and gently rubbed his chest. "Bambi, are you okay?"
Lu Ke didn't say anything, just shook his head. His chest had taken a dull hit, and even with the pads on, he could feel a muffled pain. He needed to ease his breathing.
"Bambi, my God, you're bleeding. Are you sure you're okay?" Lynch asked with a look of horror.
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