"The San Francisco 49ers' team doctor gave a thumbs up, the rookie quarterback, number 14, is fine. He will remain on the field and lead the offense. Despite this, Alex Smith and Scott Tolzien, two quarterbacks, are warming up on the sidelines, ready to come on at any time."
The situation on the field finally stabilized. In the broadcast booth, Kirk and Teddy's commentary also returned to the game.
After Teddy finished explaining the situation on the field, Kirk further expanded on the content. "This is a year of hardship for the 49ers. They are united, have burned their bridges, and are eager to return to the top.
But several quarterbacks have suffered different injuries. Led by an undrafted rookie, they unexpectedly got off to a two-game winning streak and finally stabilized the situation. If Lu Ke gets injured again at this point, it would definitely not be good news."
Teddy also nodded in agreement. "Although we've already emphasized it once, the fact is that after a quarterback is sacked multiple times, their confidence is bound to be shaken, and their subsequent passes will inevitably be affected. Rookie quarterbacks, in particular, lack the experience to deal with crises and changes, so their situation will be even more difficult.
In today's game, Lu Ke has been sacked four times, two of which were dangerous enough to cause an injury. It's hard to predict what effect this will have on the rest of the game. Before this, Lu Ke had shown a veteran's poise and maturity that was uncharacteristic of a rookie. But now, he is facing an even more severe challenge."
"This red-zone drive is priceless for the 49ers. It's not just about getting a touchdown; it's also about Lu Ke's condition," Kirk further responded to Teddy's commentary, also bringing the audience back to the game.
On the field, Geno Atkins's muscles were tightening little by little as he subtly adjusted his stance, ready to charge again. The previous accident didn't distract him. The best respect for an opponent is to give it your all and compete with strength. Only the strong can achieve the final victory!
So, he was ready to get another sack.
The Bengals' defensive formation was still in a blitz mode. The front line was a "4-3" formation, and the second line was a "2-2" formation. They didn't change their strategy because they were convinced that this would be a running play. After a series of sacks and an injury scare, passing had become difficult.
If they continued to pressure him, Lu Ke might even just throw the ball away to avoid physical contact. In contrast, a running play was a safer and more secure option. The 49ers had sent in Kendall Hunter to replace Marcus Lynch, and this was a signal.
Atkins's mission was still to blitz and sack, to further pressure the 49ers' offensive line and quarterback, and then completely destroy their offense. 4.5 sacks in a single game? Or even 5.5? Setting a league record? Atkins thought that would make a great headline.
"Hut!"
Amidst the shaky cheers of the home crowd, Atkins caught Lu Ke's snap count and charged forward like a beast. But surprisingly, Iupati and Rachal seemed to have already sensed the play call. The two of them came forward at the same time, and their powerful collision blocked Atkins's breakthrough, even throwing him off balance and making him wobble backward a little.
But Atkins wasn't alone.
The Bengals' defense, in addition to the four defensive linemen, also had three linebackers behind them who were blitzing. Their eyes were fixed on Hunter, who was ready for a powerful run. This player's running speed wasn't fast, but he was like a bulldozer with a destructive force. In a head-on collision, he often came out on top.
To defend against Hunter, a defensive end and an outside linebacker both charged over. But the next moment, Atkins exclaimed, "Oh no."
In Atkins's line of sight, he only saw a Great Wall of players surrounding him. The Bengals' blitz strategy had not worked. Before he could even wonder why, a second later, he saw a football flying over his head. For a split second, Atkins was completely knocked down by an offensive lineman, and he fell backward awkwardly.
What's going on?
Lu Ke lined up in a power run formation.
Five offensive linemen were in front, and Lu Ke was right behind center Jonathan Goodwin. On his right side, there was only one wide receiver, Kyle Williams. In the back right, Kendall Hunter was ready to run the ball. On his left side, three receivers were in a triangle formation. Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn were in the front, and Logan Newman was a step behind them.
It was clearly a power run formation, but the left side was the strong side. The combination of two wide receivers and one tight end was extremely powerful, forcing the Bengals to adjust their power blitz formation. They had to slightly tilt the distribution of their players toward the two ends of the offensive line, slightly widening the gap in the middle, which made the defensive strength in the middle weak.
"Hut!"
After announcing the snap, Lu Ke took two quick drop-back steps. He could see the movements of the Bengals' defensive players out of the corner of his eye, which was exactly as he had expected. On the left side, Iupati and Rachal both came forward to block Atkins. The other two players had to keep an eye on the three receivers on that side. On the right side, two players tried to stop Hunter, who was like a steamroller.
In the Bengals' "4-3" defensive front, six of the seven players had been taken out, leaving only one player in the middle area trying to blitz, while the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line had three players holding their ground. After sending one player to help Hunter with the pressure, they still had a two-on-one advantage.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
With the mismatch in the distribution of players, the 49ers completely stopped the Bengals' blitz strategy. The solid pocket gave Lu Ke enough time and space.
Then, Lu Ke raised his right hand and made a passing motion that he had practiced a thousand, ten thousand times on the training field. With a slight swing of his forearm, the football made a small arc and was delivered to the weakest spot in the middle.
"Snap! The Bengals are in a power blitz formation! The San Francisco 49ers are in a power run formation! Lu Ke drops back, but it's not a run. It's a trap, a tactical trap from the 49ers! The Bengals' power blitz has been completely stopped, and the 49ers' receivers are running dazzling routes!
On the right side, Williams charges forward, then cuts left, running across the end zone. On the left side, Ginn charges forward, then cuts right, also running across the end zone. The two players' crisscrossing completely disrupted the Bengals' secondary defense.
At the same time, Newman is sprinting straight ahead, wide open. Crabtree is running toward the left sideline of the end zone, also wide open. My God! The Bengals' entire end zone is a complete mess. There are openings everywhere! Every spot in the end zone is a receiving point! Jesus Christ!"
During Kirk's rapid-fire commentary, Teddy couldn't get a word in, but he didn't care at all. All of his attention was on the field. His eyes were wide, and he didn't even dare to blink, afraid that a single blink or a single breath might make him miss a brilliant play.
Ted Ginn was running fast, with a defensive end right on his heels. This was man-to-man coverage, but Ginn wasn't affected at all. He charged forward, turned 90 degrees, and ran straight. The defensive end was right behind him, but his steps were gradually starting to fall behind. The wide receiver's speed advantage was at its peak.
Crossing over, Ginn and Williams switched positions, and the two defensive players behind them crossed their defensive zones. "Bang," Ginn could hear a dull collision, but he didn't lose focus at all. He was running like the wind. In his line of sight, another cornerback appeared: Nate Clements, the Bengals' cornerback on the right side.
Clements was standing on Ginn's running route, waiting for him. As long as Lu Ke passed the ball to him, he could come out at an angle and either intercept or deflect the pass. He was ready to go.
But then Clements was stunned for a moment because Ginn didn't slow down. He was still accelerating, and Clements had to quickly retreat. But his retreating steps couldn't compare to Ginn's forward momentum. Before he could even take a single breath, Ginn had already passed him and was behind him.
The pass is coming!
Clements awkwardly turned around, trying to look over his shoulder and deflect the pass, but he didn't even have time to turn around. He only had time to see Ginn's hands, raised high, reaching for the football. Damn it!
Ginn held his breath, and his speed was at its maximum, but it still wasn't enough. The pass seemed a little too far. He stretched out his hands, reaching his limit, raising them high, as if to pluck a star from the night sky. His fingertips gently touched the spinning football, and it changed its flight path.
Colliding, Ginn stumbled forward. He needed to control his steps. He needed to slow down. But his eyes never left the football. He stared intently at the falling football, and his hands lunged forward. His wide palms caught the football, and he held it tightly, not letting go no matter what. He held it in his arms as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.
Control your feet! Control your feet!
Ginn stumbled forward, his entire focus shifting from his hands to his feet. Left foot, right foot. Both feet landed on the ground, inside the end zone. His muscles were tightened to the limit, and he even paused there for half a second. Then, a huge shove came from behind, and he was sent flying.
He landed hard on the grass, sending up a shower of turf, and then, a clear, bright whistle sounded in his ears. "Beep! Touchdown!"
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