Calm.
That was the only thought in Lu Ke's mind right now.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, standing on the opposite side, was definitely the toughest opponent of Lu Ke's short career. It wasn't just because of their powerful individual abilities and their cohesive teamwork, which truly showed off a top-tier, airtight defense. Even though Lu Ke had only been sacked once the entire game, the constant offensive pressure was suffocating. It was also because the opponent consistently maintained a top-level performance throughout the game, making almost no mistakes and forcing the 49ers' offense to be aggressive, aggressive, and even more aggressive.
This was a true battle of wits. Every single cell in his body was active and even trembling slightly from the excitement. The issue of his body temperature was completely forgotten as he fully immersed himself in the game, his eyes fixed on the opposing defensive players. The offensive plays in his mind came rushing forward.
How should he break through the defense? A deep pass. Should he choose a deep pass? That didn't seem like a wise choice. In the last two plays, the clock had been ticking down significantly. There were now only 43 seconds left in the game, and the next play had to be snapped in just 19 seconds, with the clock still counting down. Jim Harbaugh had not called a timeout, obviously concerned that he might need to use one later on in case of another unexpected event.
If they couldn't score a touchdown, they had to save a timeout to leave enough time for a field goal attempt. But if they kept playing without a timeout, the clock would keep running, which would put the offense at an even greater disadvantage. This was a contradictory choice. Managing and controlling the game clock was a profound and mysterious art.
The situation the San Francisco 49ers were facing now was that Harbaugh hadn't called a timeout, and the clock was still running. For any team in the league, this would be the easiest and simplest defense to play. The 49ers' offense had no time, and they were at their own 31-yard line, at least 50 yards away from field goal range, not to mention the end zone on the other side of the field. They could only choose a risky deep pass or a pass to the sideline.
This meant that the defense could completely give up on blitzing the quarterback and rushing the offensive line. All their forces could be put into defending the sidelines and the deep parts of the field. They could allow short and medium passes, as long as they provided timely backup coverage. However, they absolutely could not allow any deep passes, because in the short and medium pass areas, the opponent could only advance slowly, while the defense could consume more time. What's more, the 49ers were now facing a third-and-eight situation. The defense only needed to stop two more plays, and they could win the game. For the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, the goal was clearer, the defense was simpler, and they had a numerical advantage.
The previous defensive play was the best example. The Steelers' first line of defense only sent four players to rush the offensive line. The other seven players were spread out in the backfield and on the sidelines, covering every spot, cutting off all of Lu Ke's passing options, and even getting an incredibly great result from the blitz, directly sacking the quarterback. In short, the 49ers had no choices, while the Steelers had countless choices.
Facing this situation and still choosing a deep pass would be like stepping into a trap. But if not a deep pass, what should Lu Ke do? There weren't many options left for Lu Ke. So, he had to stay calm. He had to be composed. He had to stay clear and sharp.
As expected, the Steelers' defense had completely let go. There were only three defensive linemen left on the front line, and the other eight players were all scattered in the backfield. The two cornerbacks and two outside linebackers were in man-to-man coverage against the four receivers. The two inside linebackers retreated three big steps, with their body weight on their heels and toward the sidelines, deliberately leaving the middle area open and staying close to the two wings. The two safeties boldly retreated about 15 to 18 yards, putting all their attention on the deep passing area. As for Marcus Lynch, no one was covering him at all.
This formation seemed to be saying: "Go ahead and pass in the middle. We can provide backup coverage at any time and consume a lot of time. One pass might even be enough to consume all the game time. But the sidelines and the deep areas are absolute no-fly zones. Any attempt will be immediately shut down."
Even Harbaugh, standing on the sidelines, was sweating in his palms, not to mention everyone else. The entire Candlestick Park was completely silent. It seemed that even the sound of breathing had completely disappeared. In that extreme silence, you could even clearly hear the pounding of a heart against a chest, like the pulse of the Earth.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Even all the fans sitting in front of their TVs seemed to feel this tense and oppressive atmosphere, instinctively holding their breath, clenching their fists, and unconsciously standing up, truly becoming one with Candlestick Park and with all the fans.
In the midst of this extreme oppression and tension, Lu Ke was not in a hurry to snap the ball. Instead, he calmly called Marcus over from his side and whispered a few words in his ear. Then, Marcus left his position and went behind Logan and Ginn on the right side, where he began to whisper to them.
At the same time, Lu Ke himself retreated three big steps. The pistol formation became a shotgun formation, clearly signaling a passing play. Since the defense had already set up their formation, there was no need for the offense to hide their strategy. It was pass against pass. The tactics were on the table. Now it was just a matter of who could execute them better. He could see the clock was still ticking down, and the tension was rising with every passing second.
All the eyes in the world were on the San Francisco 49ers' offense and the rookie quarterback. This was a basic two-by-two formation. On the left side, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis were standing parallel. On the right side, Logan Newman, Ted Ginn, and Marcus Lynch were in a triangle formation. It was ordinary, with nothing special about it.
But at that moment, Lu Ke shouted a series of numbers. It wasn't a dazzling tactical slogan. It was just the simplest, most basic Arabic numerals. This was nothing like a standard NFL play call. It was more like the simple and crude plays you'd see in college. This was a little unusual.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Ke bent down, raised his right leg, made a hand gesture, and called out calmly and powerfully, "Hut!"
In an instant, the five receivers sprinted forward like arrows leaving a bow.
On the left side, Crabtree made a simple forward run, and after about seven or eight yards, he stopped and turned sharply, quickly pulling toward the outside left, rushing toward the sideline like a heavy sword, and got ready to catch the ball. A quick short pass and a quick run out of bounds. This was undoubtedly the simplest and most effective tactic.
Vernon, on the other hand, ran forward along the inside, with his head down. Because he was close to the middle, no one was covering him. After running 15 yards, he also made a diagonal forward run toward the outside left, getting ready to catch the ball in the medium-pass area and run out of bounds. His powerful run was very intimidating.
On the right side, Marcus also made a forward run. After passing the five-yard line, he began to quickly move laterally to the left. In the entire empty area, his nimble footwork had already created an open spot to catch the ball. But the problem was that catching the ball in the middle area wouldn't help the 49ers.
Ginn's running route was very strange. After running forward for 10 yards, he immediately began to cut inside toward the central area. It wasn't a horizontal move, but a slightly slanted diagonal run. After entering the central area, his speed didn't slow down. It kept accelerating, and his footwork stayed in the central zone, as if a child had entered an empty playground and was playing freely.
Logan's running was undoubtedly the most dangerous. Corresponding to Crabtree, he ran in a straight line for seven or eight yards, then quickly pulled toward the outside right sideline. But Logan's run was more concise. A forward run, a pull, and with just one turn, he had already gotten ready to catch the ball, with his back already in position.
Five players, five routes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers immediately smelled danger. The 49ers' left wing corresponded to the Steelers' right wing, which was undoubtedly heavily stacked. And the 49ers' right wing corresponded to the Steelers' left wing, where there was only Logan, but he still couldn't be underestimated. In a flash, the defense had no time to communicate or discuss. They could only defend based on instinct and their tactical arrangements: completely abandon the central area and tightly defend the two sidelines.
So, on their right side, four defenders were gathered, and on the left side, two defenders were stacked up. At the same time, the two safeties, Clark and Polamalu, who were left in the deep passing area, also began to adjust their steps. Clark moved toward the right, ready to provide backup coverage at any time. Polamalu stayed in the middle, retreating quickly while observing the entire field.
Those in the middle can't see the full picture, while those on the sidelines can. In an instant, everyone could see that the two wings of the field were extremely crowded, even overly crowded, while the central area was incredibly open, even blindingly so.
Standing in the pocket, Lu Ke did not face any pressure this time. The entire offensive line used their numerical advantage to firmly block the rush from the defensive line, giving Lu Ke enough time to pass. But what was unexpected was that Lu Ke, a traditional pocket quarterback, took the initiative to run out of the pocket, moving quickly to the left. This was not normal. It was extremely abnormal.
Lu Ke's lateral movement was methodical and powerful. After moving parallel to the left for five or six yards, he raised his right hand and made a passing motion. In that instant, all the defenders' body weight began to shift, and this time, it wasn't a fake. He actually completed the pass.
Inside the solid pocket protection, everything Lu Ke was doing was just too abnormal.
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