Chapter 648: Hail Mary
"Hut!"
Jonathan Goodwin snapped the ball instantly. Lu Ke's pupils contracted slightly, and he stared intently at the thrown football. His hands accurately grabbed the ball. The rough, grainy texture of the leather slid lightly across his fingertips. As a habit, he slightly curled his fingers, and his palm could feel the solid power of a fully controlled football.
Even in a shotgun formation, his steps began to backpedal in an orderly fashion.
Because this was a long pass.
To challenge for the end zone, Lu Ke had to save enough time, leaving enough time for his teammates to run and get into position. Otherwise, the defense, which was already rested, would easily complete the stop and decisively kill the game. "Hail Mary" was called a Hail Mary because it was difficult and truly required a prayer.
This also meant that Lu Ke had to stay in the pocket for a long time, as short as four seconds, or as long as... there was no limit. At the same time, it also meant that the offensive line had to face the continuous harassment and charging of three defensive linemen. This time, the offense was at a disadvantage.
Standing in the shotgun formation, after the long snap, the three defensive linemen completely let loose. They didn't have to worry about the possibility of a run or the distraction of the tight ends. They just had to focus on charging the offensive line. So, they all looked like strongmen challenging a Guinness World Record.
Charge, retreat.
Charge again, retreat again.
Another charge, a misstep, and the pocket was broken just like that.
After continuous charges, Alex Boone couldn't keep his balance at all. He didn't even have a moment to breathe. After a series of stumbles, in just a second or two, Boone lost his defensive position, and then the entire offensive line fell apart again.
Jason Pierre-Paul broke through, forcefully breaching the pocket like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, flying toward Lu Ke.
Just a half-step slower, Linval Joseph and Chris Canty also broke through the line. Mike Iupati and the others were trying their best to hold their positions, but against the continuous, unreasonable charges, their balance was constantly being pushed back. Even Jonathan Goodwin's massive body began to wobble and lose its balance.
The entire pocket was a mess. Even though Lu Ke had made two consecutive backpedal adjustments in advance, creating enough distance, he was still in a desperate situation.
He raised his chin high and quickly swept his eyes across the field. All five of his receivers were still advancing. Two seconds was simply too short. They only had time to get past the midfield line. What's more, Ted Ginn wasn't in the formation. It wasn't enough, far from enough. This meant that Lu Ke had to endure the stormy charges and tackles for more time.
Time, time, time. Incredibly precious and incredibly scarce time. Lu Ke had to buy more time for his offense!
"Absolute Footwork."
Without any hesitation, Lu Ke decisively used his special skill.
First second!
He could clearly see Linval and Canty teaming up to break through. Although Iupati and Snyder were trying to block them, after losing their balance, their blocks were just creating obstacles and couldn't form an effective resistance. He could see them about to break through.
Lu Ke's footwork, following the inertia of his body's center of gravity, pulled powerfully to the left, further creating space between them. As he moved steadily and quickly, his peripheral vision was constantly watching their advancing steps. Canty was entangled by Iupati and Snyder's joint effort, while Linval charged forward without a care.
He watched Linval's entire body tilt toward him like a bullet train.
He forcefully twisted his toes, bringing himself to a screeching halt. His center of gravity straightened again, and in a flash, he completed an emergency change of direction, and then he quickly charged and pulled to the right again.
A seemingly simple but incredibly difficult change of direction turned the situation around in the blink of an eye. Linval immediately realized something was wrong and tried to shift his balance, but he had already lost the initiative. His brain was working smoothly, but his body couldn't keep up with the sudden change, so he collapsed.
As a reflex, Linval reached out his hands.
Second second!
He saw a pair of hands reach out from the side. The straightened fingertips were raised high, like a fence, blocking his calves' path forward. It was a nuisance, but he had to avoid it.
The moment his feet hit the ground, a sudden burst of power sent him into a light jump. He made a graceful and perfect hurdle, flying high over the hands. That moment of beautiful movement captured the attention of all seventy thousand fans in the stadium. They held their breath in anticipation, but Lu Ke, who was in a state of flow, didn't notice at all.
His feet landed heavily, and the force of the impact made his knees buckle. His footwork became wobbly and fragmented. Then, he caught a glimpse of Canty's twisted face. His feet were held tightly by Iupati, but his upper body was relentlessly flying toward him, aiming for Lu Ke's shoulders, and hitting him hard.
Lu Ke's knees buckled, and he took advantage of it, squatting down. He narrowly avoided the main force of Canty's hands, but his shoulder was still hit hard. His balance, which was already shaky, was now wobbling even more.
Lu Ke moved sideways to the right. His left hand quickly supported the ground, preventing a clumsy fall. His knees finally regained strength and straightened up. With a few small adjustments, he stood up again and moved sideways to the right. But there was no time to breathe, as another figure had already charged over.
Third second!
Pierre-Paul's relentless determination burst forth with a fierce force. He viciously pushed Goodwin aside and shook off Boone. Only Joe Staley, the agile fat man, was left in hot pursuit, but the disadvantage in speed was impossible to make up for. Pierre-Paul made a cut and blocked Lu Ke's path.
He lightly stepped to the side, and a pulling force moved his body outward. Pierre-Paul followed closely, but Lu Ke's footwork was unexpectedly a step forward, and the balance of both of them was forced to shift.
In an emergency, Pierre-Paul grabbed Lu Ke's left shoulder with both hands, and all his strength charged forward.
Lu Ke gritted his teeth. His feet produced incredible power as he took a big step, and then another big step. His muscles were tightened to the extreme. In the fierce struggle, he unbelievably shook off Pierre-Paul's tackle. In a breath, his body became light again.
"Offense! The San Francisco 49ers' receivers are in a full sprint! Including the running back Marcus Lynch, all the players have sprinted out! A full five receiving options! They are running, but their routes are completely different!"
"Williams and Lynch are running at full speed. Their goal seems to be the end zone. Is this a Hail Mary? Vernon and Swain are quickly moving along the sideline. This route is a bit confusing. A sideline catch is meaningless at this point. For the San Francisco 49ers, a touchdown is the only goal."
"Wait, Newman's run is the strangest of all. After crossing midfield, he actually slowed down and started to run leisurely. He looks like he's taking a walk in Central Park. Strange, this is really strange! Newman is looking back, constantly looking back, as if he's waiting for a pass from his best partner!"
"Pocket! The 49ers' pocket is in a crisis! The Giants' defense, through continuous charges, has successfully broken the 49ers' offensive line pocket protection! They are trying to sack Lu Ke! Danger!"
"Dodge! Iupati successfully stopped Linval Joseph's first blitz, but he still lost his position! Lu Ke! Lu Ke dodged Joseph's sack! A jump! My God, that's a hurdle jump on par with a top running back. Lu Ke reflexively dodged Joseph's block! Unbelievable! This is simply unbelievable!"
"Lu Ke has lost his balance, Canty! Canty! Lu Ke successfully dodged him! Pierre-Paul! Pierre-Paul has made a tackle! Danger!"
"He got away! Jesus Christ! Lu Ke broke away from Pierre-Paul's tackle! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Ladies and gentlemen, the San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback is showing his relentless spirit at the last moment! His pocket running is simply beautiful! He dodged three sacks in a row! Three! My God, my God, my God! I can't breathe!"
"Lu Ke, Lu Ke has broken out of the pocket and is on the right side of the field! He's adjusting his steps! He's looking at his players! He's getting ready to throw! Lu Ke! Lu Ke takes two steps forward, raises his right hand high, and throws a long pass! It's a rainbow pass! My God, what are we witnessing? My God, this is a Hail Mary! A Hail Mary! The San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback is challenging with a Hail Mary! Oh, my God, oh, my God!"
A complete blank.
This was the true state of Lu Ke's mind. There was not a single distracting thought, no tension, no calmness, and no shouting of "Hail Mary." He was simply focusing all his attention, and his brain, like a computer, began to perform precise calculations.
His gaze quickly swept over the end zone on the other side of the field. The distance was incredibly far. He couldn't make out the jersey numbers, only the moving red figures. After accurately determining the position of the red and white jerseys, without any hesitation, he took one step forward, then another, and his right hand drew a full arc, just like a bow being drawn.
He pushed off the ground with his feet and twisted his waist. The momentum of his throwing motion reached a state of perfection. His arm moved quickly, and power burst forth instantly. With a light flick of his fingertips, the football left his palm and soared high, high into the sky.
A Hail Mary challenge!
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