Chapter 81 80: IQ Crush
Julio Jones lined up on the right side of the Offense Line, regulating his breathing. Through his helmet, he surveyed the positions of the opposing defensive players. They had stuck with a four-man rush, leaving only three players in the secondary to cover the three receivers.
'Are they underestimating our receivers?'
Julio stared intently at the cornerback matched up against him, Richard Sherman. 'That arrogant, conceited kid thinks he's the best in the world, looking down on everyone. I beat him once, which means I can do it a second time, and a third. I'd love nothing more than to crush that guy's confidence over and over until he completely breaks. I know I can do it.'
But!
However, the quarterback had called a crossing route. 'I don't see the need for a play like this,' Julio thought. 'I can totally take Richard one-on-one.' But the quarterback was the one calling the plays on the field, and Julio was just there to execute them. He had to follow the order.
Looking up, past the three players on the Offense Line, he immediately saw Jeremy and Logan ready to move. As if on cue, Logan turned his head. The two exchanged a look, an understanding passing between them. The next second, the call of "Hike!" reached his ears, and without a moment's hesitation, Julio shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
As he surged forward, he saw Richard Sherman, muscles tensed. He was crouched low like a crab, eyes glued to Julio's running route. But Julio paid him no mind, abruptly stopping and turning, then sprinting off at a forty-five-degree angle to his left.
Julio and Logan ran their crossing routes, pulling them onto completely different paths. Jeremy started from the left, a couple of steps behind Logan, but instead of following, he moved laterally to the right. The three players' routes crisscrossed, creating a dazzling and confusing pattern.
In the chaos, the three players on the opposing Defense Team were momentarily stunned. On a regular team, would it be zone coverage? Or man-to-man? They would have decided beforehand and just executed the play. But in today's makeshift training scrimmage, the three defensive backs lacked communication, leaving them unsure of how to adjust.
One player decided on man-to-man and started tailing Logan's route. The other two opted for zone coverage, staying put and waiting for a receiver to enter their area. But these conflicting decisions tore the field's coverage completely apart. You could almost hear a loud "RRRIP!" as all three defenders ended up clustered on one side, covering Logan and Jeremy, while Julio's side was left wide open.
The pass, just a short one for seven yards, landed easily and comfortably in Julio's arms. Then Julio tucked his head and started sprinting. The field ahead was wide open; it seemed he could run straight to the End Zone in one go.
This was a disaster, a complete and utter disaster! Fortunately, it wasn't irreversible. Richard realized his coverage was blown. While sprinting toward Julio, he yelled to his teammates and rushed over to form a pincer. Then, committing a foul, he grabbed Julio's helmet, launched himself forward, and brutally wrestled Julio to the ground.
In the end, Julio had sprinted for twenty-one yards!
Unbelievable! The coaches on the sidelines all exchanged glances. They had to admit, Lu Ke's performance in these two downs was truly brilliant. The first down showed his composure under pressure as he survived a desperate situation. The second down demonstrated his ability to read the field and call plays.
This was purely the power of intelligence. He seized the opening created by the opponents' unstable footing and lack of coordination. With a simple crossing route, he managed to gain so many yards in one go, even taking the personnel shortage of the seven-on-seven drill into account. More importantly, it was a short, seven-yard pass, thrown with a quick release. Von Miller had once again broken through the line, but before he could even get close, the pass was already complete—and calmly, at that.
A perfect score on the Fonderick test? It seemed its significance was finally becoming apparent.
Julio pounded the turf in frustration. 'I was too careless,' he thought. 'I didn't accelerate with everything I had. Otherwise, I would've run straight into the End Zone for a Touchdown and ended the game. How could I have given them that chance? Lu Ke's play call was brilliant! And I wasted it.'
Jogging back, Julio looked at Lu Ke and shook his head in apology. "Sorry, man."
"Heh, then don't hold back on the next down," Lu Ke responded teasingly. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the defensive players on the other side. They were arguing heatedly, faces flushed red, barely able to conceal their anger. "They're at each other's throats. What we need to do now is give them one more push, and then victory will be firmly in our grasp! For this next play..."
Lu Ke hesitated. He had successfully completed two passes to Julio, one of which had beaten Richard. 'This means I still have to complete one more pass to Julio, beating Richard one more time,' he thought. 'It's a daunting challenge!' Moreover, after two consecutive long gains and Richard's facemask penalty, they had advanced to the opposing thirty-one-yard line. The End Zone was just ahead.
"Short pass!" 'The requirements of the special mission are just too strict,' Lu Ke thought. 'I have to leave myself room to complete it. Otherwise, a long pass to Logan right now to end the game would be the easiest path. But I have no other choice.' Then Lu Ke began to call the play.
Sitting in the stands, Adam Klein watched the training scrimmage with great interest. This Number 11 was like a treasure trove; the more you dug, the more wonders you found.
The data didn't lie. Yesterday's test data and the first day's physicals all proved that Number 11 was a quarterback whose physicality was far from the standards of the professional leagues. He'd even struggle in the NCAA. That alone was enough to make any team shy away.
But Number 11's passing accuracy was truly stunning, and his fundamentals were incredibly solid. His nimble footwork and ability to evade tackles were absolutely brilliant—and this was the key point. Going up against a Defensive End or a Defensive Tackle requires explosive muscle power, the ability to change direction in an instant, and body control. These are all part of one's natural physical gifts, the very areas where Lu Ke had tested so poorly. 'So, what exactly is going on?'
Adam could see that footwork, changing direction, and evading tackles were not Lu Ke's strong suits. The two-minute drill in the Rose Bowl had already hinted at this. The first and third downs just now also showed it: his fundamentals were solid and his footwork was stable, but he lacked explosiveness and agility. The question was: what happened on the second down? Number 11's footwork was divinely inspired, even better than Cam Newton's.
'Was it his potential flaring up in a crisis?'
As he pondered, the fourth down began. Adam's eyes lit up again. 'That's it! That agile and nimble footwork... what on earth is that?'
Absolute Step!
Lu Ke had activated his Special Skill again, not only because Von Miller had once more broken through the Offense Line's blocks, but also because he needed to connect with Julio. And right now, Richard had changed his strategy, playing press coverage, sticking to him like taffy, impossible to shake off. Lu Ke needed time—time for Julio to shake his defender, and time to observe his other options.
This was no time to be precious about his skills. With only one use left, Lu Ke didn't hesitate for a second and activated it decisively.
In that instant, his footwork became sublime, like a butterfly dancing through a field of flowers. He lightly dodged Von Miller's surefire sack and spun to run in the opposite direction. Incredibly, Von managed a second effort. Already losing his balance, he kicked off the ground and, using his downward momentum, launched himself at Lu Ke.
But what was even more incredible was that Lu Ke, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, sidestepped. He took an ordinary-looking step to the side, yet it was enough to cleverly and precisely evade Von's second sack attempt. After two forced bursts of speed, Von was finally and utterly exhausted. He collapsed with a crash, and you could clearly hear his furious roar.
Lu Ke paid it no mind, his focus entirely on scanning the field. His Observation Field of View became incredibly clear, as if the entire world was laid out before him. Then, Lu Ke raised his right arm and began his throwing motion—to Jeremy!
Not Julio, but Jeremy!
In an instant, the defensive players were drawn out of position. They sprinted toward Jeremy, raising their hands to try and break up the pass. At the same time, another player from the Defense Line broke through the Offense Line and rushed toward Lu Ke.
The next second, Lu Ke sidestepped, evading the defender trying to sack him. He then pump-faked and switched his target again—to Logan!
The first one was a fake! This time, the three defensive backs all cried out in alarm. One of them had already rushed toward Jeremy, and the one originally covering Logan had also started to move. Now, trying to readjust their balance, they couldn't keep up. In desperation, Richard abandoned Julio and charged toward Logan.
'We can't give up any more yards! They're right on the edge of the End Zone!'
At the last second, Lu Ke's feet stutter-stepped, completely shaking off the out-of-position pass rusher. He then took a big step forward and initiated his throwing motion for a third time—that last one was also a fake, another mental beatdown. The real target was still Julio Jones!
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Curses and trash talk poured endlessly from Richard Sherman's mouth. He forcibly halted his own forward momentum and then, recklessly, launched himself toward Julio.