Chapter 141 139: A Slap in the Face
A six-play drive. One hundred and fifty seconds. The San Francisco 49ers had torn through them for another touchdown with a whirlwind drive. The entire sequence looked effortless, almost casual, unfolding with such speed and force that people were left reeling.
On their very first drive of the second half, the San Francisco 49ers' offense broke the stalemate once again. Not the Seattle Seahawks, but the San Francisco 49ers. This turn of events completely defied the expectations of every commentator and expert.
The fans at Candlestick Park finally seemed to snap out of their daze as cheers and screams began to erupt. The first two touchdowns had come so quickly that they hadn't had time to savor the thrill before it was over, like a passing tornado. But this time, it sank in: victory. The 49ers were really marching toward victory!
Kyle Williams, Logan Newman, Marcus Lynch, and others ran toward the stands, unleashing all their pent-up emotions and egging on the crowd for more cheers. But Lu Ke didn't.
After the third touchdown, Lu Ke merely clenched his fist in a simple celebration, and that was all. At this moment, all thoughts of game missions and special tasks were cast aside. 'Victory. That's my only goal. Not for myself, but for Lu Zhengze and Jiang Youning. No one gets to run wild on my home turf. No one.'
A resolute, sharp glint flared in his dark eyes, as if to say, 'The game isn't over yet!'
And that was exactly how he played.
The special teams took the field, and the 49ers easily kicked the extra point. After a long stalemate, the score changed again: 21-10. The lead widened further.
Caught off guard, the Seattle Seahawks found themselves sinking deeper into the mire before they even had a chance to counter. The anticipated clash of titans was turning into a rout. So, how would the Seahawks' offense respond? Could they mount a powerful comeback like they did at the start of the game and close the gap?
The answer: they couldn't.
Three-and-out. No one could have predicted that the Seattle Seahawks' first three-and-out of the day would happen at this very moment. The San Francisco 49ers' defense played with unbelievable tenacity, batting down one pass, stuffing a run for a mere three yards, and then capping it off with a clean sack to unequivocally force the Seahawks' offense off the field.
Possession returned to Lu Ke once more.
The Seattle Seahawks were in a terrible position to punt, so they opted to kick the ball out of bounds. It went out at the San Francisco 49ers' own 36-yard line, where Lu Ke led his offense back onto the field to start the drive.
However, Lu Ke changed the formation, opting for the Pistol Formation to sow confusion once more. The Seahawks fell for it again. They expected another pass, but Lu Ke handed the ball off to Marcus Lynch instead.
Once he had the ball, Marcus tore through a gap in the offensive line and charged forward aggressively. The Seahawks' front line closed the gap quickly, but Lynch brilliantly dodged two tackles and squeezed through the tight space, stunningly gaining six yards. It was an impressive, eye-opening run.
On the subsequent play, Lu Ke opted for a pass over the middle, trying to connect with Ted Ginn Jr. But the defensive help arrived swiftly. Ginn caught the ball but was immediately hit hard, and before he could secure it, the football slipped to the ground. Incomplete pass.
Third down and four yards to go for a first. Lu Ke made his intentions clear, lining up in the Shotgun Formation and showing pass all the way. After the snap, the pocket protection from the offensive line was solid, giving him ample time to scan the field. He then made a bold, aggressive throw, a nineteen-yard pass to find Logan roaming near midfield.
Logan, who had been outstanding all day, stepped up once again at a crucial moment. He made the catch, keeping the San Francisco 49ers' drive alive. With that one decisive and brilliant nineteen-yard pass, Lu Ke pushed his team past midfield and onto the opponent's 39-yard line.
The drive continued. Lu Ke quickly fired off a four-yard completion to Ted Ginn Jr. It was Ginn's first catch of the day, and while he didn't get any yards after the catch, it finally got him on the board. This also meant that four receivers and one running back had now all caught a pass from Lu Ke, opening up the passing attack completely.
Next, from the Shotgun Formation, Lu Ke alertly noticed the defense dropping back into deep coverage. He made an unconventional call—a run play. Marcus took the handoff and bounced outside the protection, powering forward for four yards even with an outside linebacker closing in. That left them with two yards to go for another first down.
After that, Lu Ke went back to Ginn with a seven-yard pass over the middle. Facing another hard hit from a defender, Ginn held on this time, clutching the football tightly as he went to the ground. He secured the first down, and just like that, the San Francisco 49ers were already at the 24-yard line.
"Wow, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the fact is, on that last drive, the 49ers' number fourteen was in complete and total control," Teddy finally exclaimed in the broadcast booth, unable to contain his amazement. "Out of the Shotgun Formation, his passing prowess is on full display. I'm seeing shades of a young Peyton Manning. I know, I know, comparing any player to Manning is a huge statement."
Before Kirk could even tease him, Teddy preemptively acknowledged his own hyperbole, making Kirk laugh. "The thing is, the biggest problem for Manning early in his career was interceptions. But so far, Lu Ke hasn't thrown a single one."
Interceptions can happen for a lot of reasons. For instance, a receiver has butterfingers and bobbles a catch, and an opponent grabs the ball before it hits the ground. Or a quarterback makes a rushed throw under pressure from the defense line.
But generally, the main reason a quarterback gets intercepted is that he misreads the defense, choosing the wrong target or the wrong passing lane.
Among the elite quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers is the best at avoiding interceptions.
"I wouldn't speak too soon about the interceptions," Teddy said, reserving judgment. "But the fact is, his performance from the shotgun is just astounding. The Seahawks' defense is running themselves ragged, completely unable to mount an effective stop. His accuracy, his reads, his decision-making—all his greatest strengths are on full display right now!"
As Teddy and Kirk continued their discussion in the booth, the game continued on the field at Candlestick Park.
Troy Ball's rapid-fire commentary was as passionate as ever. "The Seahawks' defense is in complete disarray! Number fourteen passes again! The pocket is collapsing fast, but he gets the throw off just in time, finding wide receiver Michael Crabtree! Wow, the Seahawks' number twenty-five, Richard Sherman, can't keep up! He's completely shaken! Crabtree makes a comfortable catch, and if not for his teammates providing backup, that pass might have gone for a touchdown!"
"Still in the shotgun, and number fourteen finds Kyle Williams in the end zone, but… oh! The Seahawks' number thirty-one, Bronner, had no choice but to commit a foul! An illegal push! The penalty not only gives the 49ers a first down but also moves them ten yards closer, escorting them right into the red zone! But if Bronner hadn't committed that foul, that would have been a touchdown! Faced with number fourteen's all-out assault, the Seahawks are reeling!"
Troy's amazed cries kept coming, one after another. He could hardly believe his eyes. As the game entered the third quarter, it had suddenly become jaw-droppingly spectacular.
"The 49ers are subbing out Marcus Lynch for Kendall Hunter. Are they planning a power run to punch it in for a touchdown? The 49ers' run game has been struggling all night, but the Lynch and Hunter combination has actually been pretty effective in the second half. And there it is, the Pistol Formation. Number fourteen is throwing them another curveball. Let's see what happens on this down!"
"There's a breakdown in the offensive line's protection! A defender breaks through, but Hunter picks him up with a huge block—wow, he just blows the guy back! At the same time, the Seahawks' outside linebacker, number fifty-six Leroy Hill, is coming around the edge! With the pocket collapsing, number fourteen has to throw! Ah, the pass under pressure is just a bit overthrown! Michael Crabtree can't get to it, and the ball sails out of bounds."
The most brilliant aspect of the San Francisco 49ers' Shotgun Formation wasn't just its firepower, but the no-huddle offense that came with it. Lu Ke was like a surgeon, picking his spots and giving the defense absolutely no time to breathe, leveraging the compressed time to give his offense a huge advantage. The same thing happened now; after the incomplete pass, the next play was already underway before Troy could even finish watching the replay.
"Another snap! Number fourteen takes a quick dropback from the shotgun, creating plenty of space! The defensive line can't even get close! It's a pass! A pass! Number fourteen immediately throws! Logan Newman! Number eighty-eight Logan Newman has it in the end zone! It's Newman again! It's Newman again! The San Francisco 49ers have their fourth passing touchdown of the day! Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"
Troy's voice was hoarse as he roared with excitement, practically leaping out of his chair. "Let's look at that replay! Newman! It's Logan Newman again! In the end zone, he was somehow only covered by a single defender! Newman easily used his size advantage, overpowering his man to high-point the football for the touchdown! His fourth touchdown tonight! Jesus Christ!"
Fourth touchdown, complete. The slap in the face was deafening.