Chapter 144 142: Face-Slapping Moment
The first game of the regular season between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks is over!
The San Francisco 49ers didn't just kick off their season with a resounding home victory; this historic game also marked the debut of the first starting Chinese-American quarterback in the Alliance's history!
The rookie Chinese-American quarterback Lu Ke—the focus of all eyes, the target of countless critics, the history-maker—turned in an astonishing stat line after the game: 29 of 37 passes completed for 363 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions, one sack, a quarterback rating of 152.9, and a PFF score of 1.8.
Logan Newman accounted for three of those touchdowns, with Kyle Williams and Marcus Lynch each scoring one.
With five touchdowns in a single game, Lu Ke shattered the all-time rookie record, reaching an unprecedented height! He is the first rookie quarterback in history to throw for five touchdowns in his professional debut!
Perfect. Utterly and completely perfect!
After every NFL game, analytics firms immediately release relevant data. The two most authoritative metrics are the quarterback rating and the PFF score.
First is the quarterback rating, the Alliance's official metric. As the name implies, it is a rating designed specifically for quarterbacks, used to evaluate players in the NCAA, the NFL, and the Canadian CFL.
The score is calculated using a fixed, professional formula based on key statistics like passing attempts, completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. Since 1973, it has been the Alliance's most important and authoritative benchmark for quarterbacks.
The quarterback rating is calculated with a special formula where scores range from 0 to 158.3. In other words, a perfect score is one hundred fifty-eight point three.
Every game is different, and a quarterback's performance inevitably fluctuates based on his own offense's execution and the quality of the opposing Defense Team. Naturally, the quarterback rating varies as well.
Generally speaking, a full-season average rating in the ninety to one hundred and ten range marks a top-tier quarterback. Currently, the highest single-season average rating in the Alliance's regular season belongs to Peyton Manning, who scored 121.1 in 2004. The best career average belongs to Aaron Rodgers, whose 104.1 rating over his six seasons puts him in a class of his own.
It's also not uncommon for a quarterback to have an outstanding performance in a particular game, with his stats lighting up the board and his rating skyrocketing to an incredible high. Generally, if a quarterback's rating for a single game exceeds one hundred and twenty, his performance is considered elite among the elite.
Second is the PFF score. PFF stands for "Pro-Football-Focus," a professional grading service. They employ a large team of data analysts and football experts who watch every single game, grading each player's performance on every down to produce a final score.
The grades are based on data, but expert opinions also play a part.
The PFF grading scale is unique. The lowest possible score is -2.0 (negative two), and the highest is +2.0 (positive two). A score above +1.0 is color-coded green, indicating an outstanding performance. A score below -1.0 is red, representing a poor performance. Any score between those two values, including zero, is black, which signifies an average or unremarkable performance.
Unlike the quarterback rating, PFF grades every player who takes the field, even if they only played a single down as a substitute. The scores they provide serve as a reference not only for the public but also for professional commentators and team coaches.
Both the quarterback rating and the PFF score are objective and authoritative. They don't take a player's race into account, nor do they distinguish between rookies and veterans. The data speaks for itself.
After Week 1 of this year's regular season, Lu Ke deservedly became the brightest star—not because he was a rookie, and not because of his Chinese descent, but because of his on-field performance!
A quarterback rating of 152.9, just shy of a perfect score. A PFF score of 1.8, also nearing perfection.
Unimaginable. Absolutely unimaginable. With stats like these, he easily outshone every other quarterback, bursting onto the scene as the single best player of Week 1! Even the performances of legends like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees were completely overshadowed.
For anyone who watched the live broadcast or the game highlights, the first thing that undoubtedly comes to mind is his very first pass.
On the very first pass of his professional career, Lu Ke made the audacious choice to go for a deep bomb, completing a sixty-six-yard pass to the rookie Tight End, Logan Newman, for a touchdown that was like a dagger to the heart! A play that stunning would be the highlight of any player's career, and it set the tone for the rest of the game.
And yet, in the face of Lu Ke's utterly dominant, destructive performance throughout the game, even that stunning pass was somehow overshadowed! Overshadowed! That was the most incredible part!
In the face of his quarterback rating and PFF score, all words of praise seemed feeble, all exclamations of amazement felt inadequate. The tsunami of shock and astonishment left nearly everyone speechless.
This was a first-year rookie! A player of Chinese descent! An undrafted rookie, no less! And this was the very first start of his entire collegiate and professional career combined!
Any one of those factors alone would have made his quarterback rating and PFF score utterly mind-boggling. But with all four stacked together, nearly everyone had the same question on their minds:
Why did no one discover this quarterback's talent during this year's Rookie Training Camp? Why was he a complete unknown during the draft? Why did he bounce between multiple teams' training camps after the draft, unable to find a home?
If it weren't for Alex Smith's unexpected injury, would the NFL have completely missed out on a generational talent?
Words lost all meaning. People could only stare, dumbfounded and stupefied, as the shock washed over them. It was like witnessing the aurora borealis during a meteor shower—a magnificent spectacle that defied the laws of nature, making one's very soul feel small and insignificant.
When the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks ended, no one was discussing or even seemed to remember the final score of 35–17. All eyes were on Lu Ke, the history-making rookie quarterback who had just burst onto the scene.
The entire Alliance was shaken to its core. No one was an exception.
It was worth noting that this year's number one draft pick, Cam Newton, had rightfully earned the starting job after an offseason of turmoil and competition.
Compared to Lu Ke, Cam had the full support of everyone in Carolina. From the top of the organization to the bottom, on and off the field, the support was unanimous, making his first career start a smooth one. Of course, all eyes were still on him, with the entire Alliance eager to see the number one pick's debut.
In truth, Cam was no bust. His performance was stellar: 24 of 37 passing for 422 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, plus a rushing touchdown of his own. His quarterback rating was 110.4, with a PFF score of 1.3.
For a rookie, such a performance was nothing short of stunning. Furthermore, his 422 passing yards not only silenced the doubts about his passing ability that had surfaced during Rookie Training Camp, but also broke Peyton Manning's record for passing yards in a debut game, setting a new all-time rookie record.
Although the Carolina Panthers suffered a narrow 21–28 loss to the Arizona Cardinals—a heartbreaking, one-touchdown difference—the Carolina fans were still jubilant. They truly believed they had found their future franchise quarterback and that Cam could lead them to a dynasty.
But stellar is one thing; legendary is another. In the face of Lu Ke's astonishing performance, Cam's brilliance was instantly eclipsed. More importantly, Lu Ke didn't just put up incredible numbers—he led the San Francisco 49ers to a victory. Even amid their elation, the Carolina fans couldn't help but be momentarily stunned:
'Wait, what just happened?'
Before the game, the entire Alliance—and I mean the *entire* Alliance—was waiting for him to become a laughingstock. Many people scoffed privately, saying the San Francisco 49ers only chose this Chinese-American quarterback for marketing purposes, and that the Alliance was playing along with the promotion for the sake of political correctness. If Lu Ke's performance in his first game was a complete disaster, it would have been a huge, resounding slap in the face for the Alliance.
Even the San Francisco 49ers' own fans were up in arms, groaning in despair.
But now, the world had been turned completely upside down. Things were about to get interesting.
After the game, as per official regulations, all players had to be available for interviews in the tunnel. Unsurprisingly, Lu Ke was mobbed. More than thirty reporters completely swarmed him, forming a tight, impenetrable circle. A storm of camera flashes erupted as questions were fired one after another, barely giving him a moment to breathe.
"Number fourteen, for the love of God, who the hell *are* you?" It seemed like an absurd question, but for the reporters, it was what they all genuinely wanted to know.
Lu Ke couldn't help but crack a smile, replying with a straight face, "My name is Lu Ke. I'm the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, out of UCLA. That's it. If you're looking for more personal information, I'm sorry, but I'd rather save that for a future girlfriend than a pack of... wolves."
Yes, Lu Ke had chosen the word "wolves" to describe the men standing before him.
The reporters stared for a beat, then burst out laughing.
This young man was witty, humorous, and handled himself with poise. In that single exchange, the reporters had already taken a liking to him. In the Alliance, especially on a team, a player who can handle the media well is a priceless asset. You only had to look at Peyton Manning and Tom Brady to understand; their commercial value was immeasurable.
"Lu Ke, before the game, Richard Sherman repeatedly provoked you, saying you wouldn't dare throw in his direction. But watching the game today, you didn't seem to hesitate at all and attacked that side of the field. Were you deliberately targeting him?"
The second question immediately ratcheted up the tension.
"Who?" was Lu Ke's simple reply.