Chapter 168 166: Powerful Response
A screen pass. The quarterback acts as a decoy, drawing in defensive players, then delivers a short pass to a receiver who attacks the now-empty space to gain yardage.
This was a screen pass!
Lu Ke threw a seven-yard short pass to his upper right, targeting Marcus who had just started his route. Marcus caught the football securely, lowered his head, and began a powerful run.
'This isn't a pass play, it's a deceptive short pass leading to a run? Damn it!' Ville cursed inwardly. But by the time he tried to shift his weight, it was already too late. He could only hope his teammates could bring Marcus down.
Ville then realized he wasn't the only one who had been fooled.
"Lu Ke passes! It's a screen pass! The 49ers' entire Offense Line is quickly moving to the right, spreading out and knocking the defensive players away one by one!"
Troy's sharp commentary kept pace with the game, presenting the situation as it unfolded. "Crabtree and Newman's blocking is textbook! An outstanding performance, each of them knocked a defender out of the way, clearing a path for Marcus to run. The Cowboys' Defense Team seems to have shifted their weight incorrectly and couldn't adjust in time. Their defense is half a beat too slow."
"Marcus runs, Marcus runs!" Troy shouted with unbridled passion. "Marcus completes a twelve-yard run! He was only stopped by a joint effort from the Cowboys' safety and cornerback. A full twelve-yard run! This is the San Francisco 49ers' most successful running play of the night, taking the team straight into the red zone!"
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Lu Ke used his running ability to stretch the defensive formation, then completed the pass, using Marcus's powerful run to completely disrupt the Cowboys' defensive scheme. In terms of tactical adjustments, the 49ers are now half a step ahead, picking up consecutive first downs! Unbelievable. Is this the same offense we saw in the first half? What in the world happened during halftime?"
Troy's brief and apt commentary provided the perfect summary.
With his teammates' help, Marcus tore a gap through the Cowboys' packed defense and completed a twelve-yard run. It was now third-and-three. The play also boosted their morale, and the offense's rhythm finally seemed to be returning. But this drive wasn't over yet.
Marcus handed the football to the referee without celebrating and quickly returned to his teammates. Everyone huddled around Lu Ke, listening to the play call. When he heard Lu Ke's familiar voice say, "Game on!" Marcus felt a surge of energy. He clenched his fists hard, psyching himself up.
Marcus wasn't the only one. The entire offense's spirit was quietly changing.
Third and three.
Would it be a touchdown for six points, plus the extra point? Or a field goal for three? Everything hinged on this play!
Even though it was third and three, Lu Ke came out in the Shotgun Formation, looking like he was preparing to air it out. The San Francisco 49ers were on the edge of the red zone. A pass would be aimed at the End Zone, but what if it was a run? They only needed to gain three yards to get a first down and a fresh set of downs to score a Touchdown.
It wasn't just the commentators and the audience thinking this way; the Cowboys' defenders on the field were, too. And so, they stuck with the defensive formation they'd been using all day. However, in the space between the ten-yard line and the back of the End Zone, the pass defenders were packed in tight. It looked like there was no room to breathe, let alone a passing lane.
"The snap! Lu Ke passes! To the left—ah, a fake! To the middle, it's a pass to the middle! He throws! A man is open, number eighty-eight! Number eighty-eight, Logan Newman, with another catch! It's a touchdown! It's a touchdown!"
The rhythm on the field was changing in a flash. Kirk and Teddy had no time for a detailed breakdown, only managing to call out the key points before raising their hands high in the air and exclaiming, "Touchdown!" Then, over and over again, "Touchdown! Touchdown!"
Kirk and Teddy were just two voices in an eruption of sound. The entire commentary box was in an uproar. Nearly everyone was exclaiming, shouting, and gasping. The simple word "Touchdown" contained all of their pent-up excitement. Many even started pounding their desks, releasing their thrilled and ecstatic energy.
It all happened too fast, too suddenly, and too unexpectedly. Every emotion burst forth in an instant, like a volcanic eruption.
Chris Wilson felt as if his heart was about to go numb. He lost himself in the moment, reflexively yelling, "Touchdown! Touchdown!" His voice was already growing hoarse and distorted, twisting into a strange rasp he couldn't even recognize as his own.
But Chris didn't care. He just cheered and jumped, hugging everyone around him, celebrating the Touchdown with every fiber of his being.
The gloom that had been suppressed for half the game, the frustration that had been suppressed for half the game, the passion that had been suppressed for half the game, and the anger that had been suppressed for half the game—at this moment, it was all unleashed.
Chris was like a madman, cheering, jumping, and flailing his arms. Then, all of Candlestick Park completely erupted. A tsunami of screams washed over everything. "AHHHHHH!" There were no other words, just frenzied yelling, a pure, mighty roar that blew the lid off the stadium.
More than a third of the crowd leaped to their feet, pumping their fists, screaming, shouting, and roaring in a frenzy of celebration. Then they roared in each other's faces, like a war chant, causing the entire stadium's morale to erupt with spectacular force.
This wasn't just the San Francisco 49ers' first Touchdown of the game; more importantly, it signaled a resurgence from the offense, offering a glimmer of hope. The suspense was back!
It all happened so fast. In less than three seconds, with swift and decisive action, Lu Ke's sharp, precise pass resulted in a Touchdown.
It wasn't just the commentary box, and it wasn't just the stands. At this very moment, the Fox Television studio also erupted.
Teddy and Kirk both couldn't help but gasp—not out of sheer excitement, but because the play was just that brilliant. The sighs of admiration came out involuntarily. Football always has that kind of magic.
"Let's take another look at the replay," Kirk said, taking the lead in the analysis. "Facing a third-and-three, the San Francisco 49ers unusually lined up in the Shotgun Formation. Generally speaking, running the ball would be the smarter choice here, but a short pass is also viable. However, after the snap, four receivers started running in four different directions, all of them streaking toward the deep parts of the End Zone, making their intention to score a Touchdown obvious."
"Right here—viewers can see it here." Kirk picked up his stylus and drew a yellow circle on the touchscreen. This was the latest in cutting-edge broadcast technology, syncing directly to the television screens at home and allowing the commentator to highlight key tactical points for the audience.
The San Francisco 49ers were on the ten-yard line, ten yards away from the front of the End Zone, and the End Zone itself is ten yards deep. This meant the total defensive space—and passing space—was twenty yards.
At this point, the entire defensive alignment appeared on the screen: the two Cowboy safeties were positioned in the far left and right corners of the End Zone, twenty yards from the Offense Line, while the two cornerbacks were positioned near the ten-yard line on either side, almost parallel with the Offense Line.
The circle Kirk drew highlighted the position of the two safeties.
"Now, they can either choose zone coverage, which would leave the middle of the field wide open. That would require two linebackers to drop back and help, while the other two linebackers would have to commit to either defending the run or blitzing." Kirk quickly circled the empty space in the middle with his stylus. "Or, they could choose man-to-man coverage, using safety Abram Alan's range to cover the middle of the field, while inevitably intensifying their pass rush."
After explaining the positioning, Kirk started the replay again. "Simply put, the quarterback just has to read the safeties. If they stay put, the middle is open. If they move, the corners are open. After the snap, the San Francisco 49ers' four receivers began their routes, and the Dallas Cowboys opted for zone coverage!"
"Here, right here, Lu Ke pump-faked to the left, which confirmed the Cowboys defenders' read and pinned the safeties in place. But in the next instant, Lu Ke shifted his target and precisely aimed for the open area in the middle."
"And sure enough, Logan Newman ran to the middle—a total defensive breakdown. The two linebackers were too slow to cover the gap. They only had time to backpedal and couldn't even locate the receiver before the pass was complete!"
Kirk finished his analysis, his voice filled with amazement. "The pre-snap read of the defense, the post-snap diagnosis, and the choice of target before the throw. Lu Ke truly demonstrated the abilities of an elite quarterback. A series of successful plays shook the Cowboys' defensive formation, and the entire touchdown pass looked effortless. Logan Newman wasn't even touched by a defender!"
It wasn't just Kirk; Teddy, sitting beside him, was also full of praise. "The number fourteen who stunned everyone in the first game is back! That entire drive: four plays in total, two passes, one run, and one sack for a loss of yards. They drove eighty yards downfield in one hundred and seventeen seconds for a Touchdown! Brilliant, just absolutely brilliant!"
But for the ESPN broadcast booth, things weren't looking so rosy.
Charles Davis kept his mouth shut tight, his expression ugly and his face ashen.
Spencer Larson spoke up mockingly, "Charles, what did you think of that Touchdown?"
Charles shot Spencer a look, rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's just one Touchdown. The game's still going. Next, we need to see what the Dallas Cowboys do on offense. It's too early to make a judgment."
Spencer chuckled. "At halftime, it seemed like everything was already set in stone. Now, it looks like it's far from over." The mocking tone made Charles turn his head away in a huff, his hands clenched into tight fists.
This contest wasn't over!