Chapter 169 167: Unstoppable
A clean, decisive touchdown, scored almost effortlessly. The San Francisco 49ers' special team came on right after, smoothly converting the extra point kick. The score was now 7-17.
Although it was just one touchdown, the score gap that had seemed so insurmountable at halftime suddenly felt much more manageable. Now, less than two minutes into the second half and down by only ten points, anything was possible.
However, the Dallas Cowboys didn't panic—at least, their offense didn't.
Led by Tony Romo, they maintained the same offensive efficiency as the first half. With a steady, methodical, and balanced run-pass attack, they drove into the San Francisco 49ers' red zone in just over four minutes, their momentum seemingly unstoppable.
If the Dallas Cowboys scored a touchdown here, the lead would widen once again, keeping the pressure firmly on the San Francisco 49ers.
At this crucial moment, the 49ers defense, which had been just a step behind all day, finally showed some grit. Their red zone defense was airtight. They stuffed a run for a loss and forced two incomplete passes, one of which was nearly an interception.
Inside their own red zone, they managed to shut down the Dallas Cowboys' offensive drive. The Cowboys had no choice but to settle for a field goal. After the three points, the score was now 7-20.
Although it wasn't a touchdown, the Cowboys had still managed to stabilize themselves, providing a strong response. With the field goal, they solidified their lead once more.
With less than five minutes left in the third quarter, Lu Ke led the San Francisco 49ers' offense back onto the field.
However, the preceding kickoff had gone terribly. The 49ers' returner tried to run it back but found no room to advance and was immediately tackled by the Cowboys' special team at his own eight-yard line.
Starting from their own eight-yard line was an awkward and dangerous position.
This was because if an offensive player with the ball was tackled inside their own end zone, it would result in a safety, giving the opposing team two points.
For example, if Lu Ke was holding the football and got sacked in his own end zone, that would be a safety. Or if Lu Ke was sacked and fumbled, and the ball was then recovered in the end zone by one of his own teammates who was then tackled, that would also be a safety.
In other words, from just eight yards out, the quarterback had to back up from the offensive line for the snap, putting him even closer to his own end zone. A single mistake could lead to a safety. This tied the offense's hands, severely restricting their playcalling and tactical options.
Standing at the eight-yard line, Lu Ke noticed the Dallas Cowboys had changed their defensive formation. They had stacked the line of scrimmage with six players, bringing two linebackers and a cornerback up to the front. Behind them, two more linebackers waited to react, while two safeties and a cornerback were spread out near the twenty-yard line.
It was a 6-2-3 defensive formation. The Cowboys were telegraphing a heavy blitz, clearly determined to force a safety. Consequently, their coverage in the secondary was significantly weaker.
This meant their pass defense would have to be zone coverage, with the three defensive backs each responsible for a specific area and providing help as needed. But the main focus of the defense was clearly the quarterback blitz.
Following Jim Hubble's instructions, Lu Ke quickly set up the play. But as he read the defense, he saw the formational shift. In a flash, a new idea sparked in his mind, and he audibled to a new play.
It was a Pistol Formation, with Marcus lined up behind Lu Ke. In addition to the five offensive linemen, there was a wide receiver and a tight end to the left, and two wide receivers to the right.
After the audible, Logan, who was lined up on the left, went in motion, jogging across the formation behind Lu Ke. He settled in behind Kyle Williams on the far right, creating a stacked formation.
Before the Cowboys could react, Lu Ke shouted, "Hike!"
After receiving the snap, Lu Ke took a quick three-step drop, creating distance between himself and the offensive line—and the defensive line.
There was no play-action fake. To his left, Marcus charged forward. At the same time, Michael Crabtree, lined up on the left, sprinted toward the sideline. The entire offensive line shuffled left, pulling the whole 49ers offense toward that side of the field.
The Dallas Cowboys defenders reacted, sprinting to their right to contain the play. The lateral flow pulled nearly every player on the field toward the same side.
Arm up, drawn back, looking left. As Lu Ke started his throwing motion, it looked for all the world like a pass to Crabtree. The Cowboys' front line defenders surged forward on their rush, trying to break up the pass, but an instant later, Demarcus Ware sensed something was wrong.
Marcus wasn't running a receiving route; instead, he joined the offensive line to help block the defensive line's blitz.
Six blockers against six rushers.
The Cowboys' blitz slammed into the line like a flood hitting a dam, held back for just a moment. Crabtree's route to the left drew at least two defenders, which meant... the other side of the field was wide open.
On the field, the blink of an eye is enough to change the entire game.
Ware's brain registered the fake, but not fast enough for him to fully react. Acting on pure instinct, he tore through a gap in the offensive line and charged. But he was half a step too slow. He watched as Lu Ke took two more quick steps back, creating just enough space between them, though Lu Ke was now standing on the very edge of the end zone.
Ware was undeterred. Eyes locked on Lu Ke, he raised his arms high like a bear and lunged forward, determined to finish the sack. But he had only taken a single step before he had to watch helplessly as Lu Ke released the ball.
The ball was away.
Ware had to forcibly twist his body and slam on the brakes to avoid a penalty—any contact with the quarterback after the ball is thrown results in a foul. Even if a defender loses his balance and accidentally falls into the quarterback, it's still a penalty.
Ware crashed heavily to the ground, his mouth full of grass. As it dawned on him what had happened, a stream of curses burst out. Almost simultaneously, the San Francisco 49ers fans erupted in a deafening roar. Ware knew the pass was complete. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Annoyance and anger spewed out of him.
"Snap! The entire 49ers formation shifts left, Lu Ke passes to Crabtree—no, it's a fake! After the feint, Lu Ke turns, it's a pass to the right, to the right! The right side!"
Troy Ball's voice was already getting a little hoarse, but that only seemed to fuel his excitement. He waved the roster sheet in his hand, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"While the entire offense flowed left, Williams and Newman ran routes to the right! Williams cut back inside, and the Cowboys' number 21, cornerback Mike Jenkins, was all over it! He was moving with the flow to his right, but he stopped on a dime, turned to cover Williams, and stuck to him like glue! Oh, but Newman! The uncovered Newman is streaking diagonally toward the right sideline! He's open! WIDE OPEN!"
Troy felt like he was about to have a stroke. He repeated the words "wide open" several times, like a broken record, because the gap was just that massive. There wasn't a single defender within a fifteen-yard radius.
The flow to the left left the right side of the defense vulnerable. Then, the inside cut drew away the final defender in the short-pass zone. With the last receiver running a slant to the right, a massive opening appeared.
The Dallas Cowboys were in a three-deep zone coverage with two safeties and a cornerback. But now, one cornerback was on the wrong side of the field and a safety had been pulled out of position. That left the entire Cowboys secondary with just a single safety defending. They were wide open!
With the Cowboys committing heavily to the blitz, the 49ers' timely audible neutralized the rush, completely tearing open a hole in the defense. For a Cowboys pass defense that had been nearly perfect in the first half, this was a devastating blow.
"A thirty-yard pass! Newman catches it near the right hashmark at the thirty-yard line! There's no one around him! No one! Good heavens, what a beautiful pass! It was clean, crisp, and surgically precise, delivered right on the money!"
Troy's breathless commentary vividly conveyed the sheer power of the San Francisco 49ers' unstoppable attack.
"Newman turns and runs, and he keeps going! The only man left in the Cowboys' secondary is the safety, number 40, Danny McCray. McCray is giving chase! He spotted the opening the moment Lu Ke threw the ball and started to close, but the distance was just too great to get there in time. Jenkins is also turning back in pursuit!"
"The thirty-five, the forty, the forty-five, midfield! McCray saves the touchdown! The Cowboys' number forty safety makes the play! He completes the tackle, bringing Newman down to finally end the run. Unbelievable! Simply unbelievable! The San Francisco 49ers' offense has come alive in the second half, showing off that silky-smooth attack once again. Starting from their own eight-yard line, one brilliant play call takes them all the way to midfield in a single blow!"
Finishing his call, Troy simply tossed the roster sheet in his hand into the air. He clenched both fists, raised them to the sky, and couldn't stop himself from yelling, "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
The entire Candlestick Park absolutely erupted!