Chapter 178 176: Game-Winning Kick
In football, after scoring a touchdown for six points, there's an opportunity for an extra point. These come in two forms: a one-point attempt or a two-point attempt.
The two-point extra point is also known as a two-point conversion. The offense gets the ball at the two-yard line and attempts another play, either a pass or a run. If they cross into the End Zone again, they earn two points.
Essentially, it's like scoring another touchdown from the two-yard line, but with only a single down to do it. It's worth two points, but it's more difficult and riskier. Teams typically only attempt it when tactically necessary.
The one-point extra point, on the other hand, is much simpler. The ball is also snapped from the two-yard line, making it a twenty-yard kick. As long as the kick goes through the uprights, it's a point.
For a kicker, a twenty-yard attempt is the equivalent of a penalty kick in soccer. The difference is that a penalty kick is one-on-one against the goalie, whereas an extra point, like a field goal or a punt, pits the special teams against each other, with both sides trying to block or be blocked.
Overall, the success rate for one-point conversions is quite high. Last year, the overall figure for the Alliance was 99.3%, much higher than the success rate for penalty kicks. When deciding on the extra point, most teams opt for one point instead of two.
However, no matter how high the success rate, there's still that 0.7% chance of failure. The more tense and critical the moment, the more likely something unexpected is to happen.
And this was the game-winning moment!
The score was tied, 20-20. The San Francisco 49ers had the chance to kick the extra point, and every eye in the stadium was on their kicker, David Akens.
He was a veteran, a seasoned one. He entered the draft in 1997 but went unselected. After a series of tryouts, he spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers as a member of their practice squads. It wasn't until the next year that he officially entered the Alliance, joining the Washington Redskins. He was cut the following year and went to hone his skills in a European indoor football league for over half a year. At the end of 1999, he returned to the Alliance, joined the Philadelphia Eagles, and spent the golden years of his career with the team.
Although he came in as one of the Undrafted Players, the kicker position is unique, and few teams use a draft pick specifically on one. David's talent shone with the Eagles. In his twelve-year career, David was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, including as recently as 2010. He also had one First-Team and four Second-Team All-Pro selections, building an impressive resume. He was still at the peak of his career.
This offseason, David left the Philadelphia Eagles and signed with the San Francisco 49ers, becoming the kicker at Candlestick Park.
During the preseason, the San Francisco 49ers' offense had been nothing short of a disaster, but David had consistently performed well. He was responsible for extra points and field goals, and he'd even nailed a fifty-nine-yard field goal that stunned the crowd—
On a football field, any field goal over forty-five yards is considered long-distance, with high risk and difficulty. Anything over fifty yards requires perfect conditions and a bit of luck.
David Akens still had it; a twenty-yard extra point should be a piece of cake for him.
With nine seconds left in the game, both special teams units were lined up. David stood in position, quietly waiting for the kick.
Candlestick Park was a cacophony. The 49ers fans had all fallen silent, holding their breath, afraid that the slightest sound might disrupt David's rhythm. In contrast, the Cowboys fans were making as much noise as possible—roaring, screaming, howling, cursing, swearing—stopping at nothing in their attempt to force the game into overtime.
TWEET!
The whistle blew. The snap. The play began. The two special teams units crashed violently into each other. David began his unhurried approach, watched the center snap the ball, saw the holder place it down, and swung his right leg high. Kick, power, contact. The entire motion was seamless, without a trace of hesitation or panic.
The football sailed high and true, a perfect parabola right through the uprights! A direct hit!
But just as the cheers erupted in Candlestick Park, the referees on the field started blowing their whistles, waving their arms. 'It doesn't count.' The meaning was simple and direct. The cheers instantly turned to groans.
Chris Wilson cried out in anguish, clutching his head and slumping back into his seat. Every part of his body screamed disappointment. The peak of tension had passed, and now his knees felt weak; he couldn't even stay on his feet.
"The Dallas Cowboys called a timeout! The Cowboys' head coach, Jason Garnett, called a timeout!" Kirk Charleston's heart, which had been soaring, plummeted back into his chest as if he'd just finished a roller coaster ride. "The Cowboys are making a last-ditch effort. They're trying to ice the 49ers' kicker, David Akens, and force the game into overtime."
It wasn't a penalty, but a timeout. Calling a timeout on a critical extra point right as the opposing kicker begins his approach nullifies the kick, forcing a do-over. Under such intense pressure and in such a tense atmosphere, this tactic can be surprisingly effective, disrupting the kicker's rhythm and getting inside his head. It's a common trick used throughout the Alliance.
Normally, after the 49ers scored the extra point, they would kick off to the Cowboys. The Cowboys' offense could then take the field and, using their timeouts, try to work some magic in the limited time remaining. At the very least, they could attempt a desperate long pass. The problem was, with only nine seconds left, there wasn't enough time for a kickoff and an offensive play. The chances were far too slim.
So, the Cowboys' head coach chose to burn one of his timeouts, hoping it would create a crack in the kicker's focus and cause him to miss.
Sitting in the stands, Chris clasped his hands together, praying devoutly and muttering under his breath. 'God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha… whoever is out there, please hear my prayer. Please, please, please! It has to go in. It has to go in! Oh god, please let it go in!'
Down on the field, the players lined up again, preparing for the second extra point attempt. Chris felt like he was about to suffocate from the tension. He could barely stand to look, yet he couldn't look away. He forced his eyes wide, watching every movement on the field, and the whole world seemed to shift into slow motion. Every action was slow, clear, and filled with a powerful grace.
The snap, the hold, the swing, the kick, the flight, the score.
WHOOSH. It was clean. No deviation, no sign of nerves, no suspense. The one-point conversion was good. The battle-hardened, experienced, and unflappable veteran David Akens had passed the test and delivered the game-winner!
"AH!" Chris leaped to his feet again, mouth agape, eyes wide, arms spread. He just screamed, on and on. "AHHHH!" He started running around his seat, the narrow space unable to contain him as he enthusiastically hugged everyone nearby. Finally, he jumped onto his chair, threw his hands high in the air, and screamed, then screamed again. "AHHHH!"
It felt like his heart would burst. It was like he had the whole world in his hands!
"They won! The San Francisco 49ers have won the game!" Troy Ball's hoarse shouts came through the broadcast. "There are only six seconds left! The Dallas Cowboys have no time for a comeback! This means the San Francisco 49ers have pulled off an incredible last-second victory!"
Troy was jumping up and down in excitement, roaring, "After being shut out in the first half, after the roller coaster of the fourth quarter, the young players of the San Francisco 49ers, led by their rookie quarterback Lu Ke, overcame all the difficulties to achieve a stunning comeback! We witnessed the return of 'The Pass,' we witnessed David Akens's game-winning kick, and we witnessed this rookie quarterback's first-ever fourth-quarter comeback!"
"It's madness! The entire Candlestick Park has descended into madness! They've beaten their Alliance arch-rivals! They've replicated the scene from 1981! They've proven once again that in the regular season, Candlestick Park remains an impenetrable fortress for the Dallas Cowboys! Madness! This is absolutely insane! After this battle, the rookie Chinese-American quarterback has once again been tested and has once again proven and redeemed himself, unbelievably snatching victory! My God! My God! Spectacular! This is truly spectacular!"
Troy's passionate commentary ignited a roar of celebration throughout San Francisco and the entire Bay Area—
People were laying on their car horns, the sounds rising and falling in response to one another like fireworks celebrating the team's victory. Someone ran out of a gas station convenience store and started running in circles in the empty lot like a madman, cheering nonstop. In bars, people smashed beer glasses, roaring and shouting with abandon, beating their chests in celebration.
In this moment, they reveled, they savored it. They had triumphed over their arch-rivals to claim victory in the second week of the regular season!
The commentators had gone wild, the fans had gone wild, but the players on the field couldn't lose their heads yet. There were still six seconds left. They had to go through the formality of the kickoff and play until the clock hit zero.
The special teams unit lined up again for the kickoff. The San Francisco 49ers' kick was high and deep, landing in the end zone. The Dallas Cowboys' Returner caught it but opted not to take a touchback. Instead, he tucked the ball and ran, hoping to break through the wall of defenders, score a return touchdown, and once again reverse the outcome of the game.
But the San Francisco 49ers' special teams unit hadn't let the victory go to their heads. They promptly tackled the returner at the Cowboys' twelve-yard line. Then, the game clock officially ran out. The referee blew the final whistle, sealing the San Francisco 49ers' second consecutive win!
"AHHHH!" Only then did the San Francisco 49ers players finally begin to celebrate. Lu Ke raised his hands, pumping his fists in the air, but before he could even begin to celebrate properly, his teammates swarmed him, chanting wildly, "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!"