Chapter 228 226: Deadly Strike
'Calm. Stay calm.'
The last run play had been far more effective than Lu Ke had anticipated. Lynch's performance had exceeded all expectations. But after offering his congratulations, Lu Ke's thoughts settled, and he began communicating with the coaching staff again to plan the next offensive series.
Hearing the coaching staff's plan, a hint of surprise flickered in Lu Ke's eyes as he glanced toward Jim Hubble on the sideline.
There was no conversation, no hand signal, yet Jim seemed to understand Lu Ke's confusion. He nodded in confirmation and clenched his fist, offering Lu Ke a boost of encouragement. With no further exchange, he signaled for Lu Ke to get back to the offense.
Lu Ke rolled his neck, kneaded the muscles in his right arm, and called his teammates over. He laid out the play in a few short words, his gaze finally landing on the five players of the offensive line. "This game is under our control. Now we need to sharpen our focus, completely crush their will. Victory is ours!"
His speech finished, Lu Ke's focused, searing gaze locked onto the five members of the offensive line, especially Rupati and Hachar, his two blind-side protectors. Without another word, his conviction and resolute will were clearly conveyed. Rupati and Hachar felt their blood surge, and they nodded heavily in agreement.
"Alright then, let's go get a touchdown!" Lu Ke clapped his hands, signaling for his teammates to spread out and methodically get into formation.
Shotgun Formation. The San Francisco 49ers lined up in what was clearly a passing formation. Lu Ke stood in the pocket about seven yards deep, the entire field and his team spreading out before him like a fan.
It was a traditional Shotgun Formation, with no frills. Five offensive linemen were up front. To the left were two receivers, Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr. To the right were two more, Logan Newman and Kyle Williams. The final receiver, Marcus Lynch, stood about three yards behind Logan.
It was an utterly ordinary formation, the kind seen from nearly every team in every game. But this common formation was also endlessly versatile and difficult to defend, making it a lethal weapon for a quarterback with pinpoint accuracy.
The Fierce Tiger Team's defense adjusted accordingly. The first line set up in a 3-4 formation. For the first time in today's game, they reduced the number of players rushing the front line, employing only a three-man rush tactic. Behind them, four linebackers were scattered from left to right in an irregular curve.
In the secondary, one safety played deep to guard against a long bomb, while two cornerbacks and another safety handled zone coverage for short and intermediate passes.
Lu Ke stood his ground, the space all around him empty. With the backfield completely cleared out, it was as if he were standing at the handle of the fan, in control of the entire field.
Lu Ke's attention first fell upon Atkins. But Atkins was perfectly calm, making it impossible to predict whether he would blitz or drop into coverage. Clearly, he had learned his lesson from the previous drives. Lu Ke then scanned the positioning and gaps of the defensive line and the secondary. It was a typical zone defense, revealing very little.
Just then, Lynch took two steps forward as Williams took two steps back, the two of them swapping places. Then, Williams jogged horizontally across the formation, settling in behind Ginn and Crabtree.
The Fierce Tiger Team's defense remained unmoved by the motion, not shifting at all and sticking firmly to their zone coverage. Yet, you could smell something unusual in the swirling air. The 49ers were adapting while the Fierce Tigers stood firm. An invisible contest of wills was brewing between them.
The roar in Paul Brown Stadium began to swell once more. Faced with the San Francisco 49ers' powerful offense, the Cincinnati Bengals were on the defensive. The home fans, realizing this, understood the core of the issue: they needed to roar for their defense, to help them get the 49ers' offense off the field. Only then could Andy Dalton return and give the team a chance to win.
And so, the home fans' cheers grew even more tumultuous, echoing mightily throughout the stadium. Some people were just screaming "AHHHH," others were chanting "Fierce Tiger," and still others were shouting profanities. The resulting cacophony was disjointed and unfocused, like a rudderless ship, but it was relentlessly annoying all the same.
The tranquility on the field stood in stark contrast to the chaos in the stands.
Lu Ke remained undistracted, his sharp eyes locked onto the slightest movement from the defense. He then called out, "Ready! Set! Hike!"
The San Francisco 49ers offense didn't move, nor did the Cincinnati Bengals defense. The hard count didn't draw anyone offside, but the tension in the air grew even more palpable. You could practically feel the scorching heat on your skin, making the fine hairs on your arms stand on end.
"Hike! Hike! Attack!"
Methodical, systematic. But when Lu Ke's command—"Attack!"—rang out, the entire 49ers offense exploded into motion, gaining an advantage of just under a quarter of a second. The Fierce Tiger defense, stretched to its absolute limit, reacted a moment later. No one can truly describe what a quarter of a second means in sports, but the result was a clear disruption of rhythm.
The three receivers on the left tucked their heads and charged forward. They didn't spread out, instead sprinting together in straight lines. The trio formed a powerful spearhead, plunging deep and throwing the Fierce Tiger defense into chaos. Adhering to their zone coverage, the defenders in that area all swarmed them—
Furthermore, given that the three receivers were clustered together—Crabtree a big-bodied receiver, Ginn and Williams both nimble ones—they posed a powerful offensive threat. The Fierce Tiger defense committed four players to stop them: one cornerback, one safety, and two linebackers rushed over, trying to shatter the triangular formation.
Meanwhile, the two players on the right both ran quickly toward the sideline. Newman ran a deeper route, heading toward the far end of the field for an intermediate or long pass. Lynch ran a shallower one, pulling into the area for a quick, short pass—
A cornerback and a linebacker were forced to defend their respective zones, while the deep safety also began drifting toward Newman's position to guard against a surprise deep ball.
The whole field erupted in a flurry of movement, like a sky full of fireworks. The left side was an invading tornado, the right was streaked with laser beams, and the entire defensive backfield was instantly thrown into a state of panic.
Lu Ke held the football firmly. After the snap, he took a single drop step back, standing like a general on a command platform, taking in every movement on the field. In his periphery, he registered the clash between the offensive and defensive lines.
The five players on the offensive line were laser-focused. With so many defenders drawn into coverage, only three defensive linemen and one linebacker were left to rush, creating a five-on-four advantage for the offense. The 49ers' offensive line firmly repelled the Fierce Tiger Team's initial assault.
Moreover, they executed their one-on-one blocks perfectly, each man locking down his assignment. Atkins, in particular, was once again double-teamed and completely sealed off, unable to find any opening.
Atkins's focus was also at its peak. He tried to break left, then right, then bull-rushed forward, but the double-team made his task incredibly difficult. Time ticked by, becoming agonizingly clear: one second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds... The San Francisco 49ers' offensive line had successfully built an impenetrable pocket, giving their quarterback more than enough time to throw.
But Atkins still hadn't given up. Using his weight advantage, he brute-forced his way through a tiny seam and burst out with unstoppable momentum. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the football—still in Lu Ke's hands.
'He hasn't thrown it. He still hasn't thrown the ball! This is unbelievable! Lu Ke's release is always lightning-fast. His processing speed and decisiveness are his trademarks. He's not an indecisive quarterback; he'll even take an incredibly risky shot if he has to.'
'A full four seconds, maybe even longer, and he still hasn't passed. What does that mean?'
'Oh no!'
Atkins cried out in alarm. He lunged viciously, but his momentum had been spent in the earlier struggle. He crashed forward, only to see Lu Ke nimbly sidestep, gracefully evading the sack. Lu Ke then took two large steps forward and raised his right arm high, drawing it back like a longbow pulled into a perfect full moon. A split second later, his arm whipped forward, unleashing immense power. With a flick of his wrist, the football was sent sailing in a high arc.
The combination of power and beauty in that moment was truly mesmerizing.
Atkins crashed hard onto the turf. He felt the jarring impact, but his mind couldn't even register it. There was only one thought: 'Who is this pass for?'
Accelerating, then accelerating again, Williams and Ginn pushed their speed to the absolute limit. After they crossed the opponent's forty-yard line, Crabtree, the sturdier and slightly slower of the three, was the first to break off. He cut sharply at a right angle, heading for the middle of the field.
"Not good!"
The Fierce Tiger defenders cried out in alarm. The middle of the field was now wide open! Two defenders immediately peeled off to follow him, leaving the other two to stick tightly to Williams and Ginn.
So, was the pass intended for Crabtree?