Chapter 234 232: Three Dominant Wins
Geno Atkins stood rooted to the spot in disappointment. Beads of sweat trickled down his face, which was a mask of indignation and frustration, but ultimately, there was nothing he could do. He was helpless.
On that last offensive play, his focus had been absolute. He hadn't been fooled by the hitch in Lu Ke's snap count at all, launching his rush with perfect timing. He crashed into an Offense Line player instantly to start his push. But before he could even complete the move, he caught sight of Marcus Lynch moving laterally, and it drew his attention.
Amidst the violent collision with the Offense Line player, his vision blurred. He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought he saw Lu Ke pull his right hand back at the last second, not completing the handoff. Then Lu Ke started to run. By the time his brain caught up, however, he saw the football in Lynch's arms—
But by then, it was too late. Lynch had already broken through the two walls of the Offense and Defense Lines, his stride unbroken as he sped away. Then, Atkins could only watch helplessly as Lynch unstoppably ran it in for a touchdown.
In the end, they were still one step behind. It was hard to believe. They had sacked the quarterback four times today, and on top of that, manufactured four hits and three hurried throws, yet they still couldn't stop the San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback from scoring. They had been thoroughly outplayed, and the feeling of suffocating defeat was just awful.
Before the game, they had been expecting a resounding victory. Their Defense Team was on the rise. Their offense, led by Andy Dalton, was organized and efficient. In their last two games, both hard-fought battles, they had won one and lost one, but their morale and confidence had grown.
But... but this was professional sports. When two armies meet on a narrow road, the braver one prevails. In the end, the one left standing is always the stronger one. Besides, in today's game, the opposing offense had clearly performed better.
The advantage had been built up bit by bit. Through the first three quarters, the two teams seemed locked in a struggle, with the San Francisco 49ers only ever holding a slight edge. But after slowly accumulating that advantage, it erupted in the fourth quarter, and the gap between the two teams widened. The Fierce Tiger Team's offense and defense were completely unable to keep up.
That final rushing touchdown was, in fact, a microcosm of the entire game. It seemed to cleanly snuff out the last glimmer of hope, but in reality, it was merely the straw that broke the camel's back.
Letting out a long, long breath, Atkins looked up at Lu Ke in the distance, a resigned smile touching the corners of his mouth. In today's game, Atkins had truly witnessed the ability of this "undrafted rookie quarterback." He knew with certainty that this rookie's two-game winning streak—soon to be a three-game streak now firmly in his grasp—was definitely not a fluke.
Atkins wasn't discouraged. In fact, he was even more filled with confidence. 'What Lu Ke can do, I can do too. I proved my ability today. In the training to come, I need to be more dedicated, work harder, and earn my place on the field. Just like that Chinese-American quarterback on the other side!'
Averting his gaze, Atkins turned and strode off the field. The Cincinnati Bengals had lost this game. There was no suspense left. The game was over, but life went on, and so did the regular season. This still wasn't the end of the world.
Yes, the game was over. The winner was decided. After another touchdown and another successful extra point, the score on the board was now "10:31".
There were still two minutes and eleven seconds left in the game. Theoretically, the Fierce Tiger Team still had 131 seconds, three timeouts, and the two-minute warning. They still had a chance to score a touchdown.
However, with a 21-point deficit, even if they successfully scored a touchdown and converted for two extra points, they would still need three possessions to close the gap. With 131 seconds, unless some magic could turn back time, not even Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers could salvage this.
It wasn't just the players; the fans were keenly aware of this as well.
After Marcus Lynch's long run for a touchdown, the home fans began to file out of the stadium. They didn't even wait for the extra point kick, let alone the Fierce Tiger Team's next offensive drive. A few fans, however, remained in their seats, cheering for their young team's future, hoping they wouldn't be too affected by this loss. The season was still long.
In stark contrast to the dejected home fans, the visiting fans had already begun to celebrate wildly. They threw their arms around each other's shoulders, sang at the top of their lungs, and rejoiced in another victory. It seemed they still weren't used to winning. This was their third consecutive victory of the season, yet they were cheering and shouting themselves hoarse as if it were their first.
The atmosphere in Paul Brown Stadium had completely flipped, heaven and hell trading places. Meanwhile, the commentary booth was a scene of stunned silence. Amidst the sighs and astonishment, a thousand complex emotions swirled, all different. One could only imagine that after this week's regular season games concluded, it would surely set off another media firestorm.
The San Francisco 49ers had won again!
In this atmosphere, when the Cincinnati Bengals' offense took the field again, Dalton still forced himself to rally and try to lead the team, but the Fierce Tiger Team's offensive players had already lost the will to fight. They went through the motions with three quick passes—one completion, two incompletions—failing to get a first down. Three and out. This meant the San Francisco 49ers only needed to take a knee to end the game.
And so, the Cincinnati Bengals' coaches and players didn't struggle any further. They began walking onto the field, which was tantamount to a direct concession. The game came to a close.
Week three of the regular season: the San Francisco 49ers, on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals, defeated their opponent once again, securing an impressive three-game winning streak!
Lu Ke had just sat down, not even having time to take a sip of water, when the referee blew the final whistle. He could only put his water bottle down again, quickly get to his feet, and join the ranks of his teammates heading onto the field to meet their opponents for the customary handshakes.
At midfield, Lu Ke met Andy Dalton. This was their first meeting since the Rookie Training Camp. Strictly speaking, they hadn't spoken to each other at the camp either. But now, meeting on the field, it felt different somehow. After all, they were both rookies this year.
It felt like they were alumni, graduates of the same class. Even if they didn't know each other well, there was a greater sense of kinship compared to everyone else. What's more, in the entire Alliance right now, there were only four rookie quarterbacks who were starting.
"That was a great game today," Dalton said first, shaking Lu Ke's right hand and bumping his shoulder.
Lu Ke gave a friendly smile. "At least we both fought to the very end." It was clear that even in the final moments, Dalton hadn't wanted to give up, even though he must have known the outcome. In truth, that final drive wasn't a display of skill or talent, but of attitude toward the game.
For that, Dalton had earned Lu Ke's respect.
Lu Ke's words made Dalton's eyes light up slightly. "Then let's both keep fighting!" For a rookie quarterback, every week was a stage to prove themselves. They could never let their guard down for a single game.
Among the four current starting rookie quarterbacks, only Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers didn't have to worry about his starting position. The entire team was being rebuilt around him, and both the organization and the fans had given him enough time to slowly adapt to the Alliance's rhythm. This was the privilege of a first-overall pick, but it was also a privilege he had earned through his performance in college.
As for the other three quarterbacks—Lu Ke, Andy Dalton, and Brian Gabbert—all three were facing intense competition for the starting job within their own teams.
Gabbert had just taken over the starting role this week. Dalton had shared starting duties for two games and only played his first full game this week. Lu Ke, on the other hand, had benefited from injuries to two other players, allowing him to play three full games, but he would also have to face competition going forward.
Seeing the confident expression on Dalton's face, Lu Ke nodded firmly. "Let's see who falls behind first." The words sounded ceremonial, but he said them with a teasing tone that instantly made things more interesting, drawing a smile.
Turning to leave, Lu Ke heard someone call out from behind, "Lu Ke!" Before he could turn around, a heavy hand clapped him on the shoulder. He then saw Geno Atkins' face, drenched in sweat and practically steaming, making him look like a monk meditating in a steam basket. The image was actually quite comical.
"Congratulations!" Atkins said magnanimously, extending his right hand.
Lu Ke shook Atkins' right hand and replied with a deadpan expression, "Can I refuse? After those four sacks today, I'm not really in the best of moods."
Atkins wasn't quick with words and froze, thinking Lu Ke was serious. The joke didn't land, making the situation awkward. Lu Ke blinked. "I mean, it was an honor to play against you on the field!"
Atkins still didn't understand what Lu Ke had meant with his first sentence, but he didn't press the issue. "Hope we get another chance to play each other this season." In football, the scheduling is rather unique; for the 49ers and the Fierce Tiger Team to meet again, it could only be in the playoffs.
Lu Ke understood immediately and chuckled. He then tightened his grip seriously and shook Atkins' hand again. "Of course. I'm looking forward to it, too!"
After paying his respects, Atkins didn't linger and turned to leave.
Watching Atkins' retreating back, Lu Ke felt a bit envious of soccer players. Swapping jerseys to show respect and keep as a memento was a great idea. But in football, they wore pads under their jerseys, which were a huge hassle to put on and take off, so there was no custom of exchanging jerseys on the field.
"Bambi! Bambi!" From a short distance away, his teammates were calling. Ted Ginn Jr. was waving his arms energetically. "Let's go thank the fans! It's not easy for them to come all the way to Cincinnati."