Chapter 285 283: Special Teams
Unbelievable! The Philadelphia Eagles scored a touchdown, immediately followed by another touchdown from the San Francisco 49ers! The lead kept changing hands, and as the game entered the fourth quarter, the excitement heated up to an unbelievable intensity.
Joe's Bar was a sea of joy. Jeff and Danny, a pair of clowns, were mimicking Kyle Williams's touchdown celebration. Left arm curled to the chest, right arm thrown high and back, body hunched forward, they sprinted on their tiptoes. It was a move straight out of an anime, ridiculous and yet endearing.
"We are!" Jeff shouted. Then he and Danny ran in a large circle, stood one behind the other, and performed a fusion pose, yelling in unison, "Extraordinary Team!" Their dead-serious expressions made everyone in the bar burst into laughter.
The wild, unrestrained cheers completely ignited the passion in the bar, which began to burn fiercely.
This was tap-dancing on a knife's edge! This was ballet on a high wire! This was a frenzied dance on a cliff's precipice! Facing desperation, they refused to give up, carved out a path for themselves, and responded with fierce, decisive resolve. A 49ers team like this was mesmerizing and got your blood pumping!
Cliff, clumsily holding up a team banner, suddenly shouted, "Another one! Bambi! Another one!"
In an instant, every fan in the bar raised their beer mugs high, roaring as one, "Another one! Bambi!"
"Brilliant, truly brilliant! Haha." As he spoke, Teddy burst into unrestrained laughter. "That pass, that catch, it was just so entertaining! Let's take a look at the replay."
"First, he made a one-handed catch. Then he broke the first tackle and immediately broke a second. He even managed to dodge a third. In that tiny sliver of space between the defender and the sideline, he advanced with that Extraordinary Team pose. At the very last second, he dodged one more collision and secured the touchdown. Wow, I can't imagine a more entertaining touchdown than that!" After finishing, Teddy burst out laughing again.
Extraordinary Team was a Japanese anime from the nineties. It was later brought to the United States, where it gained a sizable audience and became a childhood memory for many kids.
In the anime, the pose the warriors struck when they transformed was identical to Kyle Williams's sprint; it was like they were cast from the same mold. Especially the way he ran on his tiptoes—it was a perfect replica of every detail from the show.
It wasn't just the Extraordinary Team pose. The entire play was a roller coaster, a vivid illustration of the Mystical Technique of 'surviving in the cracks.' To cap off the entire offensive drive with a touchdown was simply magnificent!
Kirk couldn't help but chuckle as well. It was a rare moment of levity in such a tense and exciting game, but he had to get back to his job. "The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown! The score difference is now back to a single touchdown. Now, it's Michael Vick's time to perform. Can they maintain their lead under this immense pressure?"
It wasn't just the fans and commentators; even on the field, Lu Ke was stunned for a moment watching Williams's catch—
His first reaction was frustration that he had overthrown the pass. If Williams hadn't been so sharp, it would have been an incompletion. Clearly, his accuracy on medium-range passes was still not where he wanted it to be, always deviating at critical moments. But the next second, he saw Williams sprinting like the White Ranger from the Extraordinary Team. The scene was straight out of a Japanese manga, and it was hilarious.
'Wait, did the Extraordinary Team even have a White Ranger?'
Such a scene flashed through Lu Ke's mind. He then saw Williams successfully complete the touchdown, and a laugh escaped him. Looking up, he saw his Offense Line teammates roaring with laughter. Even the stunned players on the Philadelphia Eagles' Defense Team started to laugh one after another.
For a moment, the atmosphere on the field was a bit comical.
But it was only temporary. The offense left the field, followed by the special teams, and then the defense. With the score now at "21:14," the game's tension began to build again.
Both teams' offenses had found their rhythm after the start of the second half, and the clash of titans was far from over! To be precise, it was just getting started.
Taking the field once more, Michael Vick again showed flashes of his peak form from last year. It seemed Lu Ke's own strong performance had ignited all of his potential. Vick ran and passed, orchestrating a dynamic and successful offense.
Facing a 49ers Defense Team that had also stepped up its game, the Eagles' offensive flow was somewhat hindered. They faced a third-down conversion crisis four separate times. However, Vick unleashed his potential at each critical moment, always managing to make the conversion. All four times on third down, he secured a new first down, leading his players continuously down the field.
After three minutes and thirty-three seconds, Vick's powerful momentum was finally halted. The 49ers defense had a series of high-energy plays on the line, culminating in a crucial sack by Defense Team captain Patrick Willis, stopping the Eagles' offense at the twenty-seven-yard line.
Now, the Eagles faced a fourth-and-five situation. This time, the Eagles didn't risk going for it on fourth down. Instead, they opted for a field goal. After a successful kick, they widened the score gap once again to "24:14." Then, possession returned to the 49ers.
Both teams' special teams units took the field. The Philadelphia Eagles would kick off, and the San Francisco 49ers would return it, determining the starting position for the 49ers' offense.
The fourth quarter had truly entered its white-hot, down-to-the-wire stage. The score difference was now ten points, requiring at least two offensive drives to tie or take the lead. With less than eight minutes left in the game, anything was possible. The 49ers still had a chance to make a comeback, and the Eagles still had a chance to win.
This meant that on the upcoming offensive drive, a heavy burden rested on Lu Ke's shoulders. The 49ers had to score—whether a touchdown or a field goal, they had to deliver a strong response, keep the score close, and set the stage for a final comeback. Otherwise, the pressure on their Defense Team would multiply.
So, during the brief time the special teams was on the field for the kickoff, Lu Ke remained on the sideline next to Craig Roman and Kip Kester, discussing tactical arrangements. Meanwhile, the other members of the offense were loosening their muscles, preparing to give it their all. Among them, Marcus Lynch was the sole exception.
Marcus was on the field, as a member of the special teams.
On a professional team, the special teams unit is always unique. They are consistently overlooked, whether by the media or the team itself, often seeming like fringe players. But their presence cannot be ignored. An excellent special teams unit is even capable of scoring and has the ability to turn a game around.
For the special teams, their time on the field is limited, far less than the offense or defense. If the team wins, people won't remember the special teams' contribution. But one small mistake from the special teams could cost the team the victory, and they would become the scapegoats for everyone's blame.
For this very reason, every team's special teams unit also has the most Undrafted Players.
Generally, a special teams unit only has three or four permanent members; the other seven or eight players are all backups.
Take the holder, for example. On field goals and extra points, the center first snaps the ball to the holder. Once the holder has the ball set, the kicker makes the kick.
On most teams, the holder is often the backup quarterback. That's why on certain special field goal attempts, the holder might catch the snap from the center, unexpectedly stand up, and complete a pass for a touchdown. This is also a type of trick play.
Tony Romo's infamous fumbled hold happened when he was on the field as the holder and couldn't secure the snap.
Another example is the long snapper. During punts, field goals, and extra points, they take on the role of the center, responsible for powerfully snapping the ball to a player standing far behind them. Compared to the distance between a quarterback and a center, the distance between a long snapper and a holder or punter is typically much longer, which is why the prefix "long" is used.
On most teams, the long snapper is often the backup center. Generally, the center position is not prone to injury, but you can never be too careful, and teams still need a backup plan. So, they place the backup center on the special teams as the long snapper, making full use of every spot on the fifty-three-man roster.
Right now on the San Francisco 49ers, the special teams unit has only three dedicated members: kicker David Akens, who handles field goals, extra points, and kickoffs; punter Andy Lee, who handles punts; and also a long snapper, Brian Jennings.
Besides them, all other positions are filled by backup players. Marcus Lynch was now on the field as a Returner.
The Returner is a special position. After catching the ball, they can begin the return—literally, an attack toward the opponent's field via a Ball-Carrying Run. The spot where they are finally stopped becomes the starting position for the offense. If they run it all the way back to the end zone, it's a return touchdown.
Therefore, among the teams in the Alliance, the Returner position is often filled by different players. Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, and running backs might all take a turn. It's not just backup players, either; starters might also come on for a return, using their abilities to build a greater advantage for the team.
This was the case with Marcus now. He was an outstanding running back with powerful advancing ability. Speed wasn't his absolute greatest strength, but his acceleration on long-yardage runs was dependable, and he excelled at tearing open gaps in the opponent's zone defense. At critical moments, the team would send Marcus out to try and power through for a big return.
Within the special teams, it's worth noting that kicker and punter are two completely different positions. Their techniques are distinct, and it's rare for one player to fill both roles.