Standing in the pocket behind the offensive line, Lu Ke patted his helmet, not with anger or frustration, but with a bit of annoyance. Before the game started, the entire team was in a state of high excitement. The cheers in the stadium made every player's blood boil, and the pre-game huddle was full of roars. But now it seems everyone, including Lu Ke himself, was a little too excited.
On the first running play, Marcus Lynch started too fast, and his feet slipped slightly. He crashed into a wall of people before he could find an opening. It was lucky that he didn't lose any yards or fumble the ball.
On the second pass, Crabtree ran his route too far. It was supposed to be a six-yard pass, but he ran a full eight yards before stopping. He tried to do a quick turn, but he couldn't even touch the ball.
On the third pass, Vernon Davis did catch the ball, but Lu Ke's pass was a little too strong. After the bullet pass, the ball hit Vernon's right shoulder. Vernon awkwardly completed the catch, but because of the ball's speed, he barely controlled it before turning and running into a trap of defenders. Logan Newman's block had missed.
On three plays, it wasn't that the opposing defense was incredible; it was that the entire offense was a little over-excited. A little bit of a mistake, and in the blink of an eye, it was fourth down. Three-and-out.
Fourth and three. This was just the first drive of the game. The 49ers were at their own 27-yard line, so there was no need to go for it on fourth down. If they failed on fourth down, the opposing team would automatically start their drive at the spot of the failed play. In other words, if they went for it and failed, the New York Giants would start their drive at the 49ers' 27-yard line, which is well within striking distance of the end zone. The reason Eli Manning can often make comebacks in the fourth quarter is because his deep-passing ability is outstanding, and he is not afraid to throw it deep in critical moments, which makes him difficult to defend. What's more, on fourth down, three yards is considered a long distance. It's not like one yard, where a running back can just use his physical strength to push through. Three yards requires a coordinated play, and the risk is too great. So, punting would be the best option at this time.
Reviewing the last three plays, Lu Ke himself couldn't help but laugh bitterly. It was a complete disaster. He let out a soft sigh and was about to tell his teammates to leave the field and hand it over to the special teams when he heard Jim Harbaugh's voice in his headset. "Bambi, do you dare to go for it on fourth down?"
"..." Lu Ke was slightly stunned. "I'm okay with it, but coach..."
The rhythm of the last three plays was actually not a problem, but the players were all too excited. One mistake led to another, which resulted in a three-and-out. Lu Ke was confident that they could make up the three yards, but it was fourth and three. What if the offense was still out of sync?
"Then let's try it," Harbaugh said without hesitation.
Lu Ke's eyes widened. He turned to look at the sideline, where Harbaugh was rolling up his sleeves, looking ready to go to war. After several weeks of dominant victories, Harbaugh had become bolder. His play-calling and command of the game's rhythm showed a side of him that was fearless due to his high skill. If they failed on fourth down, the worst-case scenario was the Giants getting the ball and scoring a touchdown, putting the home team behind 0-7. But the game had only just started, so anything was possible, and they could afford to lose. If they succeeded on fourth down, the 49ers' offense could stay on the field and continue to find their rhythm. More importantly, it would be a huge morale booster for the home fans!
Lu Ke tilted his head slightly and couldn't help but smile. It seemed Harbaugh was also over-excited. This also showed Harbaugh's immense confidence in the 49ers' offense. Even if they fell behind by a touchdown at home, Harbaugh believed the offense could easily overcome the deficit. This kind of confidence, from the coaching staff to the players and the fans, was being implemented from the top down. The 49ers now had the swagger of a truly great team. However, whether this was overconfidence or genuine ability, only the game itself could prove. Lu Ke was ready to embrace the challenge with open arms.
So, Lu Ke turned around and called out to his offensive teammates, "Stay. Everyone stay. We're going for it on fourth down."
The offensive players were taken aback for a moment, their eyes wide with disbelief, and their actions froze. They were all dumbfounded, but after a brief pause, no one questioned or objected. They turned in an orderly manner and walked toward the line of scrimmage, ready to get into formation. It was as if they weren't facing fourth and three against the New York Giants, but just a normal first and three. Their composed and confident demeanor was just like their head coach, Harbaugh. This made Lu Ke laugh.
"...Uh, on the field, um, hold on, the San Francisco 49ers' offense has decided to stay on the field. They are going for it on fourth down, my God! The 49ers are going for it on fourth down! Jesus Christ!" Teddy Williams couldn't believe his eyes. A collective gasp of shock went through Candlestick Park. Then Teddy couldn't help but chuckle. "The Giants' players weren't expecting this."
On the field, the Giants' defensive players had already started to leave the field, but they saw their coaches waving frantically, pushing them back onto the field. The stunned players looked back and realized what was happening. They scrambled to put on their helmets and returned to the field. The first unexpected event of the game had disrupted the flow of the game.
"Both teams' players are a little confused right now. The 49ers have decided to go for it on fourth down. This is the first drive of the game, and they've made an unexpected choice to go for it on fourth and three. We don't know what happened inside the coaching staff, but for now, let's watch this fourth-down play."
Kirk, Teddy's co-commentator, also laughed wryly. After a brief introduction, he brought the audience back to the live broadcast of the game.
...
After the play was called again, Lu Ke stood behind the offensive line, calmly surveying the opponent's defensive formation. His composed and collected demeanor made it seem like he was completely confident in the fourth-down play, without any panic. In contrast, the Giants' defensive players were in a bit of a scramble. They had thought they had made a three-and-out, but now they were back on the field. This was strange and left them a little confused.
In a hurry, it's easy to get distracted. However, they are professionals and immediately focused, putting all other thoughts aside to concentrate on this defensive play. Defensive tackle Linval Joseph, number 97, was one of them. As a second-round rookie from last year, he had worked hard and was now a starting defensive tackle, a firm fixture on the team. Just last week, he had recorded his first career sack against an elite quarterback, Tom Brady, which had boosted his confidence.
Faced with the sudden fourth-down defense, Linval was not flustered but excited. Because if they could make this fourth-down stop, they could get their offense a great starting position and set an important tone for the game. This one play could be the key moment of the entire game, and he would be a hero for the team!
Linval's excitement grew. He constantly adjusted his left foot, like a motorcycle engine, vroom, vroom. The engine's speed slowly increased. His eyes were fixed on Lu Ke behind the offensive line, his gaze full of greedy and aggressive ambition. Fourth and three, in Linval's eyes, was an impossible distance to gain.
"...Hawaii, Ha...waii, Ha...waii, Hawaii, Hawaii, Hawaii..." In the quiet stadium, Lu Ke's dazzling cadence was clear and loud, echoing in their ears, but he never actually gave the command to snap the ball. The tension between the two sides slowly began to build. Linval's peripheral vision caught the countdown clock for the snap at the end of the field. Every play has forty seconds to snap the ball, and the clock is there to remind the quarterback. Exceeding the time limit will result in a delay-of-game penalty. Now, the clock was down to five seconds.
"Hawaii! Go... go! Go, go, go! Go!"
Here it comes!
Linval didn't rush or get carried away. He waited patiently, acutely catching the snap count. He cut through the complicated commands and saw through the rookie quarterback's dazzling play. In an instant, the tightly wound spring was released. He pushed off with his left foot and charged out like a rocket, crashing into a wall of people. "What's going on?" Before Linval could react, he heard the referee's whistle again. In his peripheral vision, he saw the linemen from both sides stand up, relax, and disengage from the play.
Offsides. It was an offsides penalty!
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