On offense, Vernon Davis charged forward decisively, catching a glimpse of a defensive player brushing past him. A thought flashed through his mind: should he look back? But his momentum was unstoppable, so he didn't think about it anymore and continued to charge forward.
Five, ten, fifteen yards. Vernon was fully focused on his route, which was somewhere between a short and a medium pass. However, this was a decoy run. After the opponent's cornerback followed him, he needed to make a quick stop and turn back to the short-pass area, as the play was designed for a short pass, and Lu Ke's target was in that area.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the rookie cornerback, Prince Amukamara, who was covering him tightly. He was a first-round pick, the 19th overall, and was highly anticipated. But since the beginning of the season, he had only been a rotational player, and this was his first time starting.
"Lacks experience, lean build, precise positioning." This information instantly flashed through Vernon's mind. He had reviewed it repeatedly during his pre-game preparation. As a cornerback, Amukamara was 6 feet (183 cm) and 204 pounds (93 kg), with a lean build. He was a typical agile cornerback who relied on positioning and movement to defend. But for Vernon, this was a good matchup because he was 6 feet 3 inches (191 cm) and 244 pounds (111 kg).
Amukamara had an advantage in speed and explosiveness and was sticking to Vernon's position tightly. Despite his size advantage, Vernon couldn't find a comfortable position to catch the ball. So, Vernon forced his way forward. After passing the fifteen-yard mark, he made a quick stop and turned around. He looked toward Lu Ke, and in a split second, Lu Ke raised his right hand. Vernon immediately realized a pass was coming!
But his body had just turned, his balance was off, and he could feel Amukamara's relentless, tight coverage. In a moment of crisis, Vernon didn't even think; he just instinctively took a big step forward, like a frog doing a long jump. In an instant, the gap between Vernon and Amukamara widened. Amukamara, who was in tight coverage, lost his balance and fell forward. He rolled into a ball like a hedgehog, tumbling forward. He was out of position.
The matchup between Vernon and Amukamara was completely broken. Vernon, however, wasn't distracted at all and was completely focused on Lu Ke's pass. It wasn't enough, still not enough. It was a short pass. Even if Lu Ke had noticed Vernon's position and put a little extra force into his throw, this pass was still just shy of ten yards. Now, Vernon had jumped forward a step, bringing him to the eleven-yard mark. It was still a little short!
In the nick of time, Vernon followed his momentum and fell to the ground. He rolled quickly, and in the next second, he saw the football dropping down. It was a perfect spiral. Although the position wasn't quite right, Vernon only had to make a standard catching motion to easily secure the ball. This is the kind of pass he loves from Lu Ke!
Holding the ball tightly, Vernon rolled another half-turn, got his knees on the ground, and pushed himself up. He quickly scanned left and right, noticing Amukamara still tumbling on his right. He took a light step to the left to get out of the way, and then he started to accelerate straight ahead. But before he could get up to speed, Vernon noticed Justin Tuck charging at him from the left. Tuck was a defensive end, a seven-year veteran, who was a third-round, 74th overall pick but had grown into a Pro Bowl-level player. However, he had been struggling with injuries all year, and his performance had declined significantly.
Vernon calmly made a sudden stop and saw Tuck charging at him fiercely. Like a dancer, he made a light turn, dodging Tuck's surefire tackle. In the next moment, he pushed off with his feet and started to accelerate a second time. Speed up, speed up again. But speed was not Vernon's strong suit. Instead of a rocket, he was more like a torpedo. It felt like there was a drag from the ocean, pulling at his feet, making him stumble and charge forward recklessly.
...
"Snap! The San Francisco 49ers have started a new drive!" Troy Polamalu's distinctive voice rang out over the radio waves again, reporting the live situation at Candlestick Park to every listener. "Blitz! The Giants unexpectedly chose to blitz, and two defenders are closing in from both sides, trying to sack the quarterback!"
"Quick dropback! The 49ers' rookie quarterback is not flustered at all. Pass to the left! Wait, it's a fake! A fake! Pass to the right! Lu Ke throws it and finds... Vernon Davis! Number 80, Vernon Davis!"
"Davis used an unexpected long jump to shake off Amukamara's tight coverage and completed the catch in an awkward roll. Beautiful! My God, that was a beautiful catch! It's not over; the drive is not over yet!"
"Davis is back on his feet and turns to evade Tuck's tackle! He's still moving forward! Forty yards, forty-five yards, midfield! God, oh, God! Someone finally came to support the defense. Martin, Giants' safety number 22, Derrick Martin, came in and tackled Vernon sideways!"
"Unbelievable! This is truly unbelievable! Davis used a high-kneed hop to avoid Martin's surefire tackle. He's still moving forward. God, God, God! Vernon Davis is still moving forward along the sideline. Oh, he lost his balance. Davis couldn't keep his balance and fell out of bounds, ending the drive!"
Troy passionately described the entire live situation in one breath. The exciting display was truly amazing. In the end, Troy shouted excitedly, "Brilliant! So brilliant! My God, that was a twenty-eight-yard gain, twenty-eight yards! My God!"
"Just after successfully converting on fourth and three, the San Francisco 49ers have made a twenty-eight-yard gain, reaching the Giants' 40-yard line. This is undoubtedly the most exciting offense in the league right now. The 49ers' offense, led by Lu Ke, deserves this title!"
"Facing a sudden change in the opponent's defensive formation, Lu Ke made a sharp read and adjusted the play. With the matchup advantage, he not only allowed Vernon Davis to complete the catch but also relied on Vernon's size advantage to make a powerful run for more yards on the undefended left side! Vernon dodged three tackles! This is a huge blow for the New York Giants!"
"Candlestick Park has erupted!"
Just as Troy said, the entire stadium exploded. Ryan Baldwin watched the field in disbelief. This was the San Francisco 49ers he knew, but it was no longer the 49ers from his memory. It was brilliant. Everything was so brilliant. Ryan's eyes widened, and he stared intently at the moving red figures on the field. The excitement in his chest began to swell.
...
On the field, after stumbling and falling out of bounds, Vernon Davis slammed the football on the ground and roared at the vast red ocean in front of him, "Ah! Ahhh! Ah!" He was venting, venting with abandon. Not because of repression, but because of pure elation.
This feeling hadn't stirred in his chest for a very, very long time. He was relentless, never giving up easily, no matter how difficult the catch was or how treacherous the obstacles were. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this kind of passion. Was it during his rookie season? But now, in this 49ers offense, Vernon truly showed his perseverance and determination. Because of Lu Ke, and because of the other receivers, their drives were never easy. They were always a struggle, using their own hands and feet to carve a path out of a desperate situation!
He loved these moments! "Ah! Ahhh!" Vernon roared, completely immersed. A drive like this was enough to ignite all the passion. In the broadcast booth, Teddy and Kirk both smiled brightly. They could feel the resilient toughness of this team. It was something you couldn't see or touch, but the competitive spirit of the 49ers' offense was a vivid demonstration of it, even on the very first drive of the game.
"Just a moment ago, they were in trouble on fourth and three. Now they're on the opponent's 40-yard line. In this first showdown between the 49ers' offense and the Giants' defense, it's clear that both teams are evenly matched." Kirk summed it up simply. "In the next drive, Lu Ke will definitely increase the speed, and this is... Huh, there seems to be some controversy on the field. The game has been temporarily stopped."
Halfway through his commentary, Kirk noticed a change on the field. The referee had already announced all the penalties: Vernon Davis's feet were inbounds, and he went out of bounds at the forty-yard line. There were no other flags, so the referee had announced that the 49ers could snap the ball again. But now, the game seemed to have been paused.
"Uh, the big screen is now showing a replay of the moment Vernon Davis completed the catch. His knees touched the ground, and then he got up again and made his run. The San Francisco 49ers believe it was a legal catch, but the New York Giants believe it was an illegal catch and that Vernon's run afterward should not count. The Giants think the offense should have started at the 49ers' 42-yard line, not the Giants' 40-yard line."
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