The red flag challenge was a bit long, and after about two minutes, the referees returned to the field. Players from both sides also gradually entered the field, getting ready for the next play.
Regardless of whether the challenge was successful or not, it would still be the San Francisco 49ers' turn to be on offense. Even if the New York Giants' red flag challenge was successful, it would only cancel out the yards Vernon had gained after the catch. That would mean the 49ers would start their drive from where Vernon caught and controlled the ball. Whether it was second and one, second and a few inches, or a lucky first down, it all depended on the referee's call. So, in the pause before the referee's announcement, the 49ers' offense and the Giants' defense both returned to the field, ready for the next play.
The head referee opened his microphone and announced the final ruling to the crowd and the cameras. "After video review, the final decision is to uphold the original ruling. Vernon Davis's run with the ball was legal." At this point, the whole stadium erupted in cheers, almost drowning out the referee's voice. "The New York Giants will lose one timeout. In addition, the San Francisco 49ers will start their drive from the opponent's 40-yard line. The game time will be adjusted back to 11:33. First and ten."
Before throwing the red flag, Tom Coughlin's communication with the referee took some time. For fairness, the referee reset the game clock, adding back the wasted time. Even a few seconds could be the key to turning a game around. After the announcement, there was a sigh of frustration from the New York Giants and a cheer of joy from the San Francisco 49ers. The stands at Candlestick Park were a sea of people, cheering and celebrating. The brilliant red color spread across the field, creating a spectacular sight.
Returning to the field, players from both teams had to regain their composure and focus. They lined up again, ready for the next play. Lu Ke let out a soft sigh. The game had started with one unexpected event after another, and the flow of the game had become choppy. The game had been going for almost eight minutes, but in reality, they had only run five plays, and the game clock had only ticked for less than four minutes. This had an impact on their game rhythm.
Lu Ke already lacked experience, and there had been so many unexpected events today. He needed to adapt to the adjustments on the field. Now, he needed to calm down, tune out all the external factors, and truly focus on the game. He hadn't forgotten that this was a game they couldn't lose. For this game, the "Special Task: Charles Davis's Scorn" was undoubtedly the top priority. The penalty for failing the task was a loss Lu Ke could barely afford. In addition, the game tasks for this week had also changed, with more detailed changes that increased the difficulty.
"Game Tasks:
Complete a passing touchdown in the game. Task requirement: None; Task reward: Base points +1 for each touchdown.
Get passing yards in the first half. Task requirement: At least 100 yards; Task reward: Base points +1.
Improve long pass completion rate in the first half. Task requirement: At least 70% completion rate; Task reward: Base points +1.
Complete a pass from a specific formation in the first half. Task requirement: Complete two long passes from the shotgun formation; Task reward: Base points +1.
Win the game. Task requirement: None; Task reward: Base points +3."
The changes in the tasks were very obvious and hard to ignore. First, three tasks were added for the first half. This was a first, so what could it mean? It could mean that the system wanted Lu Ke to improve his game in the first half and build a lead, or it could mean that the competition in this game would be fierce, and Lu Ke needed to get into rhythm quickly. Regardless of the reason, Lu Ke had to take it seriously.
Setting aside everything else, the task of getting 100 passing yards in the first half alone was incredibly strict. It required Lu Ke to be brave enough to throw the ball and for the receivers to break through and continue to run after the catch. Both had to happen to ensure the task was completed. In the last game, Rex Grossman didn't even manage to pass for 100 yards in the entire game.
Second, the long pass completion rate and the pass from a specific formation tasks meant that Lu Ke needed to be more careful and focused. Before throwing, he had to think and plan more, and before the snap, he had to read the defense more seriously. Unlike the overall completion rate, the frequency of long passes and specific formations in a game is limited. Lu Ke couldn't just throw ten long passes or only run plays from the shotgun formation. Even if Jim Harbaugh agreed to it, Lu Ke couldn't be that simple-minded to avoid the opponents from figuring out their plays. What's more, these tasks were limited to the first half, so the number of attempts was even smaller.
If Lu Ke only tried three long passes in the first half and failed one, with two completions, his completion rate would be less than 70%, and the task would fail. The difficulty was evident. This meant that every long pass attempt and every shotgun formation required Lu Ke to be more careful, focused, and deliberate. Missing one would require him to put in twice the effort to complete the task later.
Did this mean the system was urging Lu Ke to better control the tempo of the game, not just by instinct but by using his mind? At least from the tasks, it seemed so. Although Lu Ke knew that this week's game against the New York Giants would not be easy and that it was a toss-up, the reality of the situation became more pressing after he looked at the special and game tasks. The ups and downs at the beginning of the game also seemed to prove this point. So far, Eli Manning's offense had not even been on the field yet, and sparks had already begun to fly from the relatively weaker Giants' defense. The tension and excitement had already started to spread in Candlestick Park.
Focus, focus, focus. Lu Ke clenched his fists, knelt, and called his teammates into a huddle. He quickly gave the play call, and the offense lined up quickly. Lu Ke stood behind center Jonathan Goodwin. He didn't snap the ball immediately. He slowed down, carefully read the defense, and then announced the snap.
First and ten, Lu Ke barely paused. He just adjusted his stance slightly and threw a quick short pass, trying to find Ted Ginn Jr. But the opponent saw Lu Ke's intention. With two defenders sandwiching him, Ginn managed to make the catch, but he was immediately surrounded and only gained two yards.
Second and eight. After the snap, Lu Ke handed the ball directly to Marcus Lynch, watching him crash through a wall of people. One defender after another piled on top of him. Marcus managed to gain three yards before he was stopped. In the blink of an eye, the 49ers were facing third and five. They were at the opponent's 35-yard line, which was still too far for a field goal attempt. This meant that if they didn't convert on third down, the drive would stall.
Lu Ke let out a long sigh. His focus was still a bit off, and his reads were clearly incorrect. On the first down, the target should have been Crabtree, who was in a better position. Ginn's advantage in the short passing game was limited. On the second down, there was a problem with his defensive read, and his run direction was not misleading enough to draw defenders away from Marcus.
Fortunately, Lu Ke's mind was not a mess. He knew what was happening and realized his mistakes. After letting out a sigh, he stopped overthinking and called his teammates together. He directly gave the play call. At this moment, his composure and decisiveness were more effective in stabilizing the team than a loud cadence would have been. After the chaos at the beginning, everyone was starting to calm down and get into a rhythm, which was a good sign.
Lining up again, the 49ers went with their classic basic offensive formation, "two by two," with two receivers on the left and two on the right. Nothing new or fancy. The only difference was that Kyle Williams was in for Vernon Davis, and the passing targets seemed to be in the medium and long passing zones, creating a gauntlet. The New York Giants responded in kind, lining up in their previous "one-line" formation, with eight players on the front line, slightly staggered. One player was removed from the defensive line, making it four defenders against the five offensive linemen. On both sides, four defenders were in one-on-one coverage against the 49ers' four receivers. The other three players were two safeties five yards back, covering the middle of the field, and one safety twelve yards back, waiting for his moment. No one could predict the 49ers' passing routes, and no one could predict whether the Giants would blitz or play man-to-man defense.
Just then, Lu Ke called out the snap count and changed his stance, taking two big steps back. At the same time, Marcus Lynch stood to the right, behind the two receivers, forming a reverse triangle formation. The pistol formation immediately changed to a shotgun formation, which seemed to further signal that this was a long passing play. So, would the New York Giants change their formation or not?
However, Lu Ke didn't give them time to think. He immediately announced the snap. So, everything would have to be handled spontaneously.
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