To be honest, Lu Ke was a little tense right now. It wasn't so much the pressure of the game itself, but the fact that his lack of experience meant he had to deal with more potential surprises. There had been enough surprises today. The New York Giants were not an easy opponent, and in the blink of an eye, all the advantages they had built up were gone. The game, which had started so confidently and calmly, had now entered a heated, desperate stage. To make matters worse, Lu Ke had completely lost his rhythm in the third quarter. In fact, given his poor performance, he felt lucky that he hadn't thrown a single interception yet. He probably had good luck today, and a lot of it. But relying on luck wasn't enough; Lu Ke needed to get back into his rhythm and start winning again.
With just over seven minutes left in the game and a one-point lead, the San Francisco 49ers were far from being able to just run out the clock and relax. They had to score again, even if it was just a field goal, to stabilize their pace and rhythm before mounting another attack. The first step was to get his passing touch back. It had nothing to do with the numbers in his system; it was about his game-day performance. Some players have great stats and talent, but they can only perform at 50% in a game, which is useless. Their on-paper strength can't be converted into real power. Other players have average stats, but they're born to play. They can always perform at 120% in a game, and the results are naturally different. Lu Ke had always been the latter.
So, despite the tension, Lu Ke didn't panic or force himself to calm down. Instead, he started to get himself pumped up, turning the pressure into motivation and the tension into passion. After a dominant first half, a dull third quarter, and a slow start to the fourth, the game was now entering its final stretch. It was time for a real battle.
With the score at 21-20, the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, was still in the lead. Lu Ke led the offense onto the field again. This time, Lu Ke's touch finally started to come back. On first and ten, Lu Ke threw a test pass, a short five-yard pass to Vernon Davis, who was coming toward him, and they easily got the first step. On second and five, Lu Ke unexpectedly ran out of the pocket against the Giants' four-man pass rush. After drawing in three defenders, he quickly threw a 14-yard pass to Ted Ginn Jr., who had cut inside to an open space. Ginn then gained another five yards, for a total of nineteen yards.
The pace and efficiency of the offense were getting back to normal, but unfortunately, when they got to the opponent's 38-yard line, they were just a little short on luck. One running play was stopped early and couldn't break through. Another short pass gained two yards but was read by the opponent and didn't have the element of surprise. On the last short pass for nine yards, Logan Newman, under the defense of Jason Pierre-Paul, couldn't do anything. Pierre-Paul held his position, and Logan watched the ball fly past his hands and land in an open space.
Three-and-out.
A lack of luck was one thing, but Lu Ke also felt that his judgment and passing weren't 100%. He needed to adjust his game and find the right rhythm. The game wasn't over yet, and Lu Ke clenched his fist, still not giving up hope. After missing the opportunity to continue the drive, the San Francisco 49ers were faced with a 53-yard field goal attempt. To kick or not to kick? A field goal attempt is risky. If you miss a field goal inside the 20-yard line, the opponent gets the ball at the 20. But if you miss a field goal outside the 20, the opponent gets the ball at the spot of the kick. This was a kick from the 38-yard line, which meant that if David Akers missed, the Giants would get the ball at the 38.
After a moment of hesitation, Jim Harbaugh, who was usually a risk-taker, chose to attempt the field goal. Under the watchful eyes of the entire stadium, David Akers' 53-yard field goal attempt unfortunately went wide and missed. The entire stadium gasped, and Akers stood there, looking disappointed and sad. This was Akers' first missed field goal of the season. Although no one expected a kicker to have a 100% success rate for the entire season, especially on a kick over 50 yards, Akers couldn't hide his disappointment. This field goal was worth a lot to the team, and if they lost the game because of it, Akers would be incredibly regretful. But a miss is a miss, and there was nothing he could do.
As the special teams came off the field, Lu Ke walked over and gave Akers a hug. He didn't say much; everything was understood. The other offensive players also went over to greet and comfort Akers. The Giants, who came back onto the field, were on the 38-yard line. They got a great starting position without having to return a kick. If they could score, whether it was a field goal or a touchdown, they would have the advantage in this game. And if they could also run out a lot of the clock, that would be even better. The entire Candlestick Park finally woke up again, and the noise poured down, trying to give the home team a boost in the final moments.
"Can you believe it? My God, can you believe it? Eli Manning! It's Eli Manning again! The Giants' quarterback, in the most crucial moment of the fourth quarter, completed a 42-yard deep pass to Victor Cruz! Surrounded by two defenders, Cruz practically snatched the ball from the tiger's mouth, catching the ball in the end zone!" Five minutes later, Candlestick Park was silent, and the broadcast booth was buzzing.
"Touchdown! It's a touchdown! Unbelievable! It's truly unbelievable!"
"The San Francisco 49ers' defense played an absolutely tough game, pushing the opponent to a desperate third-and-twelve situation. In the first half, Lu Ke threw a deadly 61-yard touchdown in a third-and-seventeen hole, completely destroying the Giants' defense's confidence. This time, it's the same kind of play, but the star is Eli Manning!"
"Manning's deep pass was a little shaky, and the trajectory was a little bumpy, but Cruz caught it! He successfully caught it! He beat two defenders to make this crucial touchdown catch! God, God! The New York Giants have taken the lead for the first time this game!"
"The fans at Candlestick Park seem a little stunned, unable to believe their eyes. Facing Cruz's wild celebration, they've fallen silent for the first time. The momentum on the field has completely shifted! The outcome of the game is once again in the air!"
When the Giants truly needed a touchdown, Manning stepped up and delivered a touchdown, not only taking the lead with a score of 21-27—the first time the Giants had the lead all game—but also running a lot of time off the clock. They had converted at least three times on third downs, compressing the 49ers' counterattack time even more. Just by looking at the silent and lost faces at Candlestick Park, you could tell how much a crucial deep pass can affect a game, completely shattering all the confidence that had been built up in the first half.
Not just the fans, but the commentators were also shouting, exclaiming, and marveling. "Eli Manning has found himself in this situation again. He digs a hole for himself for three quarters and then starts to fill it in the fourth. It's a gambler's style that this team seems to always have. He has the ability to go on a series of incredible plays at the most crucial moments, leaving his opponents dazed and unable to recover. The game just slips back into the Giants' hands, one step closer to victory."
After saying it, Teddy let out a wry laugh. He couldn't believe this was actually happening again. "That's how the New England Patriots lost the Super Bowl, and that's how many other strong teams lost to the Giants. Eli Manning in the fourth quarter looks like an invincible god of war. Now, is this pattern going to happen to the San Francisco 49ers?"
"After leading the entire game, the San Francisco 49ers are now behind, with two minutes and twenty-eight seconds left. After the kickoff, Lu Ke will probably have about two minutes. Of course, this team never gives up easily. They have the ability to make a last-second comeback. The question is, can Lu Ke, whose performance seems to have dropped off in the second half, find his rhythm again?"
They were in a desperate situation, truly desperate. Not only had they lost the lead at the end of the game after leading the whole time, but more importantly, the momentum had been completely crushed. The entire Candlestick Park had fallen into a gloomy silence. After a brief moment of shock, the fans started cheering again, bravely supporting their home team, but their voices seemed to lack a little bit of passion. Was the Giants' curse also going to fall over Candlestick Park?
The special teams were still on the field preparing to kick off. Lu Ke stood on the sideline, gathering his teammates. There weren't many thoughts in his mind. All the passionate and inspiring words seemed to have disappeared. He just looked at his teammates one by one and said calmly and firmly: "I'm ready! I'm ready to get on this field, I'm ready to beat these opponents, I'm ready to bring the magic back to this stadium, I'm ready to get some touchdowns, and I'm ready to win this game! Yes, I'm ready, so who else is ready to join me in this battle?"
His words were firm and impactful!
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