Chapter 819: Frontal Breakthrough
The pass was incomplete.
Lu Ke couldn't help but frown slightly. This was a mistake between him and Gore. The main responsibility was on him. Similar mistakes should be avoided as much as possible in a formal game. Gore wasn't a professional wide receiver, so his catching skills naturally wouldn't be as good. This meant that when Lu Ke threw the ball, he had to be more careful and precise.
But a mistake in coordination wasn't the worst thing.
Lu Ke also noticed the Seattle Seahawks' right-side defense. Richard Sherman completely covered Logan's position, and Earl Thomas completely shadowed Ginn's movement. Then, when Lu Ke chose Gore as the target, Sherman and Thomas's speed was incredibly fast. They stepped up almost immediately. Even if Gore had completed the catch, he would have been surrounded.
What was the Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley's plan?
Before, Lu Ke thought that Sherman's pre-game trash talk was just that, a lot of hot air and more of a personal grudge. But after the game started today, the defensive intensity on Sherman and Thomas's side was obviously stronger. This was evident in Crabtree's failed catch, Gore being surrounded, and the blocked routes during the pass observation.
What did this all mean?
A smoke screen? A deception play? Or a targeted defense?
But one thing was for sure, Lu Ke should stick to his tactical strategy.
If he was forced to change his passing focus, avoiding the right side and throwing to the left, the media would say he was afraid of Sherman, but more importantly, the Seattle Seahawks' defense would have a point of emphasis, and the 49ers' offensive space would be compressed step by step. If he stubbornly challenged the right side and continued to provoke Sherman, that would be exactly what the Seahawks wanted. They could continue to defend against the pass.
In other words, the smartest thing for Lu Ke to do now was to ignore the Seattle Seahawks' defensive strategy and use a richer and more varied set of plays to create an opening.
After calming down, his excellent tactical awareness started to work quickly. Lu Ke communicated with the coaches and the tactical room through his headset, then gathered his teammates and immediately set up all the plays.
Third and ten.
After the game started, in just their second drive, the San Francisco 49ers found themselves in a difficult third-and-long situation. But they still weren't in a hurry. They maintained the starting lineup on the field without any player rotation. Their calm attitude showed their confidence and maturity.
"Hut!"
The San Francisco 49ers' offensive formation changed slightly, returning from a multi-route attack to a two-by-two formation. On the left side were Vernon and Crabtree, and on the right were Logan and Ginn. The receivers on both sides were familiar old partners. Also, they were all in their most familiar positions. Crabtree was near the sideline, Vernon was in the middle on the right, Logan was in the slot on the right, and Ginn was in sync with Crabtree.
When Lu Ke snapped the ball, all four players ran their most familiar routes—
Crabtree moved slightly to the outside for a deep pass. Vernon started instantly, and after running for about six or seven yards, he suddenly stopped and started to run back. Logan quickly moved along the inside of the slot, slightly shifting his feet toward the inside line, and advanced into the central area. Ginn, on the other hand, charged forward without any regard, unleashing his vertical attack ability to the fullest.
The four receivers didn't have any coordination. They entered a solo mode, running their own routes.
But it was this independent movement that forced the Seattle Seahawks' defense to break up. Two defensive players on the left, two on the right, and one in the middle. They couldn't support each other or form a zone defense. They could only quickly retreat, each one staring at his man, not daring to be careless.
If it was man-to-man coverage, then the linebacker in the middle would be the extra man. But he didn't have time to think. He could only subconsciously retreat quickly, following the incoming Logan and trying to form a double team with safety Thomas.
The problem was that the San Francisco 49ers also had Gore.
Gore, who was two steps late again, charged out through the open space in the left slot. Like a dagger, he broke through the encirclement. There were no defensive players within five yards of him.
Immediately, Lu Ke, who was in a shaky pocket, raised his right hand and made a passing motion toward Gore's direction. Even though he had just had an incomplete pass, Lu Ke didn't hesitate and used Gore's running back route to break through the defense again.
Watching Lu Ke's passing motion, the entire Seattle Seahawks defense became alert. At least three players simultaneously adjusted their weight and sprinted toward Gore from different directions.
Instantly, the positioning of the man-to-man coverage was completely messed up.
At this moment, Lu Ke's passing motion was complete, but the football wasn't thrown. Instead, it was brought back to his left hand. He controlled the football with both hands, unloading all the power from his forearm swing, and then stood in place, making small adjustments with his feet and re-examining the passing routes.
A fake move, a delayed release.
Lu Ke completely messed up the Seattle Seahawks' defensive plan. Reacting quickly was a good thing, but sometimes reacting too quickly made it easy to fall into a trap.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line bought Lu Ke enough time. For a full two seconds, the pocket wasn't broken, which gave Lu Ke time to pretend to throw a quick pass. Then they held on for another second. The pocket started to fall apart, but it still didn't completely expose Lu Ke. This gave Lu Ke time to re-evaluate and throw again.
At this moment, there were openings everywhere.
But the openings were different. Some defensive players got back in position in time, while others were off-balance. The entire field looked dizzying. The red and white jerseys were intertwined, completely covering the field. It was difficult to make an accurate judgment in a flash.
Although it was difficult, that was "the quarterback's job."
Lu Ke raised his right hand again. His arm pulled back in a semi-circular arc. It wasn't a full-moon-like bow. He just pulled it back slightly and then used a quick swing of his forearm to control his wrist. The football then slid across the sky, creating a shallow arc and rushing forward with a continuous acceleration.
Ginn was continuously accelerating, but he didn't reach his maximum speed. He was more focused on controlling his feet, his eyes locked on his man, Sherman.
In this play, all four receivers had an opportunity because their routes were the ones they were most familiar with and best at. Now, it was up to Lu Ke to throw the ball at the moment when the biggest opening was created.
Because of the cross-switch, Sherman was covering Ginn, and Thomas was covering Logan.
Ginn remained highly alert. When he noticed that Sherman's weight had shifted, he knew that the opportunity had come. But Ginn didn't rush. He continued to push forward, pulling Sherman's attention, forcing Sherman to be stuck in a difficult position. Then, Ginn suddenly stopped.
In a moment of stillness and motion, Ginn had successfully shaken off Sherman. The distance between them widened by a good five yards.
Ginn paused and turned around 180 degrees. He was now facing the quarterback. Then he started to run back, and he saw Lu Ke's pass coming, which meant his opening was relatively easy.
However, Ginn still didn't relax his guard because the arc of the pass was a little lower than he had expected. This was a race against time. Ginn stopped his backward movement and started to retreat, constantly making small adjustments to his position. To catch the ball in advance, Ginn jumped up and, on the downward curve of the football, caught it early.
Because of the serious butterfingers in the last game, the coaching staff repeatedly told the wide receivers that they had to avoid such terrible mistakes.
This time, Ginn was completely focused. He even ignored the quickly approaching Sherman. His hands made a perfect catching motion, and he stably received the football, using the strength of his fingertips to gain further control. Only then did he feel the lightness and softness of his feet landing on the ground.
With a turn, Ginn faced the end zone again, ready to continue his run. But then he saw Sherman charging toward him like a train.
His energy was completely focused on catching the ball, so his offensive positioning was a little weak. Ginn lost his footing and was inevitably tackled by Sherman. Sherman lifted Ginn up like a sack of rice and then crashed down, trying to vent his anger at missing his defensive position with a rough tackle.
But Ginn had gained control first, using his core strength to counter. When his feet landed, he turned around with the momentum. The standoff between the two of them was broken. Sherman, following his momentum, continued to stumble forward awkwardly, while Ginn quickly got back on his feet.
It was a thirteen-yard medium pass. After Ginn completed the catch, he successfully converted the third-and-ten, getting a first down for the San Francisco 49ers.
Ginn held the football in one hand and made a bow like a courtly gentleman. All the fans in Candlestick Park started to cheer and scream.
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