Chapter 821: Cross-Switch
Logan was on the left, and Ginn was on the right.
Logan went right, and Ginn went left.
Logan pulled back, and Ginn pulled back.
It wasn't perfectly synchronized. The rhythm and timing were off, but their routes were both in a serpentine pattern, going back and forth. It looked flashy and beautiful, but it seemed to have no effect because they weren't creating much separation. This meant that Sherman and Thomas's defensive positions were never completely lost. And as they switched, the defensive space was getting more and more compressed.
Wasn't this just a useless effort that made things easier for the defensive players?
Sherman and Thomas were making timely adjustments, shifting their center of gravity to follow. But on one hand, Lu Ke was throwing to the right, which diverted their attention. On the other hand, Logan and Ginn's route changes were too frequent. As a result, after losing the initial advantage, Sherman and Thomas were a little slow to keep up.
Their feet became a little lazy, and they tried to get into position on the path of Logan and Ginn's route changes, hoping to intercept and cover them by waiting for them.
Just then, Sherman, who was constantly watching Lu Ke's every move, caught Lu Ke's throwing motion instantly. From the arc and frequency of the arm swing, it seemed to be a high, arcing pass. So, the target should be Crabtree, not Vernon?
Sherman's brain made a judgment in an instant, but in the next second, his pupils quickly contracted. A moment of panic and terror instantly came over him. This wasn't a pass to the right; it was a pass to the left!
It was a switch-and-pass play!
All of Lu Ke's actions just now were intentional.
After the snap, Lu Ke first moved toward the Seahawks' left, holding the defensive players' center of gravity. Then he took a big step laterally to the Seahawks' right. In the transition, it was easy to get the attention of the entire defense to shift in the same direction.
Lu Ke wasn't in a hurry to change his center of gravity. Instead, he looked for an open space while Vernon and Crabtree were running their routes. He made a passing gesture, but before he released the ball, he used his core strength to change the angle, just like a tank's cannon barrel. He completely changed the direction and angle of the pass through the control of his arm, wrist, and body.
It was a forty-five-degree angled pass that went across the entire field from where Lu Ke was, finding an open space on the opposite side. It was similar to a screen pass, but it used a fake run and a fake pass to move the entire defense. Under the inertia of their minds, the Seattle Seahawks' defense was a beat, two beats, or even more, behind.
Damn it!
Sherman felt a wave of anger, the anger of being fooled and tricked. He felt like an idiot who was being played.
But this emotion just flashed through his mind, and then his muscles tensed up. This was just a pass. The catch hadn't been completed yet. This meant that Sherman still had a chance to make a play. This was his chance to show off:
He wanted to tell Lu Ke, and he wanted to tell the entire league that he was the best cornerback of all time! Even if Lu Ke had painstakingly created this dazzling passing play, he could still use his legs and hands to kill the pass or even get an interception!
Sherman's feet immediately made a sudden stop, controlling his forward momentum, and getting ready to move toward the direction of the football. This pass was his for the taking!
"Bang!"
Just as his feet stopped, Sherman collided with something hard. Even though the collision wasn't solid, his center of gravity was still disrupted.
It wasn't an offensive player; it was Earl Thomas.
Their running routes actually overlapped, and they crashed into each other like they were blind. This was just too stupid. Wait a minute, was this the reason why Logan and Ginn's routes were so weird? To intentionally compress the two defensive players' routes into one area?
Sherman didn't have time to think further. He immediately felt a powerful impact, like a bulldozer hitting a solid wall. His already unstable center of gravity became completely chaotic. Sherman stumbled uncontrollably and fell to the side. The world in his eyes started to spin.
It was Logan.
It was that damned tight end, Logan Newman!
When did Logan's blocking and collision become so strong? He didn't seem to have this kind of collision power in the game film, so why did he turn into a bull here?
In the continuous cross-runs, without any warning, Logan ran straight toward Sherman and Thomas. In an unfavorable one-on-two situation, because he caught them off guard, he knocked both Pro Bowl-caliber defensive players off balance, and their feet started to get messy.
Sherman suddenly realized that the target of the pass was Ginn. The one with the best short-range acceleration and explosive power, Ted Ginn.
Sherman tried to control his body and chase after Ginn, but one wrong step led to another. After losing the first opportunity, he lost his advantage little by little. Now he couldn't even control his body's center of gravity and was about to fall to the ground. He had to use his hands and feet to get back up. He looked like a dog paddling.
One beat. Another beat.
Sherman had lost all his positional advantage. He could only see Ginn's back as he ran away. The distance between them was already seven or eight yards. The problem was that Sherman needed to adjust his pace to accelerate fully, while Ginn's acceleration had already reached its maximum.
In other words, the distance between them was still widening.
This was an absolute disgrace.
Sherman gritted his teeth and chased after Ginn. No matter if he could catch up or not, he could never give up. Otherwise, this disgraceful defensive play would be like a loud slap in the face. He had to give it his all. He could only give it his all.
But, it was too late.
Sherman's feet were stumbling, but his body was overcompensating, which caused his upper body and lower body to be out of sync. He flew forward, like in a Scottish grass sliding game or a sandboarding game in Abu Dhabi. He glided forward, leaving a long trail like a snail. His jersey was completely stained dark green.
Sherman was so ashamed that he didn't dare to look up. He was lying on the grass like a dead fish. At this moment, he wished he could be invisible.
Ginn was looking for an opportunity. Cross-switch, cross-switch, still a cross-switch. But he remained highly alert as he moved his feet, because this play had been determined early on: Logan would block, and Ginn would catch the ball. This made Ginn have to focus all his attention.
He instantly caught a glimpse of Lu Ke's throw. Then, he sped up without any hesitation. His muscles were ready in advance, and he instantly exploded with incredible starting power. He took advantage of the opponent's slow reaction and left them in the dust. The rest was up to Logan.
Ginn started to run.
The team's receivers were still not at their best, including Ginn and Logan. They were not used to the fatigue after a long winning streak and needed more time to adjust. But the game didn't give them any breathing room. Week after week, they were back on the field, and this week they only had three days of rest before they were back on the field for the Thursday night game.
Ginn knew it wasn't easy, and it was even very difficult. But he wasn't afraid at all.
During his injury in the offseason, Ginn had promised and sworn that if he had a chance to get back on the field, he had to cherish every minute and second, give his all, and contribute everything he had. He would never waste a single opportunity to play. What's more, Kyle Williams's injury last week touched Ginn, and he knew he had to try even harder.
Running.
Running like crazy.
Ginn pushed his speed to the limit. He could even hear his joints creaking, but this sound was like the most beautiful symphony orchestra, playing the Symphony of Destiny and sounding the horn of his life's revival. His blood began to boil.
He quickly glanced with his peripheral vision. Sherman's figure was no longer visible. Thomas was still relentlessly trying to make a play, but the distance between them had been completely opened. He was a full ten yards behind, which meant that Ginn had a wide-open space to catch the ball.
This was the opportunity.
Ginn was like a person on fire wheels, crossing the opponent's thirty-yard line, then the twenty-yard line. Even the wind was left behind him, as if he had really grown wings. Then he started to make small adjustments with his feet. The control of his body and muscles had reached a state of selflessness.
He tilted his body forward, then straightened his back, and stretched out his hands. Like the most stable and beautiful cradle in the world, he steadily caught the football. The familiar smell of leather rushed at him, tumbling under his nostrils. He could even catch the scent of fresh grass.
Ginn tightened his arms and held the football firmly in his arms. His feet showed no signs of panic, let alone stopping. He made two more small adjustments to his body's center of gravity and then continued to accelerate, and accelerate again. The path in front of him was wide open. He could even see Thomas's annoyed and frustrated steps, because Thomas knew he couldn't catch up.
That was the correct thought.
Ginn charged forward with unstoppable momentum. No one could stop his feet. He thundered into the end zone.
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