Chapter 823: Shifting the Universe
In the first six games of this season, the Seattle Seahawks' defense has performed well, currently ranking fourth in the league, behind the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos.
In the first drive, they showed an amazing confrontation, not only from Sherman but also from other parts of the defense, which continued to apply pressure. Now, in the second drive, they once again showed the strength and toughness of their defense. They used a tactical change and a quick start to turn a passive situation into an active one, forcing the San Francisco 49ers into a panic. Although Lu Ke's timely throw avoided a sack, it still resulted in an incomplete pass.
Clearly, this division matchup is far from over. The Seattle Seahawks have no intention of making it easy for their rival. At the same time, the San Francisco 49ers have to deliver a better performance to move toward victory.
On the next play, Sherman stood in his defensive position, quietly moving to his right, creating a false impression that he was about to defend the inside. But in fact, his center of gravity remained light, and he could change his position at any time—forward, backward, left, or right—without any problems.
In his line of sight, Sherman's eyes were still on Lu Ke.
It was clear that the San Francisco 49ers' offense was still composed and didn't panic or get flustered because of the failed play. That kind of maturity and calmness, honed through experience, was slowly giving them the foundation and character of a strong team.
But for Sherman, he wasn't annoyed. On the contrary, he was more excited. The stronger the opponent and the more difficult the challenge, the more exhilarating it was. He couldn't wait to see the expressions of frustration and disappointment on that confident face, as well as the angry look when provoked. Those were his favorite moments.
Although on a mental level, Sherman was superior, on a tactical level, Sherman didn't dare to be careless.
He made small, tiptoeing adjustments. His movements and pace were not too fast. The seemingly simple route was actually constantly exploring for an open space. His muscles were in a relatively relaxed state, ready to explode and twist at any time. He looked like a black panther preparing to hunt—elegant yet dangerous.
"Hut!"
Sherman heard the snap count in his ears. He didn't move his feet immediately but paused for a moment. His center of gravity remained vertical, standing still. It wasn't because he was relaxed, but because he was alert and waiting for the right moment to make a move.
His eyes instantly caught Lu Ke's motion of turning around and handing the ball to Marcus. It was a real run play, not a fake run and pass.
Clever!
Lu Ke had obviously noticed that the Seattle Seahawks' linebackers and cornerbacks had taken a step and a half back. The entire defense was more geared toward a pass, so he seized the open space in the middle of the defense and used a run play to break through the defensive line.
This wasn't a trick play from a pistol formation. It was a run play from an "I" formation. But no one thought the San Francisco 49ers would actually choose to run the ball, because Marcus and Gore's performance in the last two games was so-so, and the "I" formation was not Lu Ke's most comfortable way to attack.
No one expected that after the snap, the San Francisco 49ers would actually execute a run play. Lu Ke turned around and tossed the ball to Marcus, and Marcus would carry out this drive. To a certain extent, this did catch the Seattle Seahawks off guard.
Sherman's body immediately tilted forward, rushing toward the offensive and defensive lines. His peripheral vision was constantly scanning Logan's position, because he knew that if Marcus ran to this side, Logan would definitely be blocking. Even if Marcus ran to the other side, his pressure would create more trouble for the offensive line.
Then Sherman saw Lu Ke staying in place, taking two small steps back, leaving more space for the confrontation between the offense and defense. He was completely out of harm's way. Marcus, on the other hand, was moving laterally to the Seahawks' right, looking for a way to advance.
At the same time, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line was also pushing the defensive line players in the same direction. The scene was like a wave, with all the players on the front line pushing in the same direction, following Marcus's movements like a shadow.
Sherman's feet also moved slightly to the right, but out of a wild instinct, he quickly glanced with his peripheral vision and didn't see Logan or Ginn. This was a normal thing, but it made Sherman break out in a cold sweat.
He stopped, turned his head sharply, and saw Logan and Ginn were still running their receiving routes:
Ginn ran a lateral cut route, running from one side of the field to the other. After he got his speed up, it was similar to the speed of the offensive line. If a pass were to come now, Ginn could catch it at any time.
Logan ran a straight deep route, with no turns or stops. He was moving through the zone defense of the secondary safeties, aggressively advancing toward a more penetrating level. The San Francisco 49ers had just reached their own 33-yard line, and Logan's run was already approaching the midfield line, but he still didn't stop.
If it was a run play, there would be no need for Ginn and Logan to continue running. So, what should Sherman choose? Ginn? Or Logan?
In an instant, Sherman couldn't calm down and think. He was already at a disadvantage. If he thought any longer, his starting speed would be too slow, and he wouldn't be able to catch up. So, gritting his teeth, Sherman chased after Logan.
He knew that the two safeties, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, hadn't completely lost their defensive positions. It seemed unnecessary to add another cornerback. But he also knew that Chancellor was moving forward, shortening the distance between him and the defensive line. Thomas was also retreating, trying to assist with the defense in the short-pass area. Both safeties had lost the first opportunity.
Under his intuition, Sherman still followed the route Logan was running.
While running, he looked back. Sherman only caught a glimpse of Marcus's movement with his peripheral vision:
After Marcus moved laterally for six yards, he stopped and turned, throwing the ball to his relative parallel and backward. The target was—Lu Ke.
This was a backward pass that was legal in the game.
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
The energy in Sherman's muscles exploded. He was already two beats slow to start. Now he had to push his speed to the limit to have a chance to catch up to Logan. Logan wasn't as fast as Ginn, but Logan's tough running ability was far superior to Ginn's. Now it was up to Sherman to see if he could make a play.
He sprinted, running with all his might, as if he could see the rolling dust clouds from a Japanese manga behind his heels!
A trick play!
Lu Ke stayed in place with his feet, taking a small step back to make sure he was behind Marcus. The pass would be a backward pass, but his eyes remained highly alert, taking in the entire field. This was a super risky tactical choice, and it felt like the same kind of boldness and arrogance from a crucial moment last season.
Even when there wasn't a crisis or a crucial down, they could still pull out a heavy weapon without any warning and deliver a fatal blow to their opponent. It was this kind of unpredictable audacity that maximized the threat.
Marcus threw the ball.
In fact, last season, the San Francisco 49ers had run a similar trick play. It was also Marcus throwing the ball to Lu Ke, and then Lu Ke would make a fatal pass. But this trick play was more complex because Ginn and Logan had both created an open space, and Lu Ke had enough time to make his passing choice.
Although Marcus's pass was a little wobbly, because the distance was short, only five or six yards, and there were no defensive players around, Lu Ke smoothly caught the football. He held the ball with his right hand and immediately began to adjust his feet in place.
Just then, the Seahawks' defensive line and linebackers launched a combined attack. For the first time in this game, they broke through the offensive line's combined block and rushed into the pocket. They then identified the direction, gave up on Marcus, and swarmed toward Lu Ke.
Lu Ke stopped with small steps, and then he took a big step forward. Without any hesitation, his right arm was like a full moon, pulled back to the extreme. All the power from his arm was put into his wrist, and he threw the football out with a simple motion, creating a beautiful long, arcing pass, like a David Beckham free kick. It soared toward the deep area like a bolt of thunder.
It was either success or death.
Being conservative was not the reason why Lu Ke was where he was today. Being bold and careful was.
After the pass was completed, Lu Ke stood in place, raising his chin, watching the path of the football and the route of Logan's sprint. His adrenaline started to explode like a volcano.
In an instant, the entire Seattle Seahawks defense was hit with a ten-thousand-point critical hit, especially Earl Thomas. He had just finished adjusting his center of gravity, ready to assist with the defense in the short-pass area. Then he saw one player after another run past him. First, it was Logan, and then it was Sherman. He didn't have time to completely stop, but he also didn't know if he should continue forward. Then he saw the football gliding over him.
He didn't even have time to curse. He could only turn around and run forward, but Thomas knew he was already too late.
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