"Bambi clearly said that we should cross and block for each other."
"One-on-one, one-on-one, Bambi emphasized one-on-one!"
"...We need to stagger our positions and create a time difference to make the first wave of the defensive line's rush miss."
"I'm covering Hunter, and you're covering Jenkins. Why did you miss your man? And then crowd up next to me?"
"Were you even listening to the play call!"
After the incomplete pass, Lupati and Hatchard started yelling at each other. But the cheers and shouts from the crowd were relentless. The home fans were once again celebrating their defense's excellent performance. All conversations on the field were completely drowned out by the crazy cheers, and Lupati and Hatchard couldn't hear each other, or even themselves.
So, the two of them were like headless chickens, immersed in their own words, constantly venting their anger and shifting responsibility to each other. But all their words were overlapping, leaving only some meaningless syllables. Seeing the angry expressions on each other's faces, their tempers flared even more.
The first quarter wasn't even halfway over, and the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line had already been on the field three times. The offensive line was full of holes. Although it hadn't resulted in a sack of the quarterback yet, the pocket had shrunk quickly, forcing the quarterback to make a rushed pass, and this had happened three times.
In other words, the offensive line's performance today was completely off. It was even worse than last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. The fact that they were able to get five first downs at all was simply unbelievable.
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Cincinnati Bengals were two completely different teams, with different tactical styles and playing styles. However, their strengths and weaknesses were incredibly similar. Both had a stronger offense than defense, and in both cases, the front line of the defense was stronger than the secondary. Both also used blitzing tactics more than they used pass defense.
Facing the Philadelphia Eagles' targeted blitzing tactics today, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line seemed to have never found the right rhythm. Although they didn't give up a sack as early as they did last week, they also failed to provide Lu Ke with a stable and comfortable passing pocket. As a result, the offensive rhythm naturally became bumpy.
After being hit by Jenkins, Lu Ke took a few steps back, alleviating the impact. So, he wasn't affected much, and his eyes were still locked on the passing route. He watched as Williams missed the ball, and the football fell to the ground, resulting in another incomplete pass.
Lu Ke's brow couldn't help but furrow slightly, and his mind started to become restless.
Even though he knew that during a game, he had to be fully focused and that getting emotional and anxious was a big no-no, as thinking too much during a key moment often leads to a passing deviation, especially for a quarterback who is good at controlling the game like him, it was still difficult to control at this moment.
Miscommunication. Since the start of today's game, there had been two miscommunications between him and his receivers, and there had also been two miscommunications between him and his offensive linemen. In simple terms, his teammates didn't understand his play calls correctly, and both sides did their own thing, which caused the deviations.
The two incomplete passes and the two hits were all caused by this.
These mistakes could have been avoided, but the cheers at Lincoln Financial Field were just too disruptive. Not only could they not hear the sounds, but it was also difficult to concentrate, and the communication and understanding of the plays were skewed. You have to remember that this wasn't even the most famous hostile stadium in the league, yet its power was already so strong that it was impossible to defend against.
Helplessly, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
But as a quarterback, Lu Ke still took a deep breath, and then another, forcing himself to calm down. He then saw Lupati and Hatchard arguing.
Although the two of them had a terrible performance on the blind side in the last game and had been heavily criticized, they were under a lot of pressure, so they were both a little agitated today. However, objectively speaking, the two mistakes today weren't entirely their fault. There were a lot of factors.
"Stop! Both of you, stop!" Lu Ke quickly walked up and pulled Lupati and Hatchard apart. He patted both of their shoulders and bumped their helmets together, signaling for them to shift their focus. "Calm down!" The crowd was immersed in their celebration at this moment, not in interference, so the noise was much quieter, and his voice could finally be heard.
"If anyone's going to get angry, it should be me! You two made a mistake on defense, and you're here in a hurry to shirk responsibility. What's going on? Huh?" Lu Ke said loudly. The two big men immediately looked down and away, feeling embarrassed. "We need to focus."
After the first three games, the entire league knew that the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line was still too young and their performance was a bit unstable. Sometimes they were like they had divine help, and other times they fell apart. The blind side, in particular, was torn to shreds against the Cincinnati Bengals last week, yet the 49ers still managed to win, which was simply unbelievable.
It was imaginable that the Philadelphia Eagles would not let this loophole go easily today.
"Their defensive line doesn't have any particularly outstanding star players. They're all solid role players. So, one-on-one is enough. Remember, their blitzing tactics are mostly from the sides. When you're defending, you can appropriately increase the distance between each other and help out. In terms of pure strength, we're not at a disadvantage!"
Taking advantage of the less exaggerated noise, Lu Ke quickly analyzed and explained, then shrugged, and said in a slightly uncertain tone, "At least, that's how it's been so far." This tone made Lupati and Hatchard chuckle. "Do you understand? I need a solid pocket. Their secondary defense has holes. We can continue to advance!"
So far in the three drives, the Philadelphia Eagles' defense had used a "3-4" formation, with three defensive linemen in front and four linebackers behind them.
Generally speaking, the defensive linemen were responsible for defending the run and then tearing through the offensive line to get a sack from the middle, like Geno Atkins last week. The linebackers were responsible for defending short passes and getting around the offensive line to blitz into the pocket for a sack, like Von Miller in the rookie training camp.
But today, the Eagles' front line was constantly swapping roles, sometimes pushing the linebackers' defensive positions forward, seemingly leaving the short passing routes open for a pass. But in the actual defense, the defensive ends and defensive tackles would swap defensive responsibilities with the linebackers, with the linebackers defending the run and then the defensive ends making an unexpected blitz for a sack.
Cullen Jenkins, who had just made the hit, was a defensive tackle, not a linebacker.
So far, the Philadelphia Eagles' defense had been a bit unexpected, which was one thing. The San Francisco 49ers' offensive line hadn't found its rhythm, which was another thing. So, it wasn't surprising that Lu Ke hadn't been able to open up the game.
But even in this situation, they had still managed to get five first downs, which showed that the San Francisco 49ers still had a slight edge. After they made their adjustments, they could turn the disadvantage around.
"Let's get it together!" Lu Ke clapped his hands hard and looked at Lupati and Hatchard. The two of them nodded in agreement, and their anxious emotions temporarily calmed down a little. After that, Lu Ke called all the offensive players over. "We have to be sure of the play. If you're not sure, come and confirm it with me or a teammate. We must avoid losses caused by miscommunication."
Lu Ke's eyes landed on his teammates one by one. "Guys, the game has just started, and we've already made so many mistakes. But despite that, our offense still has the upper hand. So, please have some confidence, okay? I'm ready to get some touchdowns. Who's with me?"
Lu Ke extended his hand, and Mike Lupati was the first to put his hand on top. Then, everyone else also put their hands on top. Lu Ke looked up through the gaps between his teammates and said, "The cheer can wait. While I can still find my voice, let's call the play first."
The home fans hadn't started their noise attack yet, so Lu Ke's joke was a bit abrupt and made people laugh. But before the laughter could burst out, Lu Ke quickly finished calling the play.
All of his teammates kept their hands on top of each other, and then Lu Ke shouted, "On the count of one, we'll all yell touchdown!" He then called out "one," and everyone raised their arms and shouted in unison, "TOUCHDOWN!"
By the time the San Francisco 49ers' offensive players were all lined up, the home fans had finally reacted. They quickly called their friends over and started shouting loudly again, and the annoying noise returned.
Third-and-eight.
This was a long down. For a third down, it was extremely difficult. The play options were immediately restricted. Clearly, a pass was the most likely option compared to a run, which gave the defense a clearer objective and also limited the offense's room to maneuver.
The San Francisco 49ers didn't back down and lined up in a shotgun formation, with two receivers on the left and two receivers on the right.
Since Logan Newman was on the right, the right side was the strong side. But the running back, Marcus Lynch, was on the left, standing behind the two receivers, which gave the left side three points of attack.
This formation put the Philadelphia Eagles' defense on high alert, and their entire defensive formation started to converge inward accordingly. After three games, no one could ignore Lu Ke's ability to execute from the shotgun.
Lu Ke took a long breath, concentrated hard, and tried to ignore the pervasive effects and the unfamiliarity of playing on the road. He calmed down and carefully started reading the defense. All the players on the field came into clear view. His brain started to work at high speed, and then Lu Ke announced the snap count!
"Hut!"
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