The San Francisco 49ers' offense lined up again. After the last sack, they had lost six yards, putting them at their own 14-yard line. It was second and sixteen, and the situation was becoming dire.
But when Lu Ke led the offense to the 14-yard line, "Joe's Bar" erupted. Cliff Hart held his banner high. Because of the limited space, he couldn't wave it, but Jeff and Danny grabbed the sides of the banner and pretended that the wind was blowing it, creating a scene that was both comical and incredibly solemn.
Cliff shouted, "We are!"
"Warriors!" The fans in the bar shouted in unison. Jonathan waved his hands, gesturing for everyone to stand up and join the chant.
"We are!"
"Warriors!"
Gradually, everyone joined the chant, roaring as if they had lost their minds. It wasn't because they had won the game, but because number fourteen on the field had united them all with his voice, his determination, and his passion.
They were the 49ers, warriors who never gave up in the face of adversity!
"Go, Bambi, go!" After the chant ended, Jeff clenched his fists and shouted enthusiastically, the veins on his neck bulging. But the smile on his face was so bright that for a moment, he was back in college, back at the Rose Bowl, back at the game against USC, witnessing a miracle in the making.
Then, the voices in the bar rose and fell, "Go, Bambi! Go!" In a quiet moment, their belief had been forged into a single rope. Raised beer glasses, clenched fists, flushed faces, and sharp, piercing yells filled the air.
Anthony Dinozzo stood behind the bar, watching the group of fans who looked like a bunch of lunatics. His previous calmness and indifference were gone, and he now had a bright smile on his face. He still loved a scene like this. He loved it even if it was full of curse words or a fight after a few drinks, because it was all so vibrant.
"Anthony!" Jonathan called for Anthony to join the cheering.
Anthony slammed a beer glass on the counter and gestured to the broken glass on the floor that Jonathan had just smashed. He didn't say anything, but pointed to the TV screen. "If you guys don't quiet down, you're going to miss Bambi's drive."
Those words were like a magic spell. The entire bar instantly fell silent, so quiet that you couldn't even hear a breath.
Lu Ke's mind was calmer than ever. He had cleared all his thoughts and was staring ahead, his eyes quietly scanning the opposing defense.
The Philadelphia Eagles were still in a confusing formation. Facing the offensive line, the defensive front had five players, creating a one-on-one situation. The two linebackers were a half-step behind, waiting for their chance to move. It looked like a powerful blitz, but they weren't letting up on their guard against a run or a short pass.
Slightly behind, the two cornerbacks and two safeties of the secondary were in an open-mouth formation. The two cornerbacks were a little wider and further up, and the two safeties were a little narrower and about four or five yards back. It looked like a wide-mouthed bag, designed to trap all short, medium, and long passes.
Lu Ke's pupils contracted slightly. The analysis in the strategy room was correct. Choosing to run the ball now would be a surprise and could be more effective, especially since the defensive front was one-on-one and the two linebackers who were a little behind were shifting their feet and bodies, clearly still itching to blitz.
Indeed, the Philadelphia Eagles' blitzes had been very successful today. So far, they had only had two sacks, which didn't seem as fierce as the Cincinnati Bengals' from the previous week. But they had broken through the pocket so many times that it was far beyond what anyone expected, and they were firmly controlling the tempo.
A flash of inspiration came to Lu Ke. He shouted, "Ginn, Ginn!" He called out several times, and Ted Ginn turned his head. Lu Ke then gave him a hand signal, and Ginn gave an "OK" sign and quickly moved inside, standing on the left side of the offensive line, just one person away from Chilo Rachal.
The San Francisco 49ers' offensive formation changed slightly. Michael Crabtree was on the far left, almost at the sideline. Ted Ginn, who was originally between Crabtree and the offensive line, was now closer to the offensive line, moving his position significantly inward.
On the right, Kyle Williams was in a position opposite to Crabtree, and Logan Newman was in Ginn's original position. This spread out their formation, pulling it wider and wider.
This was still a pistol formation. Marcus Lynch was standing parallel to Lu Ke, and the four receivers were spread out. Lu Ke was about four yards from the offensive line. Although the formation's attack line was stretched out, the players' positions weren't tricky. So now, the question was:
With just that one small change by Ginn, was this a pass or a run? Had the play changed, or not? The Philadelphia Eagles' players remained unfazed, as if they were prepared for any changes.
Lu Ke didn't care. He made two fake snaps. Although he couldn't fool the opponent into a false start, the tension was building. He watched the snap count enter the "5, 4, 3" phase, and then he officially announced the snap count. This time, it was a real snap.
After catching the ball, Lu Ke didn't drop back. Lynch, who was about three yards to his left, ran over quickly, cutting diagonally toward the gap in the center of the offensive line. He didn't rush away from Lu Ke, making a fake run that looked like a pass play. But at the moment they crossed paths, Lynch made a gesture to receive the ball.
A running play!
This was still a running play! A narrow path had opened up in the middle of the offensive line. If Lynch could seize the opportunity, he could gain a lot of yards. In a difficult situation like second and sixteen, the San Francisco 49ers had chosen to run the ball instead of passing, which was a bold move.
Just as Lynch and Lu Ke crossed paths, Lynch's hands, hidden around his waist, failed to catch the ball. Instead, they collided with Lu Ke's hands, and the ball bounced high into the air, flying vertically. But Lynch didn't have time to stop and had to continue running forward.
The fake pass that had worked so well before, failed at the most critical moment.
Lu Ke didn't even have time to curse. He looked up, watching the trajectory of the ball, but his peripheral vision was scanning his teammates.
Lynch was running away, changing his rushing route. He followed his original diagonal path and rushed to the right, blocking a linebacker who was trying to get to the outside. The five offensive linemen, in their one-on-one matchups, showed incredible focus. For the first time in the game, they built a pocket, and it was a strong, impenetrable pocket.
The Philadelphia Eagles' defense had indeed executed a blitz. All five linemen and two linebackers rushed forward, showing a powerful offense from a defensive position.
But this time, the five players on the front line hit a wall and were forced back. The two linebackers in the second row—the one on the right collided head-on with Lynch, and the one on the left was tangled up with Ginn before he could break through.
The pocket was perfect, a textbook example of perfect pocket protection.
The ball went up and then came back down. Lu Ke caught it steadily with both hands. He shuffled his feet a couple of times in place without any hesitation. He raised his right hand, pulling back his arm in a full, smooth motion. When his arm was at its maximum, he quickly snapped his forearm forward, unleashing a powerful force that sent the ball soaring high, fast, and far.
"The offense! The San Francisco 49ers are showing a fake run, real pass. Lynch is cutting across, but... this is a real running play. No, Lynch and Lu Ke's handoff was a fumble. The ball is loose, oh no!"
In the broadcast booth, after the shocking moment, the two commentators had regained their composure and were back to commentating. Teddy, who was explaining, spoke a little slower and missed a lot of details. All his focus was on the quarterback.
"He's not panicking. The San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback isn't panicking at all. His footing is still incredibly stable. After safely catching the ball, he looks up and starts looking for a receiver. Wait, Lu Ke has thrown the ball! My God! Lu Ke has thrown a pass! Who is Lu Ke throwing to?"
Teddy and Kirk were both silent for a moment, their eyes following the ball as it arced through the air like a rainbow. The high and fast pass was spinning at an incredible speed, tearing through the bright sunlight and making the clear blue sky look breathtaking. Then, a gasp was heard.
"Number eighty-eight! Number eighty-eight! The San Francisco 49ers' number eighty-eight! Logan Newman! He's breaking free. He's doing everything he can to get away from the safety's coverage! It's too late. The Philadelphia Eagles' number twenty-nine, safety Nate Allen, didn't anticipate this and was too slow to start. His coverage speed can't keep up at all!"
Kirk caught the details on the screen and couldn't control his emotions. He jumped into the commentary, broadcasting the play live. "Newman is free! He successfully gets away from Allen's first tackle. Allen only managed to graze his waist and then completely lost control. There are no defenders! My God, there are no defenders in the Eagles' backfield! Newman! Newman!"
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