"Touchdown! That's a f*****g touchdown!" Jonathan Baldwin threw caution to the wind, leaping high and landing with a mighty stomp. He roared in celebration, his right fist pumping like a jackhammer, his cheeks flushed, and the veins on his neck looking like they were about to burst. But he didn't care; he just kept yelling, "Touchdown!"
Jonathan wasn't the only one.
The entire bar was in a frenzy. Jeff Locke stood up, leaned back, and yelled at the TV screen, "Ah, ahhh!" He then turned to Danny Reese and Nate Chandler and yelled again, "Ahhh!" His bloodshot eyes were filled with excitement, as if saying, "Did you see that? Did you see that?!"
Danny and Nate both jumped into the air, chest-bumping each other. Then they raised their right hands and high-fived everyone around them, strangers and friends alike. They ran around the bar, high-fiving everyone in a fast and loud sequence, creating a mini wave of energy.
Chris Wilson gripped his beer glass handle tightly, his eyes wide, staring intently at the small screen. His mouth was open, and a roar was pouring out from deep inside him, but no sound came from his vocal cords. When he finally realized what he was doing, he saw that his hands were clenched into fists, pounding on the bar counter.
He was holding the beer glass in his left hand and pounding the counter with it. Fortunately, the glass was thick and sturdy enough not to break.
His muscles, which had been tense to the extreme, were now slightly sore, but he didn't care. He just stared in awe at Anthony Dinozzo behind the bar.
Anthony was laughing a big, carefree laugh, his eyes squinted into slits. He noticed Chris's gaze and tilted his chin, gesturing behind him.
Chris spun around and saw a sea of people celebrating. Everyone was standing, raising their beer glasses. The golden beer splashed amid a surging sea of white foam, reflecting a thousand lights. Countless voices filled his ears, all converging into one sound, "Touchdown!"
The San Francisco 49ers had scored a touchdown!
More importantly, that pass had cut a bloody path through a chaotic situation. It was even more spectacular than the first long-pass touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 and more thrilling than the desperate situation against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. This was definitely the San Francisco 49ers' most impressive drive of the season so far!
They were persistent and never gave up! The powerful mentality exuded a formidable aura!
This side of the 49ers had everyone mesmerized and ecstatic.
At that moment, on the field, after Lu Ke completed the pass, he stared intently at the football. The feel of the ball as it left his hand told him, "It's good!"
But the problem was, it was a last-second change of play, and there were too many variables. Anything could happen before the catch was made. Also, to give Newman a chance to catch up, he had deliberately arched the ball high, which exposed him completely to the opposing defenders.
His eyes followed the football closely. The moment Newman made the catch, his heart, which had been hanging in the air, still couldn't come down. It wasn't until the referee raised his hands to signal a touchdown that his emotions were completely released. Lu Ke also unconsciously mimicked the referee's gesture, raising his hands high to signal the touchdown.
"Bambi! Touchdown! Bambi!" Marcus Lynch was the first to lose control, rushing toward Lu Ke with a look of joy and excitement on his face, roaring happily.
Then, Mike Iupati and Joe Staley rushed over, their eyes behind their helmets sparkling like children's, full of excitement. Then came Chilo Rachal, Jonathan Goodwin, Anthony Davis, and everyone else, all rushing over and crowding around Lu Ke.
The 64-yard touchdown pass was a deadly strike. And it was all done after a botched handoff, completing the difficult task of second and sixteen, and then successfully scoring a touchdown to tie the game—if the extra point was made. It was truly unbelievable.
Lu Ke said with a huge smile, "I told you! I told you!" They could provide a perfect pocket, their ability was far more than that, they could take control against the defense, and they could win this game!
Those simple words united all his teammates. The offensive line and the receivers, without exception... Wait, where was the hero of that touchdown?
On the other side of the field, Newman, who had fallen hard in the end zone, stood up clumsily. He didn't have time to worry about himself, his eyes fixed on the referee. After confirming it was a touchdown, he raised his hands in celebration. But before he could even cheer, he noticed a problem:
Where was everyone?
In the entire half of the Philadelphia Eagles' side, Newman was the only San Francisco 49ers player. All he could see were opponents. Then, he saw all his teammates gathered around Lu Ke near the 49ers' end zone, celebrating wildly. As for Newman, he was just standing there alone.
"Hey, I'm the one who scored the touchdown, okay? What's going on?" Newman complained dejectedly. He threw the football to the referee and jogged toward his teammates. But before he could even get to midfield, Newman saw all his teammates leaving the field to make way for the special teams unit. He had to change direction midway. "Hey! You guys! I said, you guys!"
They didn't even come over to celebrate with him, those jerks!
"No problem, the San Francisco 49ers' special teams have made the extra point kick. The score is now 14-7, closing the gap between the two teams, and the game is getting exciting again. Seeing this scene, I'm reminded of the game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2. Isn't the flow of the game very similar to today's?"
Teddy smiled as he asked Kirk, but Kirk shook his head in disagreement.
"Against the Cowboys, the 49ers were always playing catch-up. But in today's game, the 49ers have been in the lead, but they just couldn't get it together. Now that the 49ers have found their rhythm, it's up to the Eagles to respond. The game is about to get really exciting."
As Kirk said, with more than half of the third quarter gone, the game got really exciting.
Michael Vick, leading the Eagles' offense back on the field, showed his excellent form fearlessly. First, he threw a 27-yard long pass, successfully connecting with star wide receiver DeSean Jackson. After making the catch, Jackson kept moving forward, gaining another twelve yards before being pushed out of bounds by 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers.
He then successfully found Jeremy Maclin for a seven-yard gain. And with LeSean McCoy's two successful big running plays, they were already at the San Francisco 49ers' end zone.
At that moment, the 49ers' defense stood their ground, making three excellent defensive plays in a row, stopping the Eagles' offense at the 21-yard line.
Just when everyone thought the Philadelphia Eagles would go for a field goal, Vick surprisingly went for it on fourth and three. In a situation like this, if they failed, all their previous progress would be for nothing, and they would lose possession. But the Eagles' strategy was firm; they didn't even try to fake a play.
Vick executed a read-option play, and at a crucial moment, he kept the ball and ran, gaining five yards for another first down, extending their drive.
Finally, Vick connected with DeSean Jackson again. Jackson, using his physical advantage, broke through the coverage of two defenders and fought his way into the end zone, scoring a touchdown to match the 49ers' touchdown. After making the extra point, the score was now "21-7," putting them two touchdowns ahead again.
Lu Ke led the San Francisco 49ers' offense back on the field, starting at their own 23-yard line. They also showed their top form, refusing to back down.
In their first running play of the drive, Mike Iupati and Chilo Rachal, who had been inconsistent all day, came up big. They not only blocked the Eagles' defensive line's initial blitz but also used their own strength to push them back, creating a gap for Marcus Lynch.
Lynch, who was running with power, got a block from Crabtree and Ginn. Then, using his body weight, he broke a linebacker's tackle. After that, he made a light sidestep to avoid a second tackle and moved to the right side, where he continued to advance under the protection of Logan Newman and Kyle Williams.
This running play gained twenty-two yards, the longest running play for the San Francisco 49ers in the game today, and they responded with an absolutely dominant performance.
More importantly, the 49ers' offensive line had truly found their rhythm again.
Following that, Lu Ke completed two short passes to Ted Ginn and Kyle Williams, getting another first down. Then, an eight-yard short pass to Michael Crabtree, who used his physical advantage as a big receiver to gain sixteen yards before being pushed out of bounds.
With another six-yard running play by Lynch, the San Francisco 49ers were now at the Philadelphia Eagles' 20-yard line, as if they hadn't even broken a sweat. They were just a stone's throw away from another touchdown.
At that moment, the referee blew the whistle to end the third quarter. The score was still "21-7," with the home team in the lead. This meant that the entire outcome of the game would have to be decided in the fourth quarter!
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