After a short break, the fourth quarter began, continuing from where the third quarter left off, with the San Francisco 49ers on offense.
Led by Lu Ke, they had successfully reached their opponent's 20-yard line. Facing a fully rejuvenated Michael Vick and his offense, the San Francisco 49ers were not backing down and showed excellent form, but they still couldn't let their guard down. Anything was possible until they scored a touchdown.
The starting position was the 20-yard line, first and ten.
Lu Ke made an accurate five-yard short pass to Logan Newman, but after Newman completed the catch, the football, which he hadn't fully secured, was knocked out by the strong double-team of three defenders. Fortunately, it wasn't intercepted or turned over; it was just an incomplete pass.
The closer they got to the end zone, the tighter the defense became. The three defenders' relentless pursuit forced the ball out of Newman's arms, which frustrated him. Newman felt, more clearly than ever, that the physical advantages he had on the college field no longer existed in the professional league.
But there was no time to be frustrated. The clock was ticking, and the game was still on.
"Focus! Focus!" Lu Ke pointed to his helmet and shouted at Newman.
In a crucial moment and a critical area, the last thing they needed was a distraction. In fact, they needed to be more focused than ever. Lu Ke quickly waved Newman over, and all the offensive players huddled in a circle.
At that moment, the noise in Lincoln Financial Field started acting up again. The home fans' roars of support were like a strong shockwave, relentlessly battering the players on the field, making it impossible for them to hear each other.
But after three quarters of getting used to it, they had started to get used to the noise, even if they couldn't completely ignore it. Lu Ke didn't say much. He used hand signals to accurately convey the coach's play, then looked up, making eye contact with each of his teammates.
Without words, the unwavering and fiery determination was conveyed through their eyes! No one was distracted, and no one was hesitant. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Lu Ke. Lu Ke clenched his right fist to encourage everyone and then signaled for them to return to the line of scrimmage.
The starting position was still the 20-yard line, second and ten.
With his focus at an all-time high, even his breathing had slowed down. Lu Ke was calmer than ever, taking in the entire defensive formation. He slowly bent over in the shotgun formation and, without hesitation, announced the snap. After grabbing the ball, he quickly adjusted his position with small steps, his chin held high, looking for holes in the defense.
Five offensive linemen were matched up against five defensive players in one-on-one matchups. The other defenders were scattered behind them, completely covering the short, medium, and long passing zones, tightly guarding all receiving spots. There were five receivers, but the defense had six players in pass coverage, putting the offense at a numerical disadvantage.
The left side was heavily guarded. Lu Ke just gave it a quick glance and then ignored it. On the right side, he could see Marcus Lynch and Kyle Williams moving along their running routes.
After the snap, Lynch, who had rushed forward quickly, was tangled up with a cornerback, and the two were pushing and shoving each other toward the right sideline.
Williams, who had chosen to cut inside, used a quick stop to throw off the linebacker's balance, then ran back along his original route. He turned to face Lu Ke, running backward from his starting point and constantly gesturing for the ball.
The pocket was shrinking, and shrinking fast. The five defensive players were blitzing fiercely. Even though the pocket was irreversibly shrinking, the five defensive linemen were exceptionally strong. In their one-on-one matchups, they held their opponents firmly, and the pocket wasn't broken, keeping the defenders at a distance from Lu Ke.
Lu Ke quickly raised his right arm and gave a light, quick flick. Using the rotation of his wrist, he unleashed a short, powerful burst of energy, sending out a straight, short pass that looked like a cannonball.
The ball's flight path tore through the air, and you could almost see the trail of disturbed air as it flew toward Williams' position.
But the throw was a little too powerful!
Lu Ke's chemistry with Williams was not as good as it was with Newman. Lu Ke had slightly misjudged Williams' backward speed, throwing a straight pass of about twelve or thirteen yards. In reality, Williams had only retreated eight or nine yards. The timing of the pass was quite a bit off.
Fortunately, it was a bullet pass, and there was no deviation in its horizontal or vertical position. It was still on Williams' trajectory, it was just a little longer and more powerful than expected.
Just then, Williams saw the ball about to fly over his head. He gave a small jump, opened his right palm like a wall, blocking the ball's forward momentum. Then, using the momentum, he scooped the ball with his right hand, making a monkey-scoops-the-moon gesture, and managed to secure the ball against his chest.
But in that instant, a linebacker had rushed over to cover, his arms already wrapped around Williams' waist!
"The snap! The San Francisco 49ers' offensive line is providing incredibly solid pocket protection, giving the quarterback enough time to look around. But the Philadelphia Eagles have put more players into their secondary defense, giving them an advantage in zone coverage. All the receivers are covered, and there are no open spots! The game is at a stalemate!"
"Williams, the San Francisco 49ers' number ten, uses a quick stop to shake off the Eagles' number fifty-seven linebacker, Clayton. He's back on his original running route, which is not an inside route but an outside one! Open! Lu Ke has found it! A brave and decisive pass to his number ten receiver!"
Kirk's commentary started to speed up, and his voice became tense, his eyes fixed on the ball as it flew out like a bullet from a gun.
"Oh no, Lu Ke's pass is a little high, a little far. Williams can't catch up. But! Wow, spectacular! That's incredible! Williams jumps lightly, intercepts the ball like a cannonball, and then pulls it into his arms. My God, with such a powerful pass, Williams controlled the ball with one hand as if it were nothing!"
"Wait, Clayton is rushing to cover! He's got his arms around Williams' waist! Williams turns and, like an eel, slips out of the tackle. He runs in a small arc toward the outside. Clayton is still in hot pursuit, trying to make a second tackle. Williams gets past Lynch and Nate Allen's position, cutting through the gap on the outside! That's a close one!"
Williams' focus was at an all-time high. He was completely lost in the moment. After shaking off the first tackle, he caught a glimpse of a small gap out of the corner of his eye. He controlled his steps, fighting against momentum and gravity, and made a small arc. He then slid past Lynch and Allen, finding a small gap on the very edge of the field.
The gap was tiny, like a tightrope!
But Williams didn't hesitate. He was completely focused, putting everything on the line. His entire body was tensed to the maximum. Clayton's dive from behind came, and with a thrust of his waist, he narrowly avoided the tackle that was meant to take him down. He then immediately lowered his shoulder, brushing past Allen, who had given up on Lynch to cover him.
Williams could even feel Allen's hands patting his helmet and shoulder. They didn't make a solid hit, but they created a shockwave of air that felt like a slap.
To get away, Williams had to lower his center of gravity again, and he started to stumble. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the sideline just inches away. He couldn't go out of bounds! He couldn't go out of bounds! He couldn't go out of bounds!
Williams tiptoed, as if he were truly dancing on a tightrope. His graceful ballet-like steps moved quickly along the sideline. His left hand tightly controlled the football against his chest, and his right hand was held high for balance. His precarious, light steps seemed to be swaying on a tightrope in a strong wind, and one wrong move could send him plummeting!
But Williams didn't hesitate. Not only did he not slow down, he sped up, and then sped up again! His tiptoeing steps made the sense of impending danger incredibly real. He sprinted, and sprinted some more, then he saw the end zone ahead of him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a safety rushing to cover.
He accelerated! A second acceleration!
Williams felt like every muscle in his body was exploding. The endless burst of energy made his adrenaline bloom into a sky full of fireworks. Like a gust of wind, he shot past, crossing the end zone line with a final sprint before the safety could tackle him!
"My God, my God! Williams is moving along the sideline! His steps are like the graceful movements of a ballerina, tiptoeing quickly along the sideline. He's teetering, he's in danger! It seems like just a little bit of force could send him flying out of bounds! But no, no one! Williams accelerates again, and he's still accelerating! My God! Williams dodges Tom Nelson's tackle and gets into the end zone!"
"Jesus Christ! What did we just witness! What did we just witness! Touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown! This is a dance on a tightrope! Williams has delivered another spectacular touchdown in this game! The San Francisco 49ers have closed the gap a second time!"
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