Unbelievable! The Philadelphia Eagles scored a touchdown, and right after, the San Francisco 49ers scored a touchdown! The lead and the pursuit were going back and forth. As they entered the fourth quarter, the excitement of the game truly escalated to an unimaginable level.
"Joe's Bar" was a sea of joy. Jeff and Danny, two clowns, were imitating Kyle Williams's touchdown run. Their left hands were curled at their chests, their right hands were raised high behind them, their bodies were bent forward and scrunched up, and they ran on their tiptoes. It looked like something out of a Japanese anime, comical yet kind of cute.
"We are!" Jeff shouted loudly. Then he and Danny ran a big circle, stood one behind the other, and performed a combined move, shouting in unison, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!" Their serious faces made everyone in the bar burst out laughing.
The uninhibited and wild cheering completely ignited the bar's passion, making it burn even brighter.
This was a dance on a razor's edge! A ballet on a tightrope! A wild dance on the edge of a cliff! In the face of adversity, they never gave up, fighting their way through, and responding with a fierce and decisive intensity. This side of the 49ers was mesmerizing and exhilarating!
Cliff, who was clumsily holding the fan banner, suddenly shouted loudly, "One more! Bambi! One more!"
In an instant, all the fans in the bar raised their beer glasses and shouted joyfully, "One more! Bambi!" It was as if everyone was the same person!
"Amazing, that was truly amazing! Haha." Teddy started laughing heartily. "That pass and that catch were so entertaining! Let's watch the replay."
"First, he intercepted the ball with one hand. Then he shook off the first tackle and a second one, all while dodging a third tackle. He moved through that narrow gap between the defenders and the sideline in a Power Ranger pose, and in the final moments, he even dodged a hit to get the touchdown. Wow, I can't think of a more entertaining touchdown than that!" After saying that, Teddy laughed again.
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was a Japanese anime from the nineties that became popular in the United States, becoming a childhood memory for many kids.
In the anime, the fighters' transformation moves were identical to Kyle Williams's run, as if they were cast from the same mold. The way he ran on his tiptoes perfectly replicated every detail from the anime.
Not only were the Power Ranger moves there, but the entire pass was full of ups and downs, vividly embodying the essence of "surviving in the cracks." Ending the whole drive with a touchdown was truly spectacular!
Kirk couldn't help but laugh, either. In such a tense and exciting game, it was a rare moment of laughter. But he still had to get back to his job. "The San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown! Now the score is back to a one-touchdown difference. Now it's Michael Vick's turn to perform. Under pressure, can they maintain their lead?"
It wasn't just the fans and commentators. Even on the field, Lu Ke couldn't help but be stunned when he saw Williams's catch.
His first reaction was to get frustrated that his pass was too far. If it weren't for Williams's quick thinking, it would have been an incomplete pass. Clearly, the accuracy of his passes in the medium-range zone was still unsatisfactory, with deviations at crucial moments. But in the next second, he saw Williams running like the white Power Ranger, a comical image straight out of a Japanese anime.
"Wait, was there a white Power Ranger?"
A question flashed through Lu Ke's mind. Then he saw Williams successfully scoring a touchdown, and a laugh escaped him. He looked up and saw his offensive linemen teammates all cracking up. Even the shocked Philadelphia Eagles' defensive players started to laugh.
For a moment, the atmosphere on the field was comical.
But that was only temporary. The offense went off, the special teams came on, and then the defense came on. After the score became 21-14, the tension of the game started to build again.
The offensive units of both teams had found their rhythm in the second half, and their head-to-head battle was far from over! To be precise, it was just beginning.
Michael Vick, who was back on the field, once again showed flashes of his peak form from last year. It was as if Lu Ke's strong performance had awakened all of his potential. He was running and passing, making the offense thrive.
Facing a 49ers defense that had also improved its game, the Eagles' offense was affected to some extent. They found themselves in four third-down situations, but Vick managed to unleash his potential at crucial moments and convert them all, leading his team down the field.
After three minutes and thirty-three seconds, Vick's strong momentum was finally stopped. The 49ers' defensive line had a consistently strong performance, and captain Patrick Willis made a key sack, stopping the Eagles' offense at the 27-yard line.
At that moment, the Eagles had to deal with a fourth and five situation. This time, they didn't risk going for a fourth down and chose a field goal instead. After successfully kicking it, they widened the gap to 24-14, and the ball went back to the 49ers.
Both teams' special teams took the field. The Philadelphia Eagles would kick off, and the San Francisco 49ers would return, to determine the starting position of the 49ers' offense.
The fourth quarter was now truly in the final, heated stretch. The score difference was ten points, which meant they needed at least two more drives to tie or take the lead. With less than eight minutes left on the clock, anything was possible. The 49ers still had a chance to come back, and the Eagles still had a chance to win.
This meant that Lu Ke had a huge responsibility in this next drive. The 49ers had to score, whether it was a touchdown or a field goal. They had to respond fiercely and stay close to the score to set themselves up for a comeback. Otherwise, the pressure on the defense would increase tenfold.
So, during the short time the special teams were on the field, Lu Ke remained next to Craig Roman and Kip Crichton, discussing strategy. At the same time, the other offensive players were loosening up their muscles, getting ready to give it their all. The only exception was Marcus Lynch.
Marcus was on the field as a member of the special teams.
In a professional team, the special teams are always unique. They are often overlooked by the media and the team, treated as fringe players. But they are a force to be reckoned with. A great special teams unit can even score and turn the tide of a game.
For the special teams, their playing time is limited, far less than the offense and defense. If they win the game, people won't remember their credit, but one small mistake, and they could throw the game away and become the scapegoats.
Because of this, the special teams on every team have the most undrafted rookies.
Generally, a special teams unit only has three to four core members, and the other seven or eight players are all substitutes.
For example, the holder. In a kickoff, field goal, or extra point, the long snapper first snaps the ball to the holder, who holds it for the kicker to kick.
On most teams, the holder is usually the backup quarterback. So, in some special field goal plays, the holder might catch the snap from the long snapper and then, to the surprise of the defense, stand up and throw a pass for a touchdown. This is a type of trick play.
Tony Romo's "botched hold" was from his time as a holder. He just couldn't get a good grip on the ball.
Another example is the long snapper, who acts as the center during punts, field goals, and extra points, responsible for snapping the ball with power to the player standing further back. The distance between the long snapper and the holder or punter is usually longer than the distance between a quarterback and center, which is why it's called a "long" snap.
On most teams, the long snapper is usually a backup center. Generally, the center position isn't prone to injury, but just in case, the team needs to be prepared. So, the backup center is put on the special teams as a long snapper, making full use of every spot on the fifty-three-man roster.
On the San Francisco 49ers' team now, the special teams only have three core members: David Akers, the kicker, who is responsible for field goals, extra points, and kickoffs; Andy Lee, the punter, who is responsible for punts; and Brian Jennings, the long snapper.
Beyond them, all the other positions are filled by substitutes. Marcus Lynch is now on the field as a return specialist.
A return specialist is a special position. After catching the ball, they can return it—literally running the ball toward the opponent's side of the field. The position where they are tackled becomes the starting position for the offense. If they run all the way back to the end zone, it's a kickoff return touchdown.
So, in the league, return specialists are often rotated, with wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs all filling the role. It's not just substitute players either; starters can also return the ball, using their skills to gain an advantage for the team.
This is the case with Marcus now. He is an excellent running back with strong running abilities. Speed isn't his greatest strength, but his ability to accelerate on big plays is reliable, and he's good at finding gaps in the opponent's zone defense. In a crucial moment, the team might put Marcus on the field to make a powerful return.
It's also worth noting that in special teams, the kicker and punter are two completely different positions with different technical skills, and they rarely fill in for each other.
NOTE:
New chapters drop Three times a day, every Monday through Sunday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release Three bonus chapters for every 300 votes! Let's get this story moving together.
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!