There was no chance, none at all, not even a glimmer. After the snap, Lu Ke was fully focused on finding a deep-pass target, but he didn't even have time to take a step back before he was sacked cleanly. The idea of using a special ability only occurred to him after he was on the ground, and he realized he had missed his opportunity.
At that moment, they had no time or energy to figure out whose fault it was. The sack had happened. What was most important now was that the clock was still ticking... twenty-six seconds, twenty-five seconds, twenty-four seconds... The speed at which the clock was running down was terrifying, as if he could feel the grim reaper's scythe slowly moving across his neck. Even his breathing stopped.
Scrambling to his feet, Lu Ke had no time to worry about himself. Even Jim Harbaugh's shouts in his headset were no longer important. He was completely in a state of flow. He quickly signaled with his hands, no huddle, just line up. The entire 49ers offense quickly and methodically found their positions and lined up in the shortest amount of time possible. But the clock was still ticking, twenty-two seconds, twenty-one seconds...
In the critical moment, Lu Ke's mind entered an unprecedented state of clarity. The layout of the entire field was presented in a clear 3D image. In just the time it took to inhale, before he exhaled, he had already simulated the positions on the field. The opponent was still in man-to-man coverage. The Giants' defense seemed to have gotten themselves into a corner, stubbornly sticking to their man-to-man defense, refusing to get out or change.
For a quarterback, this was a good thing. The sack just now was an accident. He had to continue to trust his offensive line. If he didn't, there was nothing he could do. There was no time to tell the offensive line to change their positions, and no time to change the play on the fly. He had to snap the ball, he had to pass. There was no other choice!
In a state of absolute calm, Lu Ke quickly scanned his offense's positions out of the corner of his eye. Since there was no time to call a play just now, and he had only used hand signals, he now needed to confirm his receivers' positions. Without hesitation, he immediately called the snap. "Hut!"
Lu Ke, in the shotgun formation, quickly took a step back, making sure there was enough space between him and the defensive line. He lifted his chin slightly, taking in the entire thirty-yard half of the field in front of him. On the right side, Vernon Davis and Marcus Lynch were both sprinting forward, still in a straight line. But after sprinting fifteen yards, Vernon took a sharp right turn, moving toward the sideline, as if he was ready to catch the ball and immediately get out of bounds. This immediately drew the attention of the defenders.
On the left side, Michael Crabtree, Logan Newman, and Ted Ginn were also sprinting forward, but their routes were completely different. Ginn, after running seven or eight yards, cut diagonally into the middle and met up with Marcus, who was running in a straight line. The two made a crossing route, like a giant pinwheel. Marcus stopped in the middle and made a catching gesture, while Ginn continued to sprint in a straight line along Marcus's previous route.
Crabtree and Logan both sprinted straight forward, without any fancy moves. However, both of them were relatively strong and powerful players. When they sprinted with all their might, they lacked a bit of agility and instead had a certain heaviness, like a heavy sword, brutally thrusting into the Giants' territory.
Who was the target? Even Lu Ke himself didn't know, and the Giants' defense had no idea. Besides the man-to-man coverage, the two safeties responsible for covering the backfield quickly followed. One rushed to Marcus's position, and the other appeared at the position where Ginn and Vernon were about to meet. Thanks to the numerical advantage, the entire backfield was a mess. White waves were engulfing red waves, and all the colors were swirling together in a chaotic mess, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. Luckily, this time, the pocket was solid, not wavering in the storm, which gave Lu Ke enough time to observe.
To the right, that was Lu Ke's first thought, because Ted Ginn's quick movement was light and agile, making him the best choice for a deep pass. But Lu Ke immediately dismissed the idea. In the process of moving and crossing, Ginn's speed was affected, and he hadn't yet entered the ten-yard zone. Also, there were three defenders there. Lu Ke glanced to the left and saw Logan and Crabtree's routes and blocks. Without any hesitation, he raised his right hand, made a small bow-and-arrow motion, quickly swung his forearm, and with a flick of his wrist at the last second, threw an unconventional, slightly wobbly rainbow pass. It was like a small speedboat in a storm, rushing forward with great speed.
Logan and Crabtree were sprinting side by side. Their speeds were slightly different, with Logan a half-step faster, but neither of them was at their top speed. The line of scrimmage was only about thirty yards from the end zone, and the change in their routes was more important than their absolute speed. When they got to the fifteen-yard line, Crabtree, who was on the outside, and Logan, who was on the inside, swapped positions with a sudden change of speed. Logan was now on the outside near the sideline, and Crabtree was on the inside.
Blackmon and Kiwanuka, who were responsible for man-to-man coverage, were caught off guard and lost their balance. But both players were incredibly talented and quickly regained their footing. However, the tight coverage they had just a moment ago was now a bit loose. When they crossed the ten-yard line, Logan's speed increased slightly, and Crabtree fell back a little. A half-step difference suddenly became a full step, making it seem like the difference in the two players' speed was finally showing.
But at that moment, Logan suddenly sped up again, taking two big steps forward and instantly crossing the five-yard line. Crabtree, on the other hand, seemed to "crash," slamming hard to the left and completely knocking Blackmon off balance. At the same time, he lunged forward and fell to the ground, creating a barrier between Kiwanuka and Logan. In that split second, Logan turned, took a step back, and leaned back, just like a fadeaway jump shot in basketball. He raised his right hand high, and in his line of sight, he saw the red football, like a dancing sprite, land perfectly in his hands.
His feet hit the ground hard, one bent, and one stepping back, as Logan tried to regain his balance. But Blackmon, who had just lost his balance, was like a persistent ghost, using both his hands and feet to crawl and roll his way back. He hit Logan hard with his shoulder. The hit wasn't solid, but Logan, who hadn't yet stabilized, lost his balance. With a backward jolt and a backward roll, Logan, like a giant panda, rolled into the end zone, hitting the pylon. He just kept rolling, his clumsy rolling movements unstoppable.
"Quick snap, quick offense! Lu Ke has left no time to breathe, completely abandoning the huddle and relying entirely on the team's offensive chemistry to drive! Pass! Lu Ke threw the football! The speed was incredible! The target is... the left side, Newman or Crabtree on the left!"
"It's... a catch! It's a catch! My God! My God! What have we just witnessed? What an amazing pass, what an amazing catch! Logan Newman, number 88 of the San Francisco 49ers, Logan Newman has made the catch! My God, it's a touchdown! It's a touchdown!"
Troy was roaring with excitement, his words coming out in a frenzy. His flushed cheeks looked like they were about to explode. He even raised his hands and grabbed his hair, unable to believe his eyes.
"Touchdown! The referee signals a touchdown! Jesus Christ! This is truly incredible! With ten... uh, sixteen seconds left in the game, the San Francisco 49ers have scored a touchdown! They have tied the score! Now, if they can make the extra point, they can win the game!"
"My God, oh, my God!"
"Touchdown! Ahhh, touchdown!"
Li Monien was completely crazy, completely mad. He clenched his fists and kept waving them with all his might, letting out all his energy, roaring uncontrollably. He jumped high in the air, as if he himself had just scored the touchdown, turning the game around with his hands and feet! Turning around, Li Monien saw the vast red ocean in front of him, like a volcano erupting. The entire stadium, every single fan, had gotten to their feet and were cheering uncontrollably. The roar was deafening, instantly engulfing all of Candlestick Park. Every fan, after a rollercoaster of a game, had completely lost their minds at this moment.
"Incredible! Incredible!"
Kirk's voice was almost gone. Even sitting in the broadcast booth, he had to shout at the top of his lungs, but it was still like a small dinghy that could be overturned at any moment in the stormy seas.
"This is what's great! This is what's truly great! Touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have scored a touchdown! No words are needed, ladies and gentlemen. Just listen to the cheers from the stadium. This city is going crazy for football, going crazy for Lu Ke!"
"My God, this is just incredible!"
The shouting completely disappeared in the roar of the crowd. Even the commentators' booth became unusually quiet, just silently soaking in the wave. At that moment, the power of an individual was so small, like a single drop of water in the vast ocean.
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