A three-second game-winner, a missed catch. A crucial penalty, a zero-second play. A final timeout, disrupting the rhythm.
In just under ten seconds, the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants' epic battle was filled with even more unexpected events. Surprise after surprise, it brought back memories of the start of the game, which was also a chaotic series of surprises. Now, as the game neared its end, it was another series of surprises. Was this... a full circle? To take it a step further, the 49ers fought their way out of the chaos at the beginning and ended with a touchdown. Did this mean the last drive would end the same way?
For the New York Giants, with the game clock at zero, having a timeout was useless. They had to put all their energy into their defensive strategy, so Tom Coughlin made the decisive decision to use the team's final timeout. For the San Francisco 49ers, they had an unexpected lifeline in the chaos.
According to the rules, if there's a penalty and the clock is at zero, the 49ers not only get another chance to run a play but also get twenty-five seconds to huddle. Also, if they score a touchdown, they get a chance at an extra point instead of going straight to overtime.
As for Lu Ke, he wasn't sure if his luck in this game was good or bad. But there was no time to think about it. He had to quickly get in the zone. He had one more chance, and there was no way to run the ball, so it had to be a pass! One pass would decide the outcome of the entire game!
Both the home and away teams were a little dazed. The game was so exciting and had so many twists and turns that after the extreme tension, they entered a state of confusion. Only the players on the field and the coaching staff could remain calm—because they had to; the game wasn't over yet. Even the commentators were at a loss for words, not knowing how to describe the performance of both teams and players in the final moments. Likewise, no one could predict the outcome of the game. For neutral fans, this was a celebration!
For spectators, the thirty-second timeout felt like thirty minutes of torment. The entire Candlestick Park was in a state of anxiety. The cheers were sparse and couldn't form an effective roar, just a lot of noise. For the people involved, it felt like an instant. Lu Ke didn't even have time to take a sip of water before he had to get back on the field.
"This... this is just, I can't even comment. Both sides are making mistakes, and both sides are missing opportunities to put the game away," Teddy said during the timeout. He and Kirk had to fill the airtime, watching the replays of the last few plays over and over again.
"Now, the chance to win is in Lu Ke's hands. For this rookie quarterback, this might be the most important play of his career," Teddy shared his opinion. Kirk agreed and added, "If he succeeds, he could have a breakthrough and truly complete his transformation. If he fails, he might fall into a slump and be unable to get back on his feet every time he faces a setback. Anything is possible! This is the moment that will determine the success or failure of a quarterback!"
After both teams got back on the field, Teddy chuckled, "All the players are trying to get used to the current situation. They're asking their coaches and each other how they should line up. The Giants' defense is undoubtedly under immense pressure, but now Lu Ke is hurrying his teammates to set up the play. It's a marvelous sight!"
On the field, Lu Ke had no time to encourage his teammates, not even time for eye contact. After quickly setting up the play, everyone was lined up. Everything was happening too fast, faster than they could have imagined.
Reading the defense. Lu Ke's gaze was as focused as ever, as if this was just a normal play with nothing special about it. After seeing the Giants' defensive formation again, his brain started to work quickly.
From a high vantage point, Kirk's shouts of surprise erupted when he saw the Giants' defensive formation. "I can't believe it! I just can't believe it! The New York Giants have lined up in a man-to-man defense again!" At this moment, as a professional commentator, it was his job to analyze the situation on the field. "What's wrong with Perry Fewell? What's wrong with the Giants' defensive coordinator? Choosing a man-to-man defense is understandable, but please adjust the players' positions! Please change the matchups! The entire strategy is the same, making them look like a one-track-minded high school team!" Kirk and Teddy exchanged glances, and a hint of amusement showed in their eyes.
For Lu Ke, the defensive formation itself was meaningless. The matchups within the formation were what mattered. In a flash, Lu Ke had already made a judgment and decision in his mind, and then, without hesitation, he decisively called the snap.
Snap, catch, step back. Sure enough, as expected, the Giants had completely given up on blitzing and run defense. They only sent three players to rush the offensive line, symbolically putting pressure on the 49ers. The other eight players were all densely packed within the six-yard line. After the defense's penalty of five yards, the 49ers' line of scrimmage was at the six-yard line. Lu Ke, like a stroll in the park, was taking small, deliberate steps back, quickly looking for matchups and open spaces. Then he raised his right hand. With a light flick of his wrist, he put a little bit of backspin on the ball and threw a sudden, accelerating pass. But the parabola was relatively flat. After a powerful forward thrust, it would lose momentum after a certain number of yards, stall, and drop suddenly.
At this moment, Ted Ginn's mind was a blank slate, or perhaps completely calm. His nervousness and anxiety seemed to have vanished. Lu Ke hadn't given a detailed play, and everything was based on their running habits from practice. The receivers were responsible for running their routes, while the quarterback was responsible for choosing the pass and the timing. This was a test, but it was also an opportunity. The six-yard space wasn't ideal for Ginn, who was known for his speed. In a forty-yard dash, his acceleration was better, but his instant burst in the first ten yards wasn't as impressive. This was similar to the start, acceleration, middle, and sprint of a hundred-meter dash, which had corresponding differences in a forty-yard dash.
But Lu Ke's play was clearly not that simple. Under Lu Ke's direction, all the receivers' positions had been changed. Ginn was now matched up against Mathias Kiwanuka, the player who had been covering Crabtree earlier. He was known for being slow, heavy, solid, and strong, like a human wall, with a weight of 267 pounds (121 kilograms). For an outside linebacker, that was a little too heavy. In defense, he was mostly responsible for run defense. But the Giants had now given up on run defense, so Ginn didn't know what was going on with the Giants' defensive coaching staff. Kiwanuka was still on the field, and they hadn't put in a substitute. The two of them were standing in the middle of the field. The left and right sides were crowded with players, but the middle was relatively clear, just a one-on-one matchup. Ginn already had a plan for this.
After the snap, Ginn instantly took off, exploding with speed and getting to his top speed as if the distance in front of him wasn't six yards, but sixty. The deterrence created by his speed advantage immediately caught Kiwanuka off guard. Before Kiwanuka could react, Ginn was already a blur of speed passing him. But his physical talent and football instincts reacted on reflex. He instinctively tried to keep up with Ginn's pace and make a block or a tackle, but it was too late. He had already lost his position. The next second, Kiwanuka saw Ginn turn around, taking small steps to adjust his position. The football appeared in his line of sight. Ginn leaped slightly, his hands ready to catch the ball. Then, Kiwanuka charged forward without any regard for his body, throwing himself at Ginn like a siege catapult.
"Pass! After the snap, Lu Ke only adjusted his steps before throwing the ball! The target is—Ted Ginn! Ginn used his superior speed to create a passing window! He made the catch, my God, Ginn made the catch! This is a catch that saved the entire game! My God, it's beautiful! It's breathtaking!" But the next moment, Kirk's voice stopped abruptly. "Uh, wait, hold on, that's not right... there's a yellow flag on the field, and the referee has stopped the game. The end zone referee is signaling that it's not a touchdown, but an incomplete pass? What's going on?"
Kirk was still trying to analyze the game, while Teddy, sitting next to him, was already laughing. "The game isn't over! The game still isn't over! We have another down now! This is truly never-ending. My God, this game is full of surprises. This script must have been written by a top Hollywood screenwriter, right?" It was hard to tell if he was laughing or crying. Over and over again, the game clock was at zero, but the offense still hadn't been able to score, and the outcome of the game still hadn't been decided. Now, according to the referee's hand signal on the field, the yellow flag was pointing to the defense, which meant the offense would get another chance. A few minutes ago, Lu Ke thought it was his "last chance," but it was clear that "last chance" meant "last few chances." Even Lu Ke himself couldn't help but smile. Everyone's hearts were about to stop, but Lu Ke still had time to laugh. This...
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