Chapter 446: A Brand New Look
In a thrilling and suspenseful game, Lu Ke successfully defeated the New York Giants and received two waves of rewards, once again increasing his strength. But in the blink of an eye, all the rewards were spent, which was astonishingly fast. The minimal changes in his stats made him wonder if they had ever changed at all.
Of course, Lu Ke knew this was an illusion. The changes were week by week, like seeing a friend every day and not noticing their changes. But if you don't see them for a year, the changes become obvious. The same was true for Lu Ke's strength. Not to mention a comparison with a year ago, even compared to the first week of the regular season, his stats had undergone a huge transformation. His current stats are as follows:
Height: 193 cm
Weight: 92 kg
College: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Jersey Number: 14
Physical Attributes: 77/100
Mental Attributes: 84/100
Tactical Awareness: 95
Willpower: 81
Speed: 70
Strength: 64
Acceleration: 63
Burst: 72
Agility: 72
Jumping: 51
…These are the basic stats.
Throwing Power: 81
Short Pass Accuracy: 83
Mid Pass Accuracy: 83
Long Pass Accuracy: 85
Tactical Area Accuracy: 75
Throwing on the Run: 72
Fake Pass Action: 45
Ball Handling: 59
Field Vision: 90
Running with the Ball: 71
Evasion: 63
Stiff Arm: 55
Juke Move: 55
Pump Fake: 55
…These are the quarterback technical stats.
Receiving Ability: 38
Route Running: 15
Clutch Catch: 15
Catch in a Crowd: 15
Instant Burst: 15
…These are the receiving-related technical stats for a quarterback.
Injury Resistance: 90
Stamina: 80
Recovery Speed: 75
…These are the injury-related stats for physical fitness.
Hidden Attributes:Luck: -17-75
Foresight: 82
…These are the special hidden attributes.
After a busy half-season of improvement, Lu Ke had been completely transformed. In terms of quarterback skills, he had reached the level of an excellent quarterback. His Tactical Awareness and Field Vision had both entered the 90s, and his passing-related stats had all entered the 80s. Purely from a statistical standpoint, he indeed had the ability to defeat most teams in the league.
In his physical fitness stats, after a small increase, Lu Ke had also reached the average level for quarterbacks in the league. Besides Jumping, all his other stats were passing, and some had even entered the 70s. This was more than enough for a traditional pocket quarterback who spends most of his time in the pocket. Of course, Lu Ke's current physical fitness was still not comparable to Cam Newton's.
Furthermore, in terms of skills related to running with the ball and physical contact, Lu Ke was still lacking. His Stiff Arm, Juke Move, and Pump Fake were still at 55 points. Compared to the beginning of the season, they had only increased by one point, which was negligible and almost nonexistent in games. Without using a special skill, Lu Ke would never choose to run the ball. So, he was still a standard pocket quarterback, not a running quarterback, which was becoming the mainstream of the new generation.
All of his growth was evident. Lu Ke was no longer just a gimmick as an undrafted Chinese quarterback or an emergency substitute in a crisis. He had successfully earned a place on the field with his own strength, and with a big heart, he had performed at 120% of his ability, leading the team to one victory after another. Sports are never just a simple game of numbers.
However, every time he looked at his stats panel, any sense of pride and complacency that had just started to grow would quickly subside. Lu Ke could clearly see his shortcomings and his weaknesses. For example, his Fake Pass Action at 45 and Ball Handling at 59 were a disaster, especially the former, which was crucial in play-action and run-pass option plays. In previous games, the opposing defenses were not very familiar with Lu Ke and didn't know his tactical style, so even with a terrible Fake Pass Action, a play-action pass could still be executed successfully. But in the long run, once everyone had figured Lu Ke out, his 45-point Fake Pass Action would be a target, an open invitation for the opposing defense to sack him.
Another example is his Strength at 64 and Burst at 72, which are crucial for controlling long passes in key moments. If Lu Ke was just standing there like a statue and throwing the ball, his Throwing Power at 81 and Long Pass Accuracy at 85 would be enough. But in a real game, the pocket is a stormy sea, so Lu Ke must have greater Burst and control. Strength is the foundation, and burst is the control. The combination of the two is crucial for the details of passing power, accuracy, and control.
Another example is his basic passing skills like Short Pass Accuracy, Mid Pass Accuracy, Long Pass Accuracy, and Tactical Area Accuracy. They have yet to surpass 90 points. These are the fundamental skills of a quarterback and the main components of his arsenal. Look at Alex Smith; without the long pass, his entire tactical system was incomplete and became a fatal flaw. Look at Cam Newton; his passing accuracy was unstable, which forced him to choose to run the ball more after reading the defense and to rely on his physical fitness to win games. The physical toll on a quarterback is immeasurable.
Lu Ke already had many weaknesses, and his passing accuracy was his trump card. But now, his trump card had not been able to improve further, which also limited his ability to control the game. From a lenient perspective, Lu Ke was already an above-average quarterback, and with the collective effort of his teammates, he had achieved an impressive record of eight wins and one loss, second only to the Green Bay Packers in the entire league. But from a strict perspective, Lu Ke was still not an excellent quarterback. His weaknesses were too weak, and his strengths were not strong enough. He still had a long way to go. For every professional athlete, they need to be meticulous and constantly strive for perfection. Lu Ke was no exception.
He wouldn't slow down his training or his growth, even if completing a daily training mission only earned him one base point. This was still crucial for Lu Ke. The game against the New York Giants was in the past. Now, for the San Francisco 49ers, the most important thing was their next opponent, their division rival, the Arizona Cardinals. According to the NFL's special playoff format, as long as you win the division title, you can make it to the playoffs, regardless of your record, even with a 7-9 record like the Seattle Seahawks. That year, they defeated the defending champions, the New Orleans Saints, in the first round of the playoffs, creating an underdog miracle and once again proving that there are no weak teams in the league and that anything is possible!
This is why division opponents are so crucial! It's not just because they are direct competitors for a playoff spot; the head-to-head record within the division is also an important factor in the playoffs. After the regular season, when two or more teams have the same record, the NFL has a detailed and complex ranking system to determine who gets a playoff spot and the seeding order for the playoffs—the latter also determines the home and away field advantage.
The factors that influence the ranking order of two teams within the same division are, in order: the head-to-head record between the teams; the record within the division; the record against common opponents; the conference record; the strength of victory; the strength of schedule; and the data related to points scored and points allowed. The factors that influence the ranking order of two teams from different divisions are, in order: the head-to-head record between the teams; the conference record; the record against common opponents (at least four cross-comparisons); the strength of victory; the strength of schedule; and data such as points scored, point differential, and touchdown differential. The same rules apply to three or more teams.
In other words, teams in the same division are not only direct competitors for a playoff spot but also affect a series of chain reactions in the playoffs. What's more, according to the schedule, division opponents must play each other twice a year, while opponents from other divisions play each other on a three- or four-year cycle. The accumulation of animosity and bad blood is not on the same level. Every division opponent and every division game is crucial for every team. It is no exaggeration to say that these are all-out, heated matchups.
Just like derby matches in soccer, the divisional matchups in the NFL are also a spectacle. For example, the most famous "Steelers-Ravens rivalry" between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens is full of sparks, twists, and turns, which is a treat for third-party spectators. It has even become a regular official broadcast in the league, having been featured in Thanksgiving and Christmas games many times. This is a divisional matchup.
Another example is the inter-divisional rivalries in the NFC North, where the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings, no matter which two teams are pitted against each other, are always intense, no-holds-barred matchups. Even when a team is at a low point, a division rivalry never lacks a storyline. In the San Francisco 49ers' schedule this year, their season opener against the Seattle Seahawks was a division rivalry, and the two teams delivered a brilliant performance that also served as Lu Ke's brilliant debut. After that, the San Francisco 49ers played teams from other divisions, and their next division matchup didn't come until Week 11, when they would host the Arizona Cardinals. The atmosphere of this game would be much more intense than any other game they had played so far!
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