Another touchdown.
Teddy and Kirk in the broadcast booth were already getting used to it. The San Francisco 49ers' offense was in an incredible rhythm today, scoring on every drive and making their opponents, the Seattle Seahawks, feel hopeless.
Marcus Lynch scored a seventeen-yard rushing touchdown. This was his third rushing touchdown of the game, a new season high for him. It was also the 49ers' sixth touchdown of the game. What was interesting was that it was an atypical 49ers' performance with two passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, and one interception return touchdown.
But for Kirk, this was still the familiar 49ers.
Whether it was an interception return or a rushing touchdown, the 49ers' offensive style hasn't really changed. Lu Ke remains the central focus of the entire offense. His playcalling and passing execution have gradually formed their own style, making the entire offense flow smoothly and effortlessly.
The team's precise matchups in the short and intermediate passing zones, combined with the opportunistic long passes, completely dismantled the Seahawks' defensive strategy. When they suddenly switched to the run game, the opposing defense was caught off guard. Just one missed tackle or a mismatch was enough to give up a big run, further disrupting the defense's plan.
If there was one difference, it was that Lu Ke was slightly more conservative with his passing today, giving the run game more opportunities. It was basically a fifty-fifty split, with passing only slightly more frequent. This led to Marcus Lynch's shining moment.
In the first half, Marshawn Lynch was incredibly sharp, but Marcus Lynch gradually surpassed his cousin and became the most brilliant player on the field at CenturyLink Field today!
With Marcus Lynch's latest touchdown and David Akers' perfect extra-point conversion rate this season, the score quickly became "13-42," a twenty-nine-point difference.
Unless something unexpected happened, the rest of the game would become garbage time.
But this was CenturyLink Field. The 12th Man wouldn't give up, and neither would the Seahawks. They knew that if they gave up now, all their efforts and persistence throughout the season would be for nothing. After a 2-6 record in the first half of the season, they fought their way back to a 7-7 record, earning a glimmer of hope for a playoff wild card spot. How could they possibly give up now?
So, the Seattle Seahawks offense took the field again with renewed determination, ready to fight to the end!
Once again, it was Marshawn Lynch who stepped up. The running back, carrying the hopes of the home fans, activated Beast Mode once more. On a forty-eight-yard run, he came agonizingly close to scoring a touchdown. Unfortunately, he ran out of steam at the last moment and was brought down by three 49ers defenders. Nevertheless, he successfully brought his team into field goal range.
The 49ers' defense suddenly came alive, successfully defending on third down and forcing the Seahawks into a difficult fourth-and-four situation.
Even though there were still five minutes and seven seconds left in the third quarter, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll chose to gamble and go for it on fourth down, making it clear that the ball was going to Marshawn Lynch.
Marshawn, who couldn't break through on his last push against a tough defense, didn't disappoint the 12th Man. He successfully converted the fourth down and entered the red zone. CenturyLink Field erupted. The screams and roars were completely out of control. At this moment, everyone was witnessing the birth of a "hero!"
Unfortunately, there can only be one hero. When the weight of an entire team and an entire game is placed on one player's shoulders, even in Beast Mode, he stumbles.
In the red zone, the Seahawks went three-and-out again, leading to another fourth-down situation. This time it was fourth-and-two, and the ball went to Marshawn Lynch once more. But the 49ers didn't make the same mistake. At the one-yard line, they held Marshawn down, forming a human pile and refusing to give an inch.
The referee ruled that the fourth down was not converted!
This is the one-yard line battle: one yard forward is heaven, one yard back is hell. For both sides, this is an area where there can be no retreat. This time, the 49ers successfully protected their victory, while the all-in Seahawks were left to swallow a bitter result, which completely extinguished the team's chances.
So, Marshawn Lynch left the field, and Lu Ke came on.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lu Ke, starting from the one-yard line, didn't choose a conservative play and hand the ball off to Marcus Lynch as everyone expected. Instead, he used a crisscross motion to find Logan with a middle pass, and with Vernon's blocking, he successfully advanced nineteen yards.
He not only got a first down but also immediately moved the team out of the dangerous red zone.
The San Francisco 49ers offense was still in top form. The next drive, a mix of passes and runs, easily crossed midfield. However, Lu Ke then slowed the pace, using more middle passes and running plays to consume time. This finally allowed the Seahawks' defense to find some rhythm.
After getting into field goal range, Lu Ke faced his first three-and-out of the game.
It was a forty-one-yard field goal attempt, and David Akers calmly made the kick. The third quarter officially ended, with the score at "13-45."
The third quarter was the turning point of the game. The Seahawks were shut out, while the 49ers scored seventeen points, widening the gap to an almost insurmountable level. Did this scene remind people of the Week 1 matchup again? The current difference was even more significant than it was then!
The gap in form and strength between the two teams was widening with every play.
The last quarter had lost its meaning. With a thirty-two-point difference, the possibility of a comeback was tiny unless every single player on the 49ers suddenly went crazy and every single player on the Seahawks had an explosive performance.
Perhaps for the Seahawks, this was a fight for a small chance at life. But for the 49ers, the game had indeed entered garbage time.
"There's a new development in the game. The San Francisco 49ers' starting quarterback, Lu Ke, is now resting on the sidelines, and backup quarterback Alex Smith is warming up to go in. What's going on?" The director on-site immediately noticed the change on the sideline and alerted the broadcast booth. Teddy instantly notified the audience.
On the live camera, Lu Ke sat on the sidelines, holding a water bottle, with a relaxed expression, laughing and chatting with Logan and Marcus. Vernon, standing not far behind, said something loudly, and the entire group around them burst into laughter. The atmosphere was incredibly relaxed.
Not far away, Alex was doing simple passing warmups. His focused expression didn't show anything out of the ordinary.
Kirk carefully observed for a moment and gave his guess. "I think the 49ers are getting ready for the playoffs."
No further explanation was needed; that one sentence was enough.
On one hand, Lu Ke was just recovering from a cold, and his stamina needed to be restored. Moreover, at the end of the season, opportunities to rest are rare. This also helps to prevent injuries. On the other hand, since the game has entered garbage time, Alex, as the backup quarterback, can get into the rhythm of the game and be prepared for any emergencies in the playoffs.
This was a perfectly logical arrangement.
In fact, it wasn't just Lu Ke. Players at other positions also started warming up. They were about to replace the starters, allowing them to rest. This was a reasonable and expected move from a mature, professional team.
Kirk's guess was correct.
As the fourth quarter began, the 49ers' defense and offense made some minor player rotations. They didn't replace everyone at once, and key players remained on the field, but they did swap out some players to ensure the quality and intensity of the game didn't drop too much.
For the Seattle Seahawks, this seemed like good news.
The offense, which had been gradually increasing its intensity, finally clicked and scored its second touchdown of the game. It was, once again, from Marshawn Lynch. This undoubtedly ignited the passion at CenturyLink Field, but it was all too late. The score difference was too big, and there was too little time left.
Alex Smith, who was making his second appearance of the season, once again showed his long-standing reliability.
Although he couldn't make huge gains, his short-pass accuracy and balanced run-pass ratio were still a powerful weapon. Most importantly, he was a loyal executor of the game plan. Jim Harbaugh's plays were always executed precisely, and he minimized mistakes.
In his previous appearance, Alex was rushed onto the field, struggled to adapt to the game's rhythm, and the Steelers' defense didn't let up, which made things very difficult. But in this game, the Seahawks' defense couldn't make any effective interceptions, which gave Alex more room to operate.
In his first drive, Alex successfully used up four minutes and thirty-eight seconds of game time and scored a field goal.
Actually, when David Akers made the forty-six-yard field goal, the game was already over. There was little time left, and even if CenturyLink Field remained passionate and the Seahawks continued to fight, they couldn't change the outcome.
Shortly after, the referee blew the final whistle, ending the Week 16 game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks. The final score was "23-48."
The away team won.
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