Chapter 594: Improving the Touch
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are now watching the NFL playoffs brought to you by Fox. Today, we're at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, broadcasting the first game of the second round of the divisional playoffs, the San Francisco 49ers vs. the New Orleans Saints."
"I'm your host, Teddy Williams, for this game. And next to me is my broadcast partner, Kirk Charleston. We also have two special guest commentators with us today to watch this exciting game with you all."
"One is 'The Moose,' Daryl Johnston, and the other is 'Goose,' Tony Siragusa. A warm welcome to both of you."
Johnston is a legendary Dallas Cowboys fullback who won three Super Bowls with the team in the 90s. Nicknamed "The Moose," he was considered one of the top fullbacks of his time and was the first fullback in history to be selected to the Pro Bowl. After retiring, he signed with Fox to become a popular guest commentator.
Siragusa played for two teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens, as a defensive tackle. He won the Super Bowl with the Ravens in the 2000 season and retired the following year. He was nicknamed "Goose." As a player, he was a solid cornerstone. As a commentator, he won the hearts of many viewers.
After a brief greeting, Teddy immediately got to the point.
"The league has been discussing this game over and over again for the past week. In fact, many people believe that this game will be the most exciting one of the divisional round. Almost everyone has shared their opinion."
"Now, let's put aside the outcome for a moment and talk about the key points to watch in this game and the issues both teams need to pay attention to. Moose, what do you think?"
As the playoffs began, the atmosphere became heated and intense, and Teddy's hosting style added a touch of passion and excitement. In the studio, the commentators and analysts were in full game mode, each sharing their views and opinions to help the viewers get a better feel for the game. On the field, the two quarterbacks had already had a brief meeting. After the coin toss, Drew Brees called heads and won, choosing to receive the kickoff first. As a result, the New Orleans Saints' offense would start the first half, and the San Francisco 49ers' offense would start the second half.
The 49ers' special teams kicked off, and the Saints' special teams received the ball. However, they chose not to return it, kneeling in the end zone for a touchback. This meant that Brees would start his drive from his own 20-yard line, kicking off the game. In the last divisional game against the Detroit Lions, Brees was a bit slow to get into the rhythm. The first quarter was bumpy, and they fell behind early. As a result, Brees had to constantly adjust his form and speed up for the rest of the game, and the game's progression was not as smooth as the final score suggested.
In this game, Brees adjusted in advance and got into the groove early, showing a calm demeanor as he took the field. Facing two strong blitzes from the San Francisco 49ers' defense, Brees created an open space with his tactical movements and calmly completed two consecutive short passes before the sack came, cleanly earning a first down.
Then, on first down, the running play was not very effective. On second down, the pocket was under great pressure. The 49ers' number 94 defensive end, Justin Smith, quickly broke free and tackled Brees. But before he lost his balance, Brees instantly passed the ball to running back Darren Sproles, who had run out of an open space from the slot receiver position. After Sproles caught the ball, he broke two tackles, not only getting a first down but also continuing to advance. He was finally tackled after being surrounded by three defensive players, which ended his run.
In what seemed like just a single breath, the New Orleans Saints had successfully crossed the midfield! Drew Brees showed his powerful control with a light touch, especially his short passes in crisis situations, which were precise and sharp, like a surgical knife, dissecting the San Francisco 49ers' strong pass rush.
Subsequently, the 49ers' defense increased its intensity and successfully forced the Saints into a third-and-five situation. Faced with the strong pressure from the defensive line, the Saints' offensive line was struggling. But Brees calmly adjusted his steps, stepped up, and threw a 20-yard rainbow pass, easily passing over most of the defenders and accurately finding the quickly breaking number 80 tight end, Jimmy Graham.
Graham, who rewrote the history of tight ends this season, was an absolute weapon on the field. His strong running tore open space and created a matchup advantage through a crisscross route, overpowering the 49ers' starting safety, Donte Whitner, and getting into a good position to try to make the catch.
At the crucial moment, Whitner pushed Graham away and then hit the ball with his helmet, disrupting Graham's first chance to catch the ball. But then, Graham, who was losing his balance, touched the ball with one hand. Just as it looked like he was about to make the catch, Whitner had to make another hit. The pass was finally broken up, and Graham couldn't hold on to the ball. But a yellow flag was thrown on the field.
Whitner was called for a defensive pass interference, resulting in a 15-yard penalty. Not only did this give the Saints a free first down, but it also allowed them to get to the 22-yard line at the edge of the end zone. The pace of the offense was so fast that before the 49ers could fully get a foothold, Brees was already close to the end zone. Unexpectedly, when Graham landed, it seemed like he had a muscle issue. He limped off the field to be examined and treated by the team doctor.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!" The 70,000 49ers fans at Candlestick Park shouted in unison, cheering on their defense. Even a play on the one-yard line has unlimited possibilities, not to mention that they were still 21 yards away from the end zone. The fans firmly believed in their defense.
While shouting "defense," they also created more noise for the offense to disrupt Brees's play calls. Just three minutes and 27 seconds into the game, the atmosphere on the field had already reached a boiling point!
With the home crowd's cheers, the 49ers' defense focused and increased their intensity, successfully forcing the opponent into a third-and-four situation. And in the subsequent defense, they immediately stopped the number 12 wide receiver, Marques Colston, from making a catch, preventing the opponent from crossing the first-down line. Just when everyone thought the Saints would be forced to punt, the referee threw a yellow flag, signaling a defensive foul on Whitner. The 10-yard penalty meant that the Saints got another first down, and the 49ers' defense failed once again.
Everyone on the field was confused, including the commentators in the studio, who were watching the replay to find signs of a foul. Jim Harbaugh also spread his arms and strode toward the referee, asking what had just happened. But Brees on the field smelled an opportunity. He quickly lined up and snapped the ball, not giving Harbaugh any time to challenge with a red flag, and immediately handed the ball to running back Sproles.
Fortunately, the defense didn't lose their focus on the field. The run defense was incredibly strong, and they tackled Sproles behind the line of scrimmage, preventing a further disaster from happening. After the 10-yard penalty, the Saints had already reached the 12-yard line, hovering at the edge of the red zone. After the next snap, the 49ers' strong blitz completely caught the Saints off guard. The entire pocket was completely shattered. Inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman broke free as if he was in an empty field, rushing into the pocket and forcing Brees to retreat to the 20-yard line, a full 10 yards. But he was still trying relentlessly to get a sack.
Brees's feet slipped, and he was about to fall, but he completed the pass just in time, once again finding Sproles. He used the running back as a receiver, which prevented a disastrous play. Following his excellent performance in the last wild card game, Sproles was in great form again today. He not only made the catch but also advanced a full four yards. Although they would now face a third-and-six situation, this could have been a 10-yard sack. Now, the connection between Brees and Sproles had successfully resolved the crisis and kept the drive alive, which was very impressive.
Next...
"Third and six, the Saints snap the ball. The pocket, the pocket is broken again!"
"The San Francisco 49ers' defensive end, Justin Smith, and inside linebacker, NaVorro Bowman, once again broke through the pocket, both flying toward Brees. Brees is in a desperate situation. Under the double-team, he throws the ball! Brees throws the pass! His target is—"
"Pierre Thomas! Number 23 wide receiver! Thomas catches the ball! What a beautiful catch! In the open area on the right side, Thomas turns and makes the catch, then continues to advance with the ball. He crosses the five-yard line! The end zone is right in front of him!"
"Donte Whitner! Jesus Christ! The San Francisco 49ers' number 31 safety, Whitner, made a perfect cover and hit Thomas hard. Thomas went down cleanly, falling on the two-yard line in front of the end zone! That was a brutal hit!"
"Wait, something unexpected has happened! The other San Francisco 49ers' defenders are swarming toward the fallen Thomas. What's going on? Something unexpected is happening on the field. The referees are trying to figure out the situation."
"A fumble! It's a fumble! My God! Whitner caused a fumble on Thomas! The turnover has been completed!"
🗒️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 30 chapters in advance!