Chapter 598: First Score
Ted Ginn's running style was a bit odd; it wasn't a blitz but a ground game. He abandoned his strength of speed and didn't instantly accelerate to shake off his opponent. Instead, he moved like a tight end in the short and mid-pass zones, constantly changing his running route between the zone defenses. He made a series of small, quick adjustments—curving, stopping on a dime, cutting laterally—that made his entire route unpredictable.
In the chaos, Ginn's light and nimble run seemed to go unnoticed. Logan and Vernon's powerful cuts had already created open spaces, not to mention that Crabtree's initial sprint had opened up a huge area. When Lu Ke raised his right hand and made a throwing motion toward Crabtree's direction, Ginn knew his opportunity had come.
He quickly planted his foot, and the explosive power in his calf muscles was instantly released. The whole person shot forward like an arrow from a bow. During his seemingly casual run, Ginn had already passed the 30-yard line unnoticed and was approaching the 25-yard line. After his instant burst, his short sprint of fewer than 10 yards had reached its maximum, and his speed was still increasing. The wind was howling in his ears, and the entire field became a blur, leaving only a dazzling red color.
A white figure was quickly cutting across and rushing toward the landing point of the football: Roman Harper! Ginn quickly raised his head and glanced at the flight path of the football from the corner of his eye. He understood it instantly. His speed got faster and faster. After crossing the 15-yard line, he entered a full sprint, as if it wasn't a 40-yard dash but a 20-yard one. Like a bolt of lightning, his seemingly slender figure created a sharp-piercing-the-air momentum.
Harper's speed had reached its peak, but a misread earlier, when he tried to cover Crabtree, caused him to lose his footing and position. Now, as he tried to cover again, he had already lost the initiative. As he watched Ginn rush past him like a speeding train, his instincts as a top-tier safety kicked in.
He took a step and dove forward. Harper launched himself like a flying Dutchman, stretching his arms to the maximum, aiming for Ginn's legs. He tried to hit Ginn's center of gravity like a bull, which would have disrupted Ginn's catching rhythm. But in the next moment, Harper's vision blurred, and all he could see was a flash of gold gracefully soaring over the sea of red.
Ginn could clearly feel his muscles burning. The momentum of his full sprint had created a powerful inertia, as if it was fighting against gravity. The immense force of the pull became incredibly clear, and he saw the white figure from the corner of his eye charging toward him with abandon. He knew they were going to collide head-on.
At the very last second, Ginn powerfully pushed off with his right foot, using the immense inertia and momentum to leap high into the air. The violent wind roared in his ears, and for a moment, he felt like he had grown wings and was soaring freely. Then, he felt a huge push on his legs, and his center of gravity was completely out of control while in the air.
But with full concentration, Ginn was singularly focused on the football. The rapidly spinning football remained stable, its axis unshaken. The force of its steady rotation was weakening little by little. Ginn stretched out his hands, following the football's downward curve, and lowered his hands slightly. Then, he felt a solid touch in his hands, accurately catching the football.
The next second, the world spun around him. The green ground came rushing toward him like a meteor hitting Earth. There was no time to think. He could only rely on his reflexes, tucking his knees toward his chest. His shoulder hit the ground first, and then his body, curled up like a hedgehog, tumbled forward twice before landing heavily on the ground.
He could feel the pain and soreness in every single one of his muscles, but at that moment, Ginn had no time to worry about himself. He jumped up and quickly looked for a referee, waiting for the call. Then, he saw the referee standing next to the end zone, holding his hands up high, signaling a perfectly executed touchdown!
"Ah! Ahhh! Ahhh!" Ginn slammed the football into the ground, clenched his fists, and roared at the surging red ocean of fans in front of him. It was a touchdown! It was a touchdown in the playoffs! This was Ted Ginn's first receiving touchdown in his playoff career!
The red ocean of Candlestick Park erupted. All the fans jumped up high. There was no need for more words, just a simple roar was enough to release all the emotions deep within them. They scored a touchdown!
"Touchdown! It's a touchdown! Without a doubt, it's a 39-yard touchdown pass! We are witnessing history, ladies and gentlemen! We are witnessing one of the most important moments in NFL history! This is the first touchdown pass from the Chinese quarterback, Lu Ke! This is not only the first time an Asian player has stood on the playoff stage, but it's also the first touchdown pass from an Asian player!"
"This season, in the first week of the regular season, we witnessed history. The first pass from a Chinese quarterback in NFL history was a 66-yard long pass for a touchdown, which amazed the entire league. Now, a season later, we are witnessing history again. A Chinese quarterback has completed a 39-yard touchdown pass on the playoff stage! Unbelievable, this is truly unbelievable!"
For the residents of California, Troy's voice from the radio was a familiar comfort during every San Francisco 49ers home game. Fans who had missed the live TV broadcast all turned on their radios to listen to Troy's unique and passionate commentary. The machine-gun-like commentary erupted, and in an instant, the entire city was in an uproar! People could be seen cheering and jumping wildly in the streets and alleys, roaring, "Touchdown! Touchdown!"
"Unbelievable, it's truly unbelievable. Is he really a rookie?"
In the broadcast booth, Johnston couldn't help but exclaim. Then, he saw Teddy and Kirk sharing a knowing smile, and he joined in on the laughter.
"Two running plays, two passing plays, and in both the play calls and his defensive reads, Lu Ke remained completely calm. He not only changed the play on the fly twice, but from that last play, the Saints' secondary was completely out of position. All five receiving options had open spaces, which means Lu Ke had already gained the absolute advantage in terms of offensive strategy."
After Johnston gave his overall opinion, he couldn't help but exclaim again, "Jim Harbaugh, who is responsible for the play calls, is undoubtedly the biggest mastermind behind the scenes. He is bold and smart, but Lu Ke, who is on the field, is firmly in control. My God, are you sure he's a rookie? Goose, what do you think?"
Siragusa also smiled, nodding repeatedly in agreement. "The Saints' defense really couldn't keep up. Their first defensive strategy seemed to have lost its direction, and the consecutive missed tackles on the run defense caused a series of chain reactions. They were in trouble before they could even get their footing."
"On the defensive play that gave up the touchdown, Ted Ginn actually had a wide-open space. There were no defenders. This is a huge mistake for the Saints' secondary defense. There was a clear communication problem between the cornerback and the safety. The deadly thing is that Lu Ke keenly spotted the open space and completed the touchdown." Siragusa concluded from the perspective of a defensive player.
Then, after a brief analysis, Kirk gave his final words, "The Saints are a team with distinct characteristics; their offense is clearly better than their defense. The defense couldn't keep up with the pace just now. The question now is whether the offense can quickly get into the rhythm and get back into the game."
Back in the game, David Akers, who had been in top form all season, remained steady after entering the playoffs. He easily kicked the extra point, making the score "7-0," with the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, in the lead.
Drew Brees took the field again. The battle-tested Brees was not affected by the chaotic start. The fumble led to a deficit, but it was not the end of the world. He appeared calm and composed, and he began to call plays in an orderly manner amidst the terrifying harassment from the home fans. On first and 10, Brees suddenly threw a mid-range pass, accurately finding Jimmy Graham in the middle-left position.
Graham, who was suspected of being injured in the first drive, was back on the field. The injury didn't seem to affect him at all. He used his back to hold off C.J. Spillman, made a 12-yard catch, and continued to advance for another five yards before being tackled by Carlos Rogers, who came to help.
Facing the immense pressure from Candlestick Park, Brees showed the top-tier touch of an elite quarterback. Just three minutes and 23 seconds later—
"Touchdown! Touchdown! Jimmy Graham successfully caught the football under the double-team of two defenders, completing this 13-yard touchdown pass! The Saints' offense also made a timely touchdown, and the game is back to a tie! Graham! Graham once again performed his classic slam dunk celebration, slamming the football into the goalpost!"
"One touchdown for you, one touchdown for me. Will this game really become an offensive battle, as the fans expected?"
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