Chapter 604: The First Lead Change
"Roar! Ahhh! Wooo!"
Every person in sight stood up. The boos, shouts, screams, and roars created an incredible amount of noise, reverberating again and again. Fans waved their towels and hats, and a wave of noise rolled in, covering everything. The air was filled with a brilliant and boiling red, and even the blue sky reflected a faint red.
The red ocean began to boil, endlessly filling every corner of sight, lunging at the away team like a fierce beast. It had become a powerful reinforcement for the home team, crashing into the away team again and again, trying to shake their ever-rising momentum. Lu Ke knew that this wasn't the effect of a special skill. The skill itself didn't work on the fans but enhanced their support by five percent. In other words, the more powerful the fans' support was, the better the skill's effect would be. Conversely, the weaker it would be.
But at this moment, Lu Ke truly felt the beating heart hidden within Candlestick Park. It was powerful and fierce. Thump. Thump. Thump. The immense momentum penetrated the ground, transmitting clearly. It was as if the 70,000 fans at home were truly one with the eleven players on the field, fighting side by side.
The fans knew the home team needed their support. The fans knew the home team was in a tough spot. The fans knew that this victory required everyone to work together. So, they stepped up, they went all out, and they shouted until their voices were hoarse. That magnificent and grand momentum filled people with passion and vigor!
In the midst of the cheers, the San Francisco 49ers' defense fought with increasing bravery! On the first drive, the defense tore through the pocket twice, shredding one of the league's top offensive lines. Once, they brutally tackled the running back for a one-yard gain behind the line of scrimmage, and another time they chased Drew Brees into a desperate scramble, forcing him to throw the ball out of bounds to avoid a sack. Instantly, the Saints were in a third-and-nine situation.
In a crucial moment, Brees stepped up again, quickly finding a wide receiver with a screen pass and narrowly completing a 12-yard pass, completing a third-and-three conversion in a suffocating way.
On the second drive, the defense chased Brees all over the field again. The pocket quarterback was forced to become a running quarterback, trying his best to run and pass, but he still ended up in a third-and-one situation. As a result, Brees used a clever play-action pass, utilizing the speed of running back Darren Sproles to gain one yard, and narrowly completed his second third-down conversion in a row.
It's no exaggeration to say that Brees was almost single-handedly carrying the entire team forward. The pressure on the elite quarterback reached an unprecedented level.
On the third drive, the defense broke through the pocket again as if no one was there. A frustrated Brees, who was being chased, didn't even have time to look for a target, let alone complete a pass. In his haste, he could only throw the football out of bounds, and he once again faced a second-and-ten situation.
The noise inside Candlestick Park was incredibly fierce. Amidst the tidal waves, the entire ground began to tremble slightly. You could almost feel the roar and rage from the Bay Area. The Saints' offensive players couldn't concentrate at all. Brees's play calls were almost inaudible. Before the snap on two consecutive plays, he noticed a mistake in their formation and had to step up again to change the play.
Such a home-field atmosphere was no less impressive than CenturyLink Field, and perhaps even more so. Brees wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but since this drive began, the home crowd's support seemed even more terrifying. He could clearly feel the thunderous pounding on his eardrums, which made it hard to concentrate. This feeling was terrible, as if all his limbs were being restrained. If Brees felt this way, it was even worse for the other Saints' offensive players.
After changing the play twice in a row, the play clock was about to run out, but their formation was still not quite right. In desperation, Brees could only hastily call for the snap. As for the play, he would just have to improvise!
"Hut!"
Instantly, Brees saw the pocket collapse in front of him. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the 49ers' defense, with only four pass rushers, had already overcome their numerical disadvantage and overpowered the Saints' offensive line's protection. The entire pocket was in disarray. Brees took a quick step back to adjust his throwing space, but he couldn't find a target. The secondary defenders were man-to-man, cutting off all the receivers, and three other players were scattered in different parts of the field in zone coverage. The tight defense left no room for a pass. The pocket was about to be torn apart, and Brees was about to face the impact of a tidal wave again.
Then, Darren Sproles appeared. The running back, Sproles, sprinted out of the slot receiver's route and cut into the short-pass area. There were two defenders nearby, but they weren't in tight coverage, and there was a five-yard gap. In a split second, Brees accurately threw the football into Sproles's arms. It was a six-yard short pass, clean and crisp.
After completing the catch, Sproles instantly accelerated. The outside linebacker, Parys Haralson, saw that he was about to miss the tackle and made a leap. But Sproles used a high knee to avoid Haralson's fatal lunge, then made a move to the left, avoiding the path of cornerback Carroll Rogers, and sped up. The safety, C.J. Spillman, was about to come at him, but Sproles, like a car drifting around a corner, made a small arc with his body and avoided Spillman's fingertips by a hair's breadth. He then continued into the middle. On the left, he saw Jimmy Graham block another defender, and then the path in front of him was clear.
"Sproles! Sproles! 35 yards! 30 yards! He dodged a tackle! He dodged another tackle! 20 yards! Sproles has entered the 20-yard line! 15 yards! 10 yards! There are no defenders now! Unbelievable! Unbelievable! Touchdown! Darren Sproles! It's a touchdown!"
"Facing a pocket that kept collapsing, Drew Brees was constantly in a desperate situation, but they delivered a fatal blow! The New Orleans Saints have taken the lead! After entering the fourth quarter, the 49ers' pace and performance seem to be unable to keep up. Now, the Saints have a touchdown, and as long as they can complete the extra point, they will have their first lead change of the game!"
"Jesus Christ! Oh, Jesus Christ! Is the script from last week going to repeat itself this week?"
A miss by a hair's breadth can lead to a huge loss. That's what happened on this drive. Three times in a row, the San Francisco 49ers' defense was on the verge of stopping the New Orleans Saints' offense, but in a split second, Drew Brees was always able to create a small opening, advance, reverse the situation, and even score a touchdown. The instincts and ability of an elite quarterback were truly extraordinary!
Lu Ke folded his hands across his chest. Instead of being discouraged, his fighting spirit was even more ignited. He knew it. The "Tidal Wave" home-field skill was a support skill. It was impossible for the home crowd's intimidation to directly dismantle the opponent's offense. But seeing Brees, who was affected by the 5% suppression, still stumble and lead his team forward in a desperate situation, Lu Ke's inner stubbornness and passion began to burn fiercely.
When two brave men meet, the braver one wins. So what happens when two brave men meet? The stronger one wins! This game was no longer just his first playoff game. It was his first real showdown against an elite quarterback, allowing Lu Ke to truly witness the strength of the league's top players. Perhaps his current strength was not yet on par with a player of Brees's caliber, but he could go all out and see who would have the last laugh!
The entire stadium was in shock and disbelief. They stared blankly at the field, clutching their heads in frustration and pain. They were disappointed and dejected. They couldn't understand what had just happened. How did all of this happen? Why? Why! They looked at the score on the big screen, but they still couldn't believe their eyes.
"37-38!"
The Saints kicked the extra point without any suspense and successfully took the lead! For the 49ers, who had led for almost the entire game, being overtaken by their opponent at the last minute felt like a nightmare, a nightmare they wanted to wake up from quickly!
Then, the fans noticed the time on the big screen: four minutes and two seconds. They still had time. The game was not over!
"Offense! Clap-clap! Offense! Clap-clap!"
When the first fan came to his senses, he began to chant "Offense!" followed by two claps. He then repeated the chant, creating a wonderful rhythmic beat that reignited the powerful sound of support. The stadium slowly began to calm down.
How could they have forgotten? This season, it was this offense that was tough and aggressive, refusing to give up, compromise, or surrender, earning victory after victory, showing an unimaginable amount of youthful vigor and courage. They had led them back to the playoffs after eight years. They had been through crises, and they had been through desperate situations, but they had always had the last laugh! If that was true in the regular season, why should the playoffs be any different?
The shouts gradually united into one voice, surging through the stadium: "Offense! Clap-clap! Offense! Clap-clap! Offense! Clap-clap!"
🗒️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!