Chapter 607: Chaos On The Field
Standing on the 29-yard line, Lu Ke looked up. The end zone seemed within reach, but they were now facing a third-and-seven long-yardage conversion. This meant that the New Orleans Saints' defense wouldn't leave him much time or space to complete a long pass. Even if they did, it could be a trap.
After all, a long pass target is too obvious. If a defender anticipates it and two or three players create a defensive trap, an interception is a high-probability outcome. If Lu Ke were to be intercepted here, the game would be over.
Although from a statistical perspective, the Saints' pass rush isn't their strongest point, and an analysis of their season stats shows that their defensive line's intensity and strength aren't the best...
But these are just analyses on paper. Just like how the Saints' offensive line was completely torn to shreds today, and their impressive performance during the regular season completely disappeared, analyzing the defense's stats now is useless. Everything depends on their on-field performance.
This time, the Saints' defense was going all out. The 49ers lined up in a standard "two-by-two" offensive formation. On the left were Crabtree and Vernon, and on the right were Ginn and Logan. Lu Ke and Marcus were in a pistol formation, but this time Marcus was on the left, not his usual right side. Overall, the formation was nothing special; it was just a basic play.
But the Saints lined up in a strange formation. Nine men! The Saints had a full nine men on their defensive line, and their distribution was incredibly bizarre. In the center, there was only one defensive tackle against center Jonathan Goodwin. The defensive ends on both sides were spread out at the ends of the offensive line, against Adam Snyder and Joe Staley, respectively. This meant that there were no players in front of Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis, who were on either side of Goodwin.
Next, on the 49ers' right side, the Saints had five players lined up. One player was on the outside against Ginn, and the other four were in the gap between Staley and Logan. This meant that at least three players in the middle were facing an empty space, and once they broke through, they could go straight for a sack.
On the 49ers' left side, the Saints had two more players. One was on the front line against Vernon, and the other was about three or four yards behind against Crabtree.
From a bird's-eye view, you could see nine players standing in a loose and irregular line on the Saints' defensive front. The front-to-back arrangement wasn't a precise straight line, but they were generally on the same line. Then, the only player against Crabtree was a few steps behind. Finally, in the backfield, 15 to 17 yards away, a safety stood alone.
This was an incredibly strange formation. On the surface, the 49ers' right side was undoubtedly a weak point. Logan and Ginn aren't excellent blockers, and the Saints had a clear numerical advantage, so they could easily break through and get a sack. This also meant that the Saints were deliberately trying to force Lu Ke to the left.
On the 49ers' left side, where Crabtree and Vernon were, they had an advantage in the short passing game but were relatively weaker in the deep passing game. Moreover, there were two players defending here, and the outside linebacker against Adam Snyder also seemed to be a player covering the pass. Plus, the safety in the backfield was also lurking. This side was clearly full of dangers.
Third-and-seven. The Saints only needed to force the 49ers into a desperate situation to gain an advantage. But this was just a tactical analysis on paper. Sean Payton was definitely another tactical master in the league. Although defense was his weakness, at such a crucial moment, he dared to line up in a strange formation, which meant he had enough confidence.
So, should Lu Ke choose to break through on the left or the right? Glancing at the play clock out of the corner of his eye, Lu Ke quickly communicated with Harbaugh. Was the previous play still applicable? Did it need local adjustments? Or did it need to be completely changed? If it had to be changed, what play should they choose?
After the communication, Lu Ke exhaled heavily and quickly walked to Marcus. He leaned in and whispered, and Marcus nodded repeatedly to show that he understood. Then, Lu Ke returned to his position and shouted, "Hold your position! Hold your position!" This wasn't a play call, but a signal that the play wasn't changing.
After repeating it twice, Lu Ke bent down and glanced at the positions of Logan and Ginn on his right side, as if he were sizing them up. Then, he immediately called for the snap.
"Hut!"
The moment the ball was snapped, the New Orleans Saints' defense swept forward like a strong wind. The six players on the 49ers' right side (the Saints' left side), with the innermost player as the pivot, held off the strong offensive tackle, Joe Staley. The other five players lined up in a row, forming a semicircle, and swept out with a powerful force that was like a bulldozer, pushing forward aggressively.
There was no doubt that in the face of a clear numerical advantage, the San Francisco 49ers' offense was instantly herded to the left like a flock of chicks in a game of "catch the chick." Only Anthony Davis and Joe Staley on the right side held their ground, each grappling with a defender and wrestling with them. But the other players scattered to the left side like birds and beasts.
You could see that the left side of the field was completely chaotic, with no system to it. One offensive player was just going up against one defensive player. There was no play and no structure. It was loose and random. It seemed as if they would just go and aggressively hit any defender they saw, which made the whole scene a mess. Red and white were completely intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.
There was no offense, and there was no defense. This... this... even the commentators had no idea what to say. It seemed as if both teams had just rolled up their sleeves and started to get dirty. This couldn't be right, could it?
"Snap! The Saints' defense is fiercely driving to the 49ers' left side. The pocket is broken! The 49ers' offensive line's pocket is completely shattered! All the players are gathered near the left side of the line of scrimmage, all piled up in a mess! The scene is too chaotic. All the players are intertwined, and there is no play to be seen."
"Marcus Lynch! Lynch is running around and speeding up. The offensive line is trying to cover Lynch's run! It's a running play! Lynch successfully got around the crowd near the left side of the line of scrimmage. He's accelerating! He's accelerating! Four defenders are closing in on him! Lynch! Lynch has crossed the first-down line. The 49ers have successfully gotten a first down! My God! How did this happen?"
"First down! First down! Lynch is still advancing! Lynch! Marcus Lynch! Roman Harper is in position to cover, and Lynch chose to go down early. Harper got there just in time to push Lynch. Wait, no, what's going on! Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ! What is this? Unbelievable!"
Lu Ke completely cleared his mind, focused, and called for the snap. His hands clearly felt the texture and weight of the football. Without any hesitation, he quickly moved sideways to the left, then made a cross with Marcus, completing the handoff. Marcus curled up, protecting the football tightly. For him, avoiding a turnover was more important than gaining yards.
Marcus began to move quickly to the left. In his vision, he could see the three players on the left side of the 49ers' offensive line, including center Goodwin. They teamed up with Crabtree and Vernon to form a wall, stopping all the players rushing from both the left and right sides.
But in their haste, their wall was completely flimsy, like a shoddy construction. In the blink of an eye, four defenders had already broken through this blockade and saw Marcus running quickly with the ball. So they started to chase him frantically, closing in from behind and forming a tight circle with Roman Harper in front.
But even though the wall was flimsy, that one-and-a-half-second delay gave Marcus enough space to accelerate, and he successfully got a first down and was still advancing.
The entire Candlestick Park had gone crazy. The screams and roars were endless. The shock on their eardrums made every cell in their bodies tremble. That thrilling, blood-boiling sensation shot up from the soles of their feet to their scalp, making their whole body tingle. Lu Ke told himself: Calm down, calm down. He needed to be absolutely calm!
"Bullet Time!"
At the moment of the snap, Lu Ke didn't hesitate or delay. He immediately used his third special skill of the game.
First second. He moved laterally. Out of the corner of his eye, he could clearly see the overwhelming force on the right side, crushing him like a rolling wave of heat, chasing the San Francisco 49ers who were constantly sprinting forward. But Lu Ke's steps weren't panicked at all because he knew that his footwork and speed were his weaknesses. He had to stay calm, or there would be no way out.
In his vision, he could see Marcus coming to receive the handoff. Under the effect of the "Bullet Time" skill, the handoff speed slowed down slightly, but all the details of the action were magnified. For Lu Ke, who only had 45 points in play-action, this was the biggest advantage. He could make his handoff motion more realistic. Then, the moment Marcus was about to complete the "fake catch," he quickly pulled his hand back and regained control of the football in his palm.
He quietly held the football up, gripping one end with his palm, completely hiding it on the inside of his arm. Then, he continued to move with Marcus's steps. Yes, it was a fake handoff. The football was in Lu Ke's hands the entire time!
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