Chapter 713: The Pressure Mounts
Charles Davis was still Charles Davis.
To be honest, without Charles's weekly provocations of Lu Ke, the "Inside the League" show would certainly lose a lot of its charm. From a production standpoint, this was not what they wanted to see.
However, after a year of adding new blood and making adjustments, the 32 teams in the league had undergone earth-shaking changes. Similarly, after a year of settling down and polishing, Charles had also changed.
Perhaps the only thing that hadn't changed was Charles's attitude towards Lu Ke. Or rather, his bias.
In the previous conversation, Charles specifically mentioned two quarterbacks: Sam Bradford, the first overall pick in 2010 for the St. Louis Rams, and Josh Freeman, the 17th overall pick in the first round of 2009 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
These two quarterbacks had one thing in common: they both delivered top-tier performances in the 2010 season and created their own records. Bradford's rookie season was even on par with Peyton Manning's, and he won the Rookie of the Year award. Immediately after, in the 2011 season, both of them were plagued by minor injuries, and their performance plummeted, almost fading into obscurity.
Through the examples of these two quarterbacks, an objective fact about the entire league can be seen: if the first-year players face a shocking education, then the second- and third-year players directly enter the meat grinder of hell mode.
"Let's be objective."
This was Charles's opening line, which immediately showed a different demeanor from last year. "In his rookie season, Lu Ke's performance indeed shocked the entire league. In terms of his tactical understanding and on-field execution, he earned Jim Harbaugh's trust, which also proved that he is a qualified starting quarterback." Qualified, not excellent. The difference in the adjective still showed Charles's true attitude.
"But Lu Ke's weaknesses are also very obvious. His body is too thin, his footwork is too slow, and his plays are too risky." Charles was not in a hurry. Instead, he slowed down his pace, as if waiting for a rebuttal, but no one spoke because these were Lu Ke's weaknesses, and they were undisputed facts.
Charles then continued, with a hint of smugness in his voice, "These weaknesses will all be further magnified in his second year. The other 31 teams will definitely not miss them easily. Furthermore, after the novelty of his rookie season wears off, he will become a target, a target that everyone will attack."
He stopped there.
Charles didn't continue to be aggressive, but his words just now were enough. "Performing well in a rookie season, and then a significant drop in performance in the second year when everyone's expectations are high. Lu Ke is not the first, and he won't be the last. Let's be objective. When we put Lu Ke's strengths and weaknesses on the table, the conclusion is not difficult to reach."
Charles looked at Spencer.
But even Spencer couldn't refute it. Under the same conditions, some people saw the weaknesses, and some saw the strengths. This was the difference. So, Charles chose to be pessimistic about Lu Ke, and Spencer chose to be optimistic about him. This was the result. There was no need to refute it.
Spencer gave a big smile. "Let's be objective." He repeated Charles's words and nodded slightly in agreement, but this simple action showed sarcasm and mockery, attacking Charles without holding back.
"In the season that just ended, we repeatedly analyzed Lu Ke's on-paper strength countless times. Your point of view was always that Lu Ke couldn't win, and my point of view was always that Lu Ke could win," Charles said with clear logic and a hint of helplessness, spreading his hands. "Now, after an offseason, nothing has changed, right?"
The subtext was: "Nonsense."
All of Charles's comments just now were nonsense.
Then, Spencer shrugged. "So, we can go straight to the conclusion. I think the San Francisco 49ers can win the game. What about you?"
Charles was immediately pushed into a corner and could only say subconsciously, "Green Bay Packers."
Spencer looked at Edward, and Edward snapped his fingers. "Okay, the 49ers and the Packers each got a vote. What about the others? Everyone, feel free to express your opinions. We need you to speak up. Quickly, speak up."
One after another, the ten commentators expressed their opinions.
Five votes went to the San Francisco 49ers, and five votes went to the Green Bay Packers.
This was an unexpected yet reasonable result.
It was unexpected because in the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers' series of transfers and draft strategies were indeed hard to comment on. The defense was not improved, and the offensive line was not fully addressed. Their on-paper strength did not make any progress; it stayed the same. So, in comparison, the Green Bay Packers, who had been in peak form for the past two seasons, naturally had a slight edge.
It was reasonable because the Green Bay Packers' offense was clearly stronger than their defense, while the San Francisco 49ers' defense and offense were relatively balanced. Overall, this was still a 50/50 game. Even if the Green Bay Packers had a slightly better chance of winning, the difference was still very small, a matter of inches. It wouldn't be a surprise if either team won.
This episode of "Inside the League" could be said to be a microcosm of the entire league.
After a successful season, everyone's expectations for the San Francisco 49ers naturally began to rise. This was one aspect. On the other hand, the poor offseason operations made people start to question the San Francisco 49ers' new season, especially the performance of their second-year players.
The views of the league's professionals were like this, full of both expectations and doubts. This was a contradictory whole.
After the preseason ended and before the regular season began, the league's official commentator, Chuck Lyle, wrote a special article predicting this year's championship favorites.
This year, Chuck would take over the official weekly power rankings, continuing the tradition of changing columnists every year. In other words, this list could also be seen as officially endorsed.
Among the championship favorites, Chuck listed six teams: in the AFC, the New England Patriots, the Denver Broncos, and the Pittsburgh Steelers; in the NFC, the Green Bay Packers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the New York Giants.
In addition, there were two dark horse candidates: the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.
For the former, Chuck said, "Their excellent defense ensures their floor, while their offensive strength will determine their ceiling. They will always be one of the most underrated teams in the AFC."
For the latter, Chuck said, "This is a team full of countless possibilities. They could have a terrible record of 3-13 and compete for the first overall pick, or they could have an excellent record of 13-3 and become a contender for the number one seed in the NFC."
Besides the eight teams, there was another team with a question mark next to its name: the New Orleans Saints.
After the Bountygate scandal, the team was in turmoil, and the head coach was also suspended for a year. The current state of the Saints was completely unpredictable. On the one hand, Drew Brees was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. But on the other hand, would the already underperforming defense completely fall apart because of the Bountygate scandal?
From Chuck Lyle to "Inside the League," it was clear from all aspects that the San Francisco 49ers had completely shed their mysterious facade from last year. They were completely exposed to the spotlight and became the subject of everyone's research. Under such pressure, the performance of the young players would undoubtedly be the focus of attention.
The most direct manifestation was the pre-game press conference.
When Lu Ke and the other players entered the Green Bay Packers' press conference hall, the bustling scene was truly startling. The size of over 400 reporters crowded the not-so-spacious hall to the point of being impassable. It seemed that every corner was filled with people. The huge crowd stretched out in a vast expanse, creating a powerful visual impact. Even the air began to boil.
Such a grand and spectacular sight made people wonder:
Did they get the time wrong? Was this not the visiting team's press conference, but the home team's?
Logan, Marcus, Aldon, and others all looked at Lu Ke, making him laugh and say helplessly, "Hey, I haven't attended a Super Bowl press conference either. How would I know what's going on here? Why don't you guys ask Randy?"
Randy Moss. He was also one of the focal points of today's press conference.
This banter made the reporters nearby chuckle. It was Lu Ke's second season, and they had gradually become familiar with his way of speaking.
More attention meant more pressure. Similarly, more focus meant more motivation. This was a double-edged sword, and now it was up to the young players of the San Francisco 49ers to deal with it.
At least from Lu Ke's performance during the interview, they still maintained a positive attitude. They weren't carried away by the success of the last season, nor were they discouraged by the failure of the last season.
"This is not an easy game. Obviously, we should be the underdogs. This is natural, and I also think the team on the other side of the field has the upper hand. But we still maintain a positive attitude and will do our best to meet this challenge. In the end, the team that plays better will win the game. I hope we are that team."
This was Lu Ke's answer to the reporters about the outcome of the game. It was his familiar ease, his familiar composure, his familiar manner. Everything was just as they remembered.
And then, there was the familiar reporter:
"There are rumors that your favorite team is the Green Bay Packers and that you once wanted to play in Green Bay. Is this true? And what are your thoughts on this game today?"
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