Chapter 719: Head-On Breakthrough
After getting back on the field, Lu Ke's mind was incredibly clear. The layout of the entire field gradually became clear in a three-dimensional way.
Lu Ke intentionally cleared the players on the left wing and deployed a large number of players on the right wing, and it was all for a reason.
Lu Ke chose to gather a large number of players on the right wing, and the Green Bay Packers had to defend against it, at least protect against it. This was an open and aboveboard plot. If the Packers just let it go, Lu Ke wouldn't mind taking advantage of the situation, finding an opening on the right side, and completing a pass. He was forcing the opposing defense to deploy more personnel to protect the right wing.
As a result, an outside linebacker, an inside linebacker, a cornerback, and two safeties would all inevitably lean towards the right side. So, what about the left side?
On the left side, there was only one outside linebacker, one inside linebacker, and one cornerback left.
This was exactly what Lu Ke intended to create. On one hand, the San Francisco 49ers only had Crabtree as a wide receiver on the left side. On the other hand, Matthews was undoubtedly the most reliable part of the front-line defense.
With this trade-off, the defense on the left side would inevitably be more targeted. Matthews would rush the quarterback, and the inside linebacker closer to the left side would allocate more energy to defending the run.
After the snap, Lu Ke also made a fake motion as if Marcus was running the ball. It didn't matter if it was detected. The intention was to further pin the inside linebacker to his original position.
So, on the left side, Crabtree and Shields truly became a one-on-one matchup, a one-on-one with no interference. From height to weight, Crabtree had a complete matchup advantage. As long as he could get into position early, Crabtree would be the most reliable receiving option.
Of course, all of this depended on whether Matthews could be prevented from making a sack or a collision. Lu Ke had not forgotten about Matthews.
"Hut!"
After announcing the snap, Lu Ke methodically completed a fake handoff and then returned to his position. He took a steady back step, but the corner of his eye kept scanning to the left, and he immediately saw Matthews, who was like a tiger descending from a mountain. A thought immediately snapped in his mind:
It worked!
Matthews was a defensive player with a very strong sense of breaking through and tackling. His offensive firepower was incredibly fierce. As long as he found a slight opportunity, he would use his abilities to continuously put pressure on the opposing quarterback, never letting the quarterback stand comfortably in the pocket to complete a pass.
But now, Lu Ke was well-prepared, and his feet were completely tense, not slackening at all.
First, after the offseason training, Lu Ke's ball-carrying ability had reached 81, his evasion ability had reached 63, and his push-blocking ability had reached 71. This meant that he was no longer a lamb to be slaughtered. Second, as soon as any sign of danger appeared, Lu Ke would use "Absolute Footwork," which was his biggest trump card.
So, this was a plan to lure the snake out of its hole.
It could be considered a refined version of a screen pass, using Lu Ke as bait to lure Matthews out, giving Crabtree more space to receive the ball and advance.
Just then, a pleasant surprise appeared: Joe Staley.
Staley used his strong body to block Matthews's first wave of breakthrough, but Matthews was more flexible and Staley was more clumsy. Just as Matthews was about to break through Staley's block, Staley took a half-step forward, supported Matthews's shoulders with both hands, and pushed him back hard, like an elephant hitting a tree trunk. Matthews's center of gravity shifted again.
One second. Two seconds.
Facing the wolf-like Matthews, Staley actually blocked him for two full seconds and even disrupted his center of gravity. This was definitely a huge surprise. It seemed that Lu Ke's blind side had finally found a reliable protector.
In two seconds, Lu Ke's footwork had been successfully adjusted. There was no need for the special skill he was about to use. He quickly adjusted his position and angle with small steps, while the corner of his eye looked at Matthews, who was relentlessly starting up for the third time. Before the opponent got close, he took a step forward and moved out of position, tearing apart their vertical axis. Then...
He raised his hand, pulled the bow, adjusted, and released.
After the football was successfully released, Matthews's figure just barely arrived. He only had time to pat Lu Ke's waist before he had to make an emergency stop and control his body to avoid a roughing the passer penalty. Even so, the powerful impact still made the two of them collide and fall into a heap.
After the snap, Crabtree went all out, and his powerful running momentum burst out with an irresistible force. His speed was not fast, but it was aggressive. The powerful air wave roared past, instantly breaking through Shields's block. Five yards, ten yards. His speed didn't increase, but his momentum didn't stop.
Shields finally realized something was wrong and quickly tried to go back on defense, but after losing his defensive position, the difference in their body types put him at a complete disadvantage. His footwork didn't take much effort to catch up to Crabtree, but he couldn't stop the opponent's continuous breakthrough momentum, and he couldn't interfere with the opponent's running rhythm.
As a cornerback, one wrong step led to a series of wrong steps, and Shields's running became incredibly difficult.
Just then, a bullet pass came through the air. When Shields caught the flight path of the football out of the corner of his eye, Crabtree's hands were already held high, ready to catch the ball.
Shields subconsciously extended his right hand, trying to disrupt the pass, but after reaching out, he realized that the gap was too big. He couldn't even get close to the passing range. Moreover, the pass arc was slightly higher, as if... as if it had intentionally avoided Shields's defensive range, taking into account the height difference between the two players.
Damn it!
Crabtree comfortably extended his arms. After his palms touched the football, he gave it a slight nudge and then steadily controlled the football with both hands. He didn't face any challenges or collisions. He didn't even need to adjust his footwork or speed. After completing the catch, he could continue to speed up and advance.
"Wow, wait, wow. Matthews couldn't break through the offensive line immediately. The San Francisco 49ers' pocket protection was surprisingly solid. Lu Ke is observing, Lu Ke is still observing, and Lu Ke throws the pass! Matthews is too late. Lu Ke had already calmly completed the pass before the opponent got close. It looks like he had calculated it in advance."
"It's a bullet pass, 10 yards... no, 15 yards. Beautiful. It's a pass over the shoulder! Crabtree got into position early and didn't give Shields any chance, completing the catch easily!"
"Crabtree is still advancing! Crabtree! Crabtree!"
"Shields is trying to interfere with Crabtree's running rhythm, but the disadvantage in the matchup makes his defense look like it doesn't pose much of a threat. Shields fouled. In an emergency, Shields grabbed him and pushed Crabtree out of bounds, stopping the drive."
"Beautiful! The San Francisco 49ers' offense that we are familiar with is back!"
In the studio, Kirk's signature passionate commentary appeared again, and he couldn't help but applaud Lu Ke. Afterward, after watching the replay, the praises just kept coming.
"This is the Lu Ke that I'm familiar with. Precise defensive reads, clever play calls, bold pass selections, and accurate pass control. In a seemingly easy but incredibly complex offensive drive, he is slowly making the defense lose its rhythm."
The pass just now was a 15-yard short pass that found Crabtree. Then Crabtree ran for another six yards before being pushed out of bounds.
At the same time, a yellow flag appeared on the field, pointing at Shields for a holding penalty. But because of the advantage rule, the San Francisco 49ers did not accept the penalty and kept the progress they had just made.
Now, the San Francisco 49ers' offense was on their own 41-yard line. More importantly, the head-on battle with Matthews had a breakthrough for the first time. With the first one, there would definitely be a second one. Now, the situation had finally opened up.
Afterward, Lu Ke was not in a hurry to increase the offensive rhythm, but the way the plays were executed became more decisive. The entire offense was powerful and gradually entered the San Francisco 49ers' own offensive rhythm, bringing the offensive line and the receivers' focus together bit by bit.
First, it was a run to Marcus, who ran for three yards. Then it was a screen pass. Lu Ke intentionally ignored Logan, who had run into the open, and chose to pass to Gore, who had rotated back onto the field. Gore completed the catch behind the linebackers, but he still couldn't find his rhythm. He only advanced five yards before being tackled again.
Facing a third down and two, Lu Ke seemingly conservatively but boldly handed off the ball to Gore for the second time in a row. Gore, whose running rhythm had been unstable, successfully found a gap thanks to the excellent blocking of the offensive line, advanced two yards, and got another first down.
In the blink of an eye, they had successfully crossed the midfield and were now on the opponent's 49-yard line. The speed and power of the entire offense were gradually increasing.
Just when everyone thought the offense was about to enter the San Francisco 49ers' mode, Lu Ke had an absurd incomplete pass. And, a yellow flag appeared on the field, pointing at number 84 on the offense, Randy Moss.
Moss, however, didn't understand what had happened. He angrily rushed to the referee, constantly questioning what the foul was. The number 38 cornerback, Tramon Williams, who was standing nearby, didn't back down either and argued with Moss, making the situation a little chaotic.
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