Chapter 724: The First to Speed Up
"Interception! My God, it's an interception! What on earth is happening?"
"The San Francisco 49ers' defense has exploded with unimaginable energy, suddenly increasing their defensive intensity and tempo. In a head-on confrontation, they have frustrated the Green Bay Packers' offense again and again. Brilliant! This is absolutely brilliant! This season's San Francisco 49ers' defense seems to have upgraded its arsenal again! But, but!"
"But, Aaron Rodgers has just thrown an interception!"
"What are we witnessing? Last season, the two quarterbacks who were tied for the fewest interceptions in the league have both thrown an interception in the first quarter of today's game? This... did I miss something? Can anyone explain? Is this a courtesy exchange?"
In the studio, Kirk was in a state of continuous astonishment. The first quarter wasn't even halfway over, and there had already been at least three unexpected situations. This was truly too tense and exciting. Although everyone had anticipated the excitement of this game early on, the reality far exceeded expectations!
So far, the two teams had a total of four drives, and the final results were: interception; touchdown; touchdown; interception.
Aaron Rodgers and Lu Ke, the two young quarterbacks who had shone brightly last season, were having a bumpy ride in their first head-to-head matchup of the regular season, each throwing a touchdown and an interception. This came as a huge surprise to countless people. Everyone had expected the offenses to shine, but who would have thought that the defenses would become the main characters!
Fans in front of their televisions were on a roller coaster ride, going up and down, and it was incredibly thrilling.
It was clear that after a long offseason of adjustments and reflection, both quarterbacks were starting a little slow in the first game of the regular season. Now, it would be up to which player could adjust the fastest and get back into game mode. That would be the one to seize the early initiative.
From the current situation, it seemed that the San Francisco 49ers had a half-step lead. Because after Rodgers threw an interception, he not only handed the ball over to the opponent but also gave them a starting position on the opponent's 15-yard line. So, could the Green Bay Packers' defense stop this offensive surge?
After getting off the field, Lu Ke, who was sitting on the sidelines looking at his playbook, had barely sat down before he was back on the field.
In a hurry, the offensive players all gathered around Lu Ke. Lu Ke once again knelt on one knee, quickly went through the play, and then scattered to line up. Just when everyone thought Lu Ke would choose a quick snap, Lu Ke suddenly changed the play. He quickly walked behind the offensive line and loudly relayed his play to the receivers.
The problem was that their positions hadn't changed. So, what was Lu Ke up to? Even the commentators in the studio were a little confused.
"Vernon Davis is not on the field. The San Francisco 49ers are once again using a three-wide receiver offense. This formation was very successful in the first half of the 2011 season. But... why is it Kyle Williams and not Randy Moss?"
"Obviously, Williams's mistakes in the NFC Championship Game caused countless controversies, but today, they didn't choose the biggest star wide receiver on the team. Instead, they chose to continue to trust Williams. This is interesting."
Standing on the opponent's 15-yard line, the San Francisco 49ers unexpectedly abandoned the two-tight-end formation and chose a multi-route offense.
On the left wing, it was still Crabtree alone, while on the right wing, it was Logan, Williams, and Ginn together.
As Kirk said in his commentary, in the first half of last year's season, this offensive strategy was used frequently and was often effective. It fully utilized the running characteristics of different players to create a dazzling multi-point offense, and finally, through Lu Ke's in-game judgment and precise selection, a fatal pass was completed.
After Lu Ke made the last-minute adjustment, Logan's position remained unchanged. Williams and Ginn both took a step to the outside, and that was it. Furthermore, in the shotgun formation, Marcus, who was originally standing behind Lu Ke, went around and came to Lu Ke's right side, standing parallel.
Everything seemed familiar, having been seen countless times in game footage. Countless times!
But the problem was that countless variations still created countless possibilities.
"Hut!"
After Lu Ke announced the snap, the San Francisco 49ers' offensive drive began with a strong momentum.
On this side, Crabtree made a horizontal cut to the inside. After reaching the central area, he made an emergency stop and ran back, actively running toward the defensive line to find a receiving gap in the space between the defensive linemen and the cornerbacks.
On the other side, Williams ran straight forward. After about seven yards, he also ran back and slightly to the outside, creating an open space near the sideline. Ginn, on the other hand, made an "S" wave-like run, suddenly going forward, then suddenly to the left, and then suddenly to the right. His unpredictable running route unknowingly entered a gap of about three yards.
And there was Marcus. He found another way to get through the blockade of the offensive and defensive lines and then came to the gap between the defensive linemen and the linebackers. After running through an inside linebacker, he also won a small space to survive.
The entire short-pass area suddenly became incredibly crowded.
The Green Bay Packers' defenders formed a semicircular vacuum. The three defensive linemen were the straight line at the bottom of the semicircle, fiercely rushing the offensive line. The other players were scattered in various corners of the short and mid-pass areas, forming a huge arc that surrounded all the receivers. There were defenders in every area.
Charles Woodson's eyes were fixed on Lu Ke. Most of his attention was focused on this quarterback. Because he knew he absolutely couldn't underestimate number 14. A small bit of information could lead to irreversible consequences. The core of the entire offense was him. As long as he kept a close eye on his every move, he would have the upper hand.
But this wasn't all.
Woodson's eyes were skillfully and quickly tracking the running routes of the visiting team's white jerseys. Even if he couldn't make an accurate judgment, he could at least get a rough idea of their moving trends. This would be crucial for his subsequent defensive anticipation, a lesson learned after many years in the league.
Wait, why was the short-pass area so chaotic?
White jerseys, forest green jerseys, the colorful movements in his field of vision were surging and piling up in large chunks. It was dazzling and overwhelming. The entire short-pass area seemed incredibly crowded and chaotic. During the crisscrossing runs, the Packers' zone defense had been completely disrupted, and obvious gaps were starting to appear between players.
Michael Crabtree.
Kyle Williams.
Ted Ginn.
Marcus Lynch.
It seemed that every player was a passing lane, and it also seemed that every player had a defender next to him. The entire defensive area was like a broken chain, with no effective or complete connection between the links, causing the defensive formation to become loose and full of dangers.
Woodson was making a judgment. His high-speed brain and mobile body were in perfect coordination. Just then, a figure ran past him quickly, making a "swoosh" sound. Almost by reflex, Woodson tried to stop this player.
Woodson extended his left hand, but his eyes were still locked on Lu Ke. His judgment of space and position was not accurate enough. After raising his hand, he swung at thin air. Almost at the same time, "He threw it!" Woodson's pupils quickly constricted, and his feet immediately adjusted to follow the pass arc.
Subconsciously, Woodson gave up on the figure that had just escaped. No matter what, Burnett was still covering in the backfield. His first priority now was to aim for the pass's landing spot, break up the pass, or even make an interception.
But then, the alarm in his mind started ringing frantically: Crap! Crap! Crap! The pass arc was far beyond what he had imagined, and the landing spot was also far beyond what he had imagined. His feet seemed unable to keep up. Damn it! This wasn't a short pass, but a mid-range pass! A mid-range pass aimed at the end zone!
My God, that number 14 is a lunatic!
Standing on the 15-yard line, facing a first-and-10, he actually gave up the precise control of a short pass and boldly chose to directly attack the end zone. This... this was too hasty and too risky!
Following the pass arc, Woodson turned his head and saw the back of number 88 in a blur. In a gap of about two to three yards, he was steadily adjusting his posture with small steps, and with a smooth and steady motion, he made a catching gesture. And Burnett, the Packers' last line of defense, was too late to defend.
Logan didn't push his speed to the limit. Instead, he constantly adjusted his running route at a medium speed, nimbly passing through the opponent's defensive arc. In a short five-yard area, he suddenly accelerated. His stride and pace increased by a notch, and he kept sprinting in that state.
He couldn't see any defenders around him, not even Woodson noticed his run.
So, things became simple. Logan made a cradle with his hands, easily welcoming the stably spinning football into his arms. Lu Ke's passing touch was gradually coming back. The control of his accuracy and power was slowly getting back to normal, which was something Logan was very familiar with.
"Snap."
Logan accurately caught the football. Seeing Burnett desperately pounce toward him, Logan, as if strolling leisurely, took a step to the right and then rushed forward. With just one big step, he was already in the end zone.
He didn't even encounter any friction.
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