Chapter 725: A Powerful Response
"Hut!"
"Lu Ke is looking, the pocket protection is fine! Lu Ke is still looking! The short-pass area is a mess, the 49ers have three—no, four receivers. Crabtree is coming back, Williams is coming back, Ginn is also coming back. The entire receiving group is retreating, forcing the Packers' defense to shrink!"
"Marcus Lynch! There was a collision between Lynch and Matthews!"
"Lu Ke throws! At the critical moment, Lu Ke gets the ball out fast. It's a rainbow pass! Huh, why a rainbow pass? The target is... number 88! Number 88, Logan Newman!"
"Wait, when did Newman get so open? This is a completely open space. The front of the Packers' end zone is wide open, giving Newman a warm welcome! Newman! Newman! Newman successfully catches Lu Ke's 15-yard pass in the middle of the field, no problem at all!"
"Too late, Burnett can't get there in time to tackle him! Woodson completely missed Newman!"
"Touchdown! It's a touchdown!"
"No resistance, no doubt, no difficulty. This is a piece of cake. The 49ers get a touchdown without any effort! It looks so simple. Lu Ke didn't get hit, and Newman didn't get tackled. They scored another touchdown with zero difficulty!"
"This is number 88's time! In less than three minutes, he has two receiving touchdowns! Wow, this performance is truly amazing!"
In the broadcast booth, Kirk was full of praise, not because of how dangerous it was, but because of how easy it was. From the snap to the touchdown, the whole process was calm and collected, almost effortless, and they easily got another touchdown, showing an unstoppable offensive force.
This kind of offense was truly captivating.
Teddy, however, seemed much calmer. "Don't forget, this tight end who just scored a touchdown was the leader in tight end touchdowns in the league last season."
In the 2011 season, everyone was talking about the glory of two tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham, the two shining stars who were competing to break historical records. Their emergence completely changed the league's traditional view of tight ends—most of the time, wide receivers caught the ball, and tight ends were for blocking.
But now, Gronkowski and Graham's breakthrough redefined the tight end. After catching the ball, they used their size like small bulldozers, often gaining huge yardage. They were a combination of a wide receiver and a running back, which gave tight ends a more flexible and varied role in the playbook.
Under the brilliant light of these two stars, only a few experts noticed Logan Newman's impressive stats.
Throughout the season, Logan had scored a staggering 19 touchdowns, surpassing Gronkowski's 17 and leading the league.
This stat not only ranked first among all tight ends in the 2011 season but also set a new historical record for single-season touchdowns by a tight end. In the past, tight ends were never the first choice for a receiving touchdown, but that history was changing. Even compared to wide receivers, Logan's 2011 touchdown stats were only behind Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions.
It's also worth noting that Logan broke the rookie receiving touchdown record!
Before him, the record holder was none other than Randy Moss, who was now on the 49ers. Moss had 17 touchdowns in his rookie season, and after being untouchable for 15 years, the record was finally broken. In addition, the historical record for 23 single-season receiving touchdowns is also held by Moss.
In other words, Logan also made his own history.
But why didn't the league give Logan the recognition and glory he deserved?
The reason is complex but also simple: In the 49ers' system, Logan's position was closer to a wide receiver than a tight end. To put it simply, Logan was more like Crabtree than Vernon.
While Logan could repeatedly score touchdowns and set many records, his stats in receiving yards and blocking were not outstanding. His blocking stats were even worse than Vernon's, who only played in the second half of the season, not to mention being on par with Gronkowski or Graham.
In the 2011 season, Graham's receiving yards reached 1,310, and Gronkowski's were 1,327. For comparison, Logan's stat was 833 yards.
Of course, this means that Logan's touchdown efficiency was higher; he even surpassed two top wide receivers, Larry Fitzgerald and Calvin Johnson. But, on the other hand, the role he played in the team's offense was far less important than Gronkowski's and Graham's. In the 49ers' offense, the roles of Ted Ginn and Michael Crabtree were irreplaceable.
But if Logan was treated as a wide receiver, his stats would be even less impressive. A series of top wide receivers, such as Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jordy Nelson, all had far more receiving yards than Logan.
Because of this, the coaching staff had always urged Logan to gain weight and adopted the two-tight-end formation in the second half of the season. They needed a tight end to make the plays more diverse, not another wide receiver.
After a whole offseason of adjustments and hard work, Logan was slowly adapting to the tight end's role.
In the previous drives, Logan was more of a decoy to set up blocks, like a lighthouse. On one hand, he was attracting the defense's attention, and on the other, he was a guide for the offense. He activated the entire offense in a three-dimensional way, and at the last crucial moment, Lu Ke was able to easily find Logan.
Two catches, two touchdowns.
This was the result of the offseason. It looked simple and effortless, but behind the scenes, it was a combination of precise tactical execution and player positioning, which ultimately resulted in a flawless touchdown. This not only maximized the benefits of intercepting Rodgers but also completed a comeback in a short period of time.
"7-14."
Standing on the sidelines, Randy Moss watched silently.
He was a little surprised that Jim Harbaugh had chosen to support this young quarterback and didn't put him in. Of course, since he left the field, there had only been a total of four drives, which didn't mean anything. Not to mention the rest of the season, there were still three-quarters of this game left. He still had a chance to get on the field.
But Moss still found it strange.
So, he began to observe.
This number 14 was indeed a bit odd. He had all the qualities of a young, impulsive, hot-blooded person. But at the same time, he also had the qualities of a veteran: candidness, sincerity, wisdom, and calmness.
The most direct proof was the two conflicts today. After the conflicts, he openly admitted his mistakes and took all the blame. This kind of maturity is something that 90% of second-year players couldn't do. And after the two conflicts, he quickly calmed down, regained his composure, and quickly got back into game mode. This kind of maturity is something that not only second-year players but also many veterans who have been in the league for years couldn't do.
Moss still didn't like him, but that didn't stop him from being interested. "This kid is interesting."
The 49ers' special teams, with David Akers, Andy Lee, and Brian Jennings, were still one of the best teams in the league. They first successfully kicked the extra point, and after the kickoff, they managed to pin the Packers' kickoff route at the 10-yard line.
For the 49ers, they were getting better. For the Packers, they were in trouble.
A united chant echoed throughout Lambeau Field: "AR! AR! AR!"
Just like Lu Ke's nickname "Bambi," Rodgers's nickname is "AR," from his initials.
At this moment, the entire Lambeau Field was calling for their hero to come on the field. Rodgers, at only 28 years old, had grown into one of the top quarterbacks in the league in less than three years. His accurate passing, low interception rate, agile footwork, and outstanding football IQ all gave him elite status.
Now, Green Bay needed their quarterback to step up.
And he did.
After returning to the field, Rodgers first tried a run play. Unfortunately, the inside linebacker duo of Willis and Bowman didn't give the running back Green any chance. They tackled Green right at the line of scrimmage, with no yards gained. Then, the 49ers, with the help of outside linebacker Aldon Smith and cornerback Carlos Rogers, forced an incomplete pass.
In a flash, the Packers were in a desperate third-and-10 situation.
To make things worse, the Packers' offense was still at the 10-yard line in front of their end zone. A slight mistake could result in a safety for the opponent.
In this situation, the safest option would be to hand the ball to the running back, gain a few tough yards, and get a better starting position for a punt to avoid a bigger loss from a mistake. After all, the first quarter wasn't over yet, and both teams still had plenty of time.
"Hut!"
After the snap, Rodgers made a move to hand the ball to the rotational running back, John Kuhn. But just before completing the handoff, he spun around, actively left the crumbling pocket, and used his legs to create a huge open space, relentlessly searching for a target.
"Rodgers! Rodgers! It's a fake handoff! The Packers are going for it! Rodgers! Aaron Rodgers shakes off outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks's tackle! Rodgers! Rodgers again uses an emergency stop to avoid cornerback Chris Culliver's hit!"
"My God! Rodgers, Rodgers is still moving! He used his legs to consecutively dodge two sure-fire sacks! Rodgers is still looking, Rodgers! He throws! It's a rainbow pass!"
"Ten yards, fifteen yards, twenty yards, twenty-five yards, thirty yards! My God, my God! The football flies straight across the midfield and lands near the center line! The target is... Cobb! Randall Cobb! Cobb! Cobb is breaking free, Cobb is adjusting his footing! Cobb, Randall Cobb completes the catch! Cobb has the football!"
"Unbelievable, unbelievable! This is all truly unbelievable! Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb! My God!"
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