Six plays, four passes, one run, and one sack, yet they scored two touchdowns!
Since the start of the second half, the San Francisco 49ers' offense had been completely reborn, showcasing the fluid, lethal offensive ability from their first ga. The most incredible part was that in both drives, Lu Ke's passing once again played a crucial, decisive role!
In the first half, the Cowboys' targeted defense had completely stifled Lu Ke's performance. His quarterback stats were a ss, unbearable to look at. In the second half, the Cowboys' defense was still sharp, but Lu Ke's passing was even more powerful, tearing open a gap. He not only used his skills to the maximum but also showcased his tactical awareness and field intelligence to the fullest!
With the sa players, a simple tactical mismatch and a resurgence of awareness completely turned the ga around.
This was the significance of the quarterback!
"In that last play, Lu Ke once again demonstrated his keen ability to read and predict defensive formations. His knack for sniffing out a zone defense, a simple play, with a slight change in one aspect—Logan Newman. The change here was Logan Newman, who drew the attention of at least three defenders, making everyone think it was a short pass, but he snuck in a deep pass instead!"
Kirk used his pen to mark the Cowboys' defensive positions and the open space on the screen, but he stopped mid-sentence, his mouth agape in what seed to be shock.
Teddy imdiately took over. "After three consecutive deep passes, we should be discussing whether this rookie quarterback is too bold and arrogant. But at this mont, we should be discussing the courage and guts of this rookie quarterback. His deep passes aren't blind throws; they are accurate judgnts and passes that follow a precise tactical plan, bringing the charm of the deep pass to its maximum and completely frustrating the Dallas Cowboys."
"Yes." Kirk nodded in agreent. "The defensive reads and tactical choices, not just in that last play, but in both touchdown drives of the second half, show the maturity and intelligence of this quarterback. The first ti, he chose to run himself, but just as he was about to get the first down, he unexpectedly chose to pass, completely disrupting the Cowboys' plans. Since then, they have been walking right into this quarterback's trap, step by step!"
"Wow, it's hard to believe this is a rookie quarterback!" Teddy couldn't help but exclaim again. "Is this really only his second ga in his career? God, what happened in this year's draft? Or is it that a perfect score on the Wonderlic test is really that different?"
With three minutes and thirty-three seconds left in the third quarter, after the San Francisco 49ers kicked the extra point, the score was now 14:20.
The gap between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys had narrowed even further. So, would the Dallas Cowboys be able to score imdiately and regain their composure? The pressure was once again on Tony Romo's shoulders.
Lu Ke and the offense returned to the sideline, and all the players began to celebrate wildly. Vernon Davis, the hero of the last touchdown, high-fived every player. At this mont, no one distinguished between veterans and rookies, as everyone was celebrating the team's touchdown.
Vernon's feet finally stopped in front of Lu Ke, and he completed the high-five. But after putting his right hand down, he looked at Lu Ke, hesitated for a mont, but in the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.
Lu Ke didn't have ti to deal with Vernon's personal emotions, at least not now. He picked up his playbook again and began to flip through it.
After three consecutive deep passes, Lu Ke knew the risks better than anyone: the Dallas Cowboys would surely strengthen their backfield defense, and deep passes were easy to expose. One slip-up, and there would be a second interception today. So, the ratio of deep passes needed to be controlled, and they had to use short passes and runs to open things up.
The third quarter ended quickly. The Dallas Cowboys' offense maintained its style for the day, dragging and stumbling but always converting on third down at crucial monts to keep the drive alive.
For the Cowboys, this was a good thing because they were still in the lead. Consuming ga ti ant less ti for the 49ers to make a coback. If they could score in the end, whether it was three or seven points, the Cowboys would once again have a firm grip on the lead.
So, the Cowboys continued their steady, unhurried drive. After the fourth quarter began, they consud nearly two more minutes, stopping at the 41-yard line in the 49ers' half. They couldn't advance any further. Regrettably, the Cowboys had no choice but to punt, ending the drive.
This beca the main the of the rest of the ga, and without realizing it, the fourth quarter was coming to an end.
"Third and four, Tony Romo chooses to pass to Dez Bryant, number 88! Smith, the 49ers' number 30 cornerback, Reggie Smith, makes a key defensive play, knocking the ball away just before the catch. This might be the most important defensive play of the ga!"
"Brilliant! A brilliant defensive play! Look, look, no flag, the referee signals that the defense was successful! In the nick of ti, Smith pulls the 49ers back from the edge of the cliff, giving them a glimr of hope. The Cowboys have lost their chance to seal the ga. Now, the ga is back in the hands of the 49ers' offense. We have no idea what's going to happen next."
"They failed to convert on third down. This is the fifth failed third-down conversion for the two teams combined in the fourth quarter. The Dallas Cowboys have failed three tis, and the San Francisco 49ers twice. Clearly, both teams' defenses are stepping up their ga. The intensity of the entire fourth quarter is increasing. The Cowboys' defense has forced three hurried throws and one sack, while the 49ers' defense has gotten two sacks, two hits, and one hurried throw."
"The fourth quarter is getting tense. Both teams can get first downs and continue to drive, but both are unable to get past midfield. Thanks to the excellent performance of their respective defenses, there have already been four punts, and now it's the fifth. Both teams are in the zone, and it's a true showdown."
"After a small climax in the third quarter, the 49ers' offense has completely opened up the ga and closed the score. But the Cowboys' defense is in good form, making targeted defensive plays and putting huge pressure on the 49ers' rookie quarterback. The entire fourth quarter has been filled with punts, but the ga is incredibly exciting! Not dull at all."
"The San Francisco 49ers have once again made an excellent defensive play, forcing the Dallas Cowboys' offense to co up empty-handed. The score is still 14:20, with the visiting Cowboys in the lead. Now, there are only one minute and nine seconds, or 69 seconds, left for the 49ers. This is so difficult! Wow, this is so difficult! If the 49ers' rookie Chinese quarterback can't score a touchdown on this drive, the 49ers will once again lose in the historical rivalry between the two teams."
The chatter in the comntary booth was bustling. There were only 69 seconds left in the second ga of the regular season, and the San Francisco 49ers were still trailing by six points, standing on the edge of a cliff. But luckily, on that last defensive play, the defense didn't let the Dallas Cowboys convert on third down.
This was a crucial defensive play.
Because if the Dallas Cowboys had converted on third down and gotten a new set of downs, it would have ant the Cowboys could have had three more offensive plays. Each play could consu 40 seconds, and there were only 69 seconds left in the ga. In other words, Tony Romo of the Cowboys could have simply taken a knee to run out the clock and end the ga.
But the Cowboys couldn't do it. So, Reggie Smith's defensive play was worth a fortune, at least giving the 49ers a chance to breathe again.
Ahmad Brooks led the defense off the field. As he passed the special teams players who were coming on, Ahmad saw Lu Ke on the other side. He took off his helt, waved to him, and said, "It's all on you now."
The defense had done their best. Sixty-nine seconds might not be a lot, but it was at least a fighting chance.
Lu Ke's eyes narrowed. He nodded in acknowledgnt, said nothing, put on his helt, and tightened the chin strap. He then called the offensive receivers over. "Don't be greedy. Get out of bounds as soon as you catch the ball. Rember, don't be greedy!"
Sixty-nine seconds ant ti managent was crucial. This was another new thing Lu Ke had never encountered before.
It's actually similar to basketball in the NBA. In the final seconds, every tiout and every out-of-bounds play is crucial for ti managent. A win or a loss can be decided in milliseconds. It's the sa in the NFL. In the limited ti they have, they must manage the clock carefully:
Catch and go out of bounds: If a player catches the ball near the sideline, they should imdiately go out of bounds. This stops the clock.
Spiking the ball: The quarterback can choose to throw the ball on the ground after the center snap. This wastes a down but also stops the clock. The effect is the sa as an incomplete pass.
Tiouts: Teams get three tiouts in the first half (which are reset at halfti) and three in the second half. Poor ti managent can result in a team wasting tiouts, for example, by challenging a referee's call and losing, or by making a communication error that forces them to use a tiout.
Effectively using tiouts and going out of bounds is an important skill for a good quarterback, and it's the line that separates a great quarterback from an average one.
What Lu Ke had just told them was to get out of bounds, which was key for ti managent!
NOTE:
New chapters drop five tis a day, every Monday through Saturday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release five bonus chapters for every 300 votes! Let's get this story moving together.
Support
on Patreon: spatreon/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!
Reviews
All reviews (0)