Chapter 1029: Weather’s Impact

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to Fox. We are live from Candlestick Park, broadcasting the second game of the 2012 NFL playoff NFC Divisional Round, featuring the number one seed, the San Francisco 49ers, against the number five seed, the Seattle Seahawks. I’m Teddy Williams, and sitting next to me, as always, is Kirk Charleston, and today’s guest commentator, the legendary quarterback Troy Aikman."

After a brief greeting, Teddy quickly got to the point. "Troy, what are your thoughts on the atmosphere here at the stadium today?"

As a legendary Dallas Cowboys player, Aikman has made a name for himself in the broadcasting world, and every time he commentates on a San Francisco 49ers game, it’s a unique experience.

"The temperature in San Francisco is a bit low today, and there’s a slight breeze in Candlestick Park. This means the football will feel a bit harder, and the accuracy of the passes and the landing spots won’t be as precise as they are on a hot summer day. This is a test for both quarterbacks.

Overall, the accuracy of both quarterbacks’ passes is very important, but Russell Wilson might have a slight advantage. His read-option offense can give him more opportunities, while Lu Ke’s passing relies more on control, so he will definitely face more challenges."

Kirk immediately understood. "You mean it’s like the ’Chicken Soup Game’ last year?"

"Similar situation, different circumstances. There are still some differences between these two games, but it’s true that the weather will have a greater impact on the home team, the San Francisco 49ers.

However, we should note that this season, Lu Ke had one of his best performances at Gillette Stadium, where the conditions were much more severe than they are today. So, the main reason I brought this up is to remind both quarterbacks that they need to pay attention to these subtle changes. Whoever can adapt to the playoff atmosphere faster will definitely have an advantage."

Aikman stated his opinion and attitude simply, but he didn’t explicitly support either side, maintaining his relatively neutral position as a commentator.

As the commentary continued, the game time drew closer. The special teams players from both sides took the field first to get ready for the kickoff.

Lu Ke won the coin toss, and they chose to receive the ball first. Now, the Seattle Seahawks’ special teams were getting ready to kick off, and the San Francisco 49ers’ special teams were getting ready to return the ball.

"Standing in the end zone, getting ready to return the ball, is number 15, Michael Crabtree! This is an unexpected choice."

"In the second half of the season, Crabtree’s performance has not been at its best, but the San Francisco 49ers are facing an injury crisis at the wide receiver position. This is true for both the offense and the special teams. The consecutive injuries to Kyle Williams and Mario Manningham have cost them two returners. Now that they’re in the playoffs, this is a problem that Harbaugh has to solve."

"For the first return today, Crabtree is on the field. I wonder what the coaching staff’s plan is."

"In fact, the San Francisco 49ers have a top-tier returner in Marcus Lynch, the running back who has occasionally stepped in as a returner and performed very well, even scoring a kickoff return touchdown last season. However, Lynch’s form has not been at its best either."

"I don’t know if any of the viewers are interested, but this is also a ’Lynch Bowl.’"

"Peyton Manning vs. Eli Manning" is called the "Manning Bowl," because both brothers are top-tier quarterbacks and have won Super Bowls. They deserve the title. But the showdown between the cousins, Marshawn Lynch and Marcus Lynch, has not received much discussion or attention.

This season, as both teams’ performances have gotten better, the relationship between Marshawn and Marcus has also received more attention. But because both are running backs, they don’t get as much attention as quarterbacks. Also, neither of them has won a Super Bowl yet, so they are not talked about as much. As a result, they have never earned the title of "Lynch Bowl."

Today, Aikman brought it up jokingly.

Kirk immediately understood the connection behind his words. "Perhaps in this game, the matchup between the two Lynches will attract more attention. Let’s see if the ground game can take some pressure off the passing game. Is that what you mean?"

Aikman nodded in approval. "It all depends on how the quarterbacks use and set up their plays."

Because of the weather, the leather of the football is a bit harder, and passing control will be affected, so mistakes are inevitable. For quarterbacks, what’s more important is their balance and play calling. They have to use the different tempos of the running and passing games to disrupt the opposing defense and keep mistakes to a minimum. This will be a key factor in the game.

When it comes to the balance between the running and passing games, the reality is much more complicated than it sounds. It’s an intricate and complex topic: on third down, when to choose to run or pass; on first and second down, how to choose a play for different yardages; and whether to be able to make adjustments when the defensive formation changes.

In the NFL, the coaching staff has absolute power over the plays, and no one can challenge the coach’s authority. This isn’t just true for young quarterbacks. Many veteran quarterbacks also don’t have the authority to call plays. Even Peyton Manning’s authority on the field is relatively limited; he can’t override the head coach.

In soccer, blaming the coach for a loss seems to be a way of shifting responsibility because the offense-defense transition is too fast, and players have to react on the fly. It’s difficult for a coach to control every step. But in football, blaming the coach for a loss is a very real responsibility. Every play on offense and defense is controlled by the coach.

For example, Peyton Manning’s performance this season is the most straightforward example.

In the first half of the season, the offense was still gelling, and the play calling was in the hands of head coach John Fox. The 57-year-old veteran coach’s play-calling ability was unquestionable, but his lack of ability to make adjustments on the fly was a weakness. His analysis of the game often lagged behind, and even when he understood the situation, his ability to adjust was relatively poor.

In the second half of the season, at the suggestion of the 34-year-old quarterback coach Adam Gase, John Fox gave more play-calling authority to Manning and even allowed Manning to occasionally run a no-huddle offense. This unleashed Manning’s ability to read the game, and the offense took off.

So, does this mean that if you give all the play-calling authority to Manning, all the problems will be solved? Of course not. On this point, there is no debate in the entire league: A quarterback can have some say, but the ultimate authority must remain in the hands of the coaching staff.

For one thing, the coaching staff also includes members of the coaching box, who have a bird’s-eye view of the entire game. Their understanding of the situation on the field is more comprehensive and objective. The abilities of the head coach, the offensive and defensive coaches, and the play-callers in the coaching box are all crucial to the team.

For another, there are far too many combinations of football plays. Even for players who are known for their play-calling like Lu Ke and Manning, they still need to review the playbook on the sidelines after every play. Otherwise, their brains can’t keep up with the pace of the game. The work of the coaching staff is irreplaceable.

Finally, there’s another reason that can’t be ignored: The coaching staff and the coaching box are a team, while the quarterback is only one person. This is an irreversible advantage and disadvantage. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

In other words, there is no dispute that the coaching staff has the authority to call plays. But their biggest weakness is that they are not on the field and lack a real-time understanding of the ever-changing situation.

Last week’s Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers was a perfect example.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier relied too much on running back Adrian Peterson’s ability and didn’t have enough faith in second-year quarterback Christian Ponder. Their play-calling became rigid: a run on first down, a pass on second down, and an adjustment on third down depending on the yardage.

But it was a run on first down every time. Ponder, who had no authority or control, was not allowed to change the play. Even when he noticed something was wrong, he still had to follow the coaching staff’s instructions and choose to run the ball.

As a result, even if the Green Bay Packers’ defense was blind, they could still make a stop. They completely shut down Adrian’s running game to just 99 yards, which was a huge difference from the 199 yards he got in the last week of the regular season. In the end, the Green Bay Packers advanced to the next round by stepping on the body of their division rival.

All in all, the balance between running and passing is not as easy as it seems. The control of the coaching staff, the quarterback’s reading of the game, the head coach’s trust in the quarterback, and the quarterback’s ability are all influencing factors. This is what Aikman was trying to say.

The conversation in the studio came to a temporary halt as the referee blew the whistle, officially announcing the start of the game.

Seattle Seahawks kicker Ryan Longwell completed the kickoff smoothly, kicking the ball into the end zone. Michael Crabtree caught the ball steadily, adjusted his steps, quickly scouted the opposing special teams’ positions, and then pushed off with his feet.

Tap, tap, tap.

Crabtree quickly crossed the 10-yard line and then the 20-yard line. Then, the special teams players from both sides collided head-on. There was a dense crowd in front of him, but Crabtree was very calm. He wasn’t too greedy. He just took a few small steps to get past a player, broke away from a defender, and then found a three-yard opening!

Keep going!

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