Chapter 1075: Layers of Crushing Pressure

First, a sudden increase in tempo, and then a play-action pass. The San Francisco 49ers’ effortless offensive tactics were turning the tide of the game.

For three consecutive plays, Lu Ke chose offensive plays with a higher safety factor, but the change in rhythm and play design firmly put the initiative in his hands. Frank Gore’s two ground attacks had excellent results, which further increased the difficulty for the Atlanta Falcons’ defense.

The substitute defensive tackle Kroy Biermann and outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas were not able to keep up with the rhythm. This became Lu Ke’s breakthrough. He put pressure on the defense little by little, built up the offense’s advantage, and then delivered the final blow.

Gore once again completed a tough and efficient ground advance. His feet had stopped. McClain and Moore had him locked down, and Nicholas, who was two steps behind, came over. He couldn’t stop his feet and then joined the trio.

Nicholas was a bit agitated and angry. It was the same for two consecutive defensive plays. Lu Ke was toying with the entire Falcons’ defense, effortlessly completing important advances with the simplest and most direct ground attacks. He had just come in as a substitute and had already become a clown.

After the play was over, McClain and Moore had already released their tackles and didn’t continue to hold on, but Nicholas stubbornly pushed against Gore’s helmet, muttering trash talk. Gore was not a timid person either and pushed back, not to be outdone and talking trash back.

Perhaps under Lu Ke’s guidance and brilliance, Gore’s verbal skills had also become sharp. In a flash, he made Nicholas speechless with every sentence. In the end, he gave him a look of disdain, sizing up Nicholas as if to say, "Who do you think you are?"

Nicholas felt frustrated and was so angry he became embarrassed. The blood rushed to his head. He grabbed Gore’s jersey collar with both hands, made a judo-like move, and pulled him down with a sudden burst of force. Gore fell to the ground awkwardly and stiffly like a puppet, kicking up a spray of grass.

Nicholas was breathing heavily, and a smug smile appeared on his face, like a boxing champion returning triumphantly. "Talk all you want! I’ll make you faceplant!"

"Beep," the referee immediately blew his whistle, and a yellow flag was thrown.

"After the play is over, personal foul, unnecessary roughness, defense, number 54. Throwing an offensive player to the ground. 15-yard penalty. The offense gets an automatic first down."

All the players on the 49ers’ offense immediately gathered, but they didn’t shove or curse. Instead, they all raised their hands and applauded Nicholas. The applause was so obviously mocking, as if they were congratulating him: "Congratulations on winning a boxing match."

The fans in Candlestick Park also booed loudly, showing their strong dissatisfaction with such unsportsmanlike conduct.

Nicholas turned his head and left the crowd in a huff. If he continued to cause trouble now, the situation would not be what it was now.

Jonathan Goodwin went up and pulled Gore up, and other teammates also came to check on him. Gore was fine. He just didn’t expect Nicholas to suddenly use a judo move. He was caught off guard and fell. He was embarrassed, but he was not injured.

In this play, Gore had already advanced seven yards, and his run was a success. Then, Nicholas’s personal foul gave them another 15 yards. This allowed the 49ers to rush to the opponent’s 28-yard line. The efficiency of this drive had significantly improved.

Then, the 49ers lined up in a multi-receiver formation. Lu Ke also cleared the backfield, facing this play with a shotgun formation. Was this... a passing play?

No one dared to underestimate Lu Ke’s backfield coverage ability. They were now in Lu Ke’s striking range, and one pass could end the drive. But the problem was that Lu Ke had used two consecutive run plays, and they were both exceptionally effective. If the defense was careless, they could still lose a lot of yards on the ground.

The Falcons’ defense changed their formation. The first line was the four defensive linemen. The second line was the three linebackers, about three yards behind. The third line was the two cornerbacks, another two yards behind. The fourth line was the two safeties, about five yards behind.

The entire formation was like a multi-layered cake dress, spreading out layer by layer, with the ruffled skirt made of cream.

This was a traditional formation. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was like this, applying pressure layer by layer, creating multiple defenses like a chain. Each line could make it difficult for the opponent to breathe and feel helpless.

The 49ers’ offensive formation also changed slightly. On the left was Michael Crabtree, and on the right were Randy Moss, Vernon Davis, and Logan Newman. This was not only a two-tight-end formation, but Crabtree was also in, and Ginn was out. They were using a big-body receiver to fill the defensive formation, and even Moss’s run was more of a positional battle.

This clearly indicated a short-passing play.

But, was that really the case?

The Falcons’ outside linebacker, Sean Weatherspoon, chose to step up and left the linebackers’ formation, joining the defensive line. This made the defensive front five players, which increased the pressure on the front line. Then the linebackers and cornerbacks also moved up slightly. The thickness of the run and short passing defense was significantly improved.

"Set hut!"

As Lu Ke called the snap, the Falcons’ defense, as expected, immediately chose a blitz. Their defense was not clever enough, and their tactical intention was exposed a bit too early. But even if they exposed their intention early, the advantage in player numbers was still irreversible.

The four defensive linemen slightly changed their positions and worked together to hold off the five offensive linemen. Although it was four against five, they had a slight advantage because of their early movement. Center Jonathan Goodwin’s position was left open, and the other four offensive linemen were completely held in place.

Outside linebacker Weatherspoon immediately created an open space. With no one in front of him, he sprinted straight toward Lu Ke in the pocket.

He could sack the quarterback in a short distance!

But then Weatherspoon saw Gore coming toward him. They were using the same tactic again! Using the running back as an extra offensive lineman to fill the gap. It was the same in the first play of this drive. Gore held Weatherspoon, which then created space for Vernon to advance.

But this time, Vernon was not on the inside of the pocket. Weatherspoon also had no time to think and change. He just quickly collided with Gore head-on. Then, with the forward momentum, he pushed Gore backward. Gore’s feet stumbled as he retreated.

Lu Ke was now within reach.

Weatherspoon was not the only defender in the pocket.

On the other side, the matchup between defensive end John Abraham and offensive tackle Joe Staley also created an advantage. Abraham constantly adjusted his collision rhythm with small steps, disrupting Staley’s position. He then pushed Staley stumbling across the line of scrimmage and into the pocket.

However, Abraham and Staley were both big guys, and their confrontation was a head-on collision. They couldn’t speed up. Instead, they continued to advance like a steamroller. Although their speed was slow, it was visible to the naked eye that Abraham was continuously destroying Staley’s position.

On the left was Abraham, and on the right was Weatherspoon. Lu Ke was now in a pincer movement.

Lu Ke had already expected this kind of situation. After the snap, he had already dropped back, moving back another three to four yards from the shotgun formation. This gave him more time to observe the field for his pass. Then, in his peripheral vision, he could see the two defenders quickly breaking through, but his teammates on offense didn’t let up.

Staley firmly held onto Abraham’s path, forcing Abraham to continue to use force. In the end, he lost his balance and fell to the ground, only three yards away from Lu Ke. Staley still followed closely behind Lu Ke, preventing Abraham from getting back up.

Gore stuck tightly to Weatherspoon. As a running back, he was not a good lineman. He could only use his running rhythm and posture to push Weatherspoon’s path to the outside, trying to buy more time for Lu Ke. The two of them just brushed past Lu Ke.

At the same time, after Lu Ke adjusted his feet, he took a step forward before the pincer movement happened. Before the potential sack could happen, Lu Ke raised his right hand and gently threw the football, which drew a slight upward arc in the air. The target was...

The end zone!

Should this be a surprise? Of course not! The 28-yard line was within Lu Ke’s striking range! The question now was, who was Lu Ke’s target?

...

The moment of the snap, Crabtree, who was on the left, quickly sprinted forward and then cut into the middle. Moss and Logan, who were on the right, both sprinted in a straight line. Vernon, who was half a step behind, also sprinted diagonally. All four receivers sprinted out. The two linebackers and four secondary defenders were on high alert. It was "six against four," but the amazing thing was that the defenders didn’t feel they had any advantage at all.

Especially now, they were so close to the end zone. The arc of Lu Ke’s pass seemed to be aimed at the end zone. Every cell in their bodies was screaming: Danger! Danger! Danger! That sense of urgency made them at a loss.

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