At the 15-yard line, a third-down push for a touchdown is a great scoring opportunity for the San Francisco 49ers' offense.

So far this season, the top six in league red zone efficiency are the 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Washington Redskins, and New Orleans Saints.

Among them, the Redskins primarily rely on the run game, and quarterback Robert Griffin III's read-option plays are very difficult to defend. The other four teams are led by elite quarterbacks, and their red zone touchdown efficiency even surpasses the Atlanta Falcons, who just lost last week. The offense's efficiency is obvious.

However, the 49ers' position at the top of the list does not mean their offense is better than the other teams.

In fact, the main reason the 49ers rank first is that they have had very few red zone trips. So far this season, the team has only had seven red zone drives, scoring touchdowns on six of them, for a red zone touchdown rate of 85.7%. Many times, Lu Ke completes a fatal blow with a mid-range or deep pass before even entering the red zone, so their red zone offense has not been truly tested yet.

Now, facing the Chicago Bears' red zone defense, the 49ers' offensive efficiency will undergo a tough challenge.

First-and-ten.

Standing in the shotgun formation, Lu Ke surprisingly did not take a step back. Instead, he boldly stepped forward, creating a magnet-like attraction with the offensive line. The offensive line quickly tightened up, pulling the pocket in to more firmly and closely envelop Lu Ke.

As expected, the Bears' defensive line chose to blitz the quarterback. As they rushed forward, they ran into an impenetrable formation, unable to find any crack to break through the pocket. Instantly, all five defensive linemen smelled the danger. Julius Peppers and Henry Melton were among the first to react.

They all looked up and put their hands up, trying to interfere with the pass.

But Lu Ke's action was one step ahead. After stepping forward, he raised his right hand and made a quick, light throw, accurately finding Randy Moss on the left side of the short-passing area.

In the tight confines of the red zone, Moss's elusive routes are even more effective. With a series of quick stops, turns, lateral movements, and fakes in a span of one or two seconds, he used his precise footwork to change direction multiple times within a small space.

When Moss's feet appeared in the central area near the left side, about five yards from the line of scrimmage, the nearby defensive players could sense his position, but their bodies couldn't keep up. The short two to three-yard space was like an impassable chasm between them. They could only watch as Moss made a small leap to complete the catch.

Lu Ke's throw had a very clever arc. He did not throw a big arc but a curve that ascended and descended very quickly. It barely went over the raised hands of the defensive linemen without getting away from him, and landed accurately and cleverly in the dense crowd, right in Moss's hands.

This short pass, especially the ability to tear open a defense in chaos, demonstrates tactical awareness and precise touch, which is exactly the biggest secret to Tom Brady's success.

Moss only needed to jump a little to secure the football, pulling the chestnuts out of the fire!

However, as soon as Moss's feet landed, he only had time to turn before he was surrounded and tackled by three defensive players.

Despite this, Moss used his body to change direction, like a soccer player dribbling past a defender, to shake one player off. He continued to push forward for another two yards before he was forced to go down, ending the play.

Second-and-three.

Lu Ke remained in the shotgun formation. He turned around and handed the football to Marcus.

Marcus quickly took a step, flashed out from behind Lu Ke, and then got behind Mike Iupati. This time, the offensive line did not try to open up a gap. Instead, they lowered their shoulders and pushed forward.

Iupati, Staley, Anthony, and Boone all gathered toward the center, forming a wedge-like formation. With Marcus behind them, they pushed forward with sheer power, clashing head-on with the defensive line, gaining yard by yard.

This is the most classic and primitive way of running the ball, and in situations of a power mismatch, it can often complete a short-yardage task.

In fact, this kind of running play is very rare for the 49ers, as Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore are not power running backs. Bruce Miller is a standard fullback, who would be the best choice for a power run, but Miller's ability is limited. He is more often used as a tactical piece to change the rhythm. Using him in a crucial moment would easily expose the tactical intent.

The Bears were clearly not expecting this. Their first reaction was a half-step slow, and the offensive line and Marcus had already successfully pushed forward.

But then, the Bears' defense quickly stepped up, stacking themselves like a dam, and Marcus's forward speed visibly slowed down.

In the end, all the players from both sides were piled up near the first-down line, unable to move forward or backward, forming a mountain of bodies.

The referees struggled to pull the players apart one by one and found Marcus buried underneath. They then found that Marcus's position was ambiguous. The referees brought out the chains, and after measuring, confirmed they were still a few inches short of the first down.

Third-and-inches.

The 49ers again surprisingly chose a shotgun formation and even a full empty backfield. Marcus lined up to Lu Ke's right, and there were no players behind Lu Ke. The entire backfield was empty, which clearly signaled a pass play.

In this situation, a run play is the best option. Even a quarterback sneak would work, as they only needed to push forward a little. But the 49ers actually chose to pass? This was a gambler's move, impossible to predict.

Was this a smoke screen? 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The answer: No.

After the snap, Lu Ke took a small lateral step and made a quick pass to his right, releasing the ball almost as soon as he touched it.

The release was too fast. The Bears were still guessing at the possibility of a run. The linebackers' eyes were fixed on Marcus, but Lu Ke had already thrown the ball. A small difference in starting speed is fatal in a third-and-inches situation!

Lu Ke's target was Logan Newman. The pass was low and fast, only two yards in front of him diagonally, minimizing the time for the cornerback to react.

Charles Tillman's reaction was very fast, but still a half-step slow. Logan was already in position to catch the ball, and just as he was about to complete the catch, Tillman lunged and bumped into him, barely disrupting Logan's body balance.

Logan was completely unprepared. Just as his hands touched the football, his knees buckled, and his catching motion was thrown off. The football changed its trajectory and shot out of bounds like a rocket.

On one hand, it was Logan's carelessness; his concentration was not high enough, which led to a mistake in his balance. On the other hand, it was Tillman's intensity. His relentless defense created this opportunity.

As one of the best-performing cornerbacks in the league this season, Tillman is living up to his reputation. In this game against a division rival, his focus is exceptionally high. So far, he has successfully defended two passes on his side and shut down the opponent's best receiver. His ability is impressive.

More importantly, the 49ers have now had two consecutive three-and-outs, and they are facing a fourth-and-inches situation!

"Unbelievable, completely unbelievable!"

"The 49ers' offense, which has been consistently tough and stable this season, has now had two consecutive three-and-outs. Of course, the offense's performance is still impressive. From a detailed perspective, they just missed the first-down conversion by a hair, which is a shame. But from another perspective, these minor errors also show the pressure the Bears' defense is applying."

"After a season and a half, the 49ers' offense has become the subject of study for all teams in the league. Now, the Bears have not only studied them in depth but also have the execution to back it up. In the two drives so far, they have completely suppressed their opponent. Wow, this is so unexpected! And so exciting!"

"The 49ers' offense has truly met a worthy opponent! The intensity and drive shown by the Bears' defense are even more ferocious than the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers from last season. Now, this game has gotten interesting! I mean, it has truly gotten interesting!"

After missing the catch, Logan clenched his fists in disbelief. He stood there, annoyed and depressed. "Ahh!" He couldn't believe his mistake and repeatedly hit his helmet, not knowing what to do.

Lu Ke stood still, his heart tightening slightly. He, too, was experiencing a fluctuation of emotion, but he took a deep breath to calm himself down. He spoke into his helmet, "Coach, it's fourth down. I want to go for it."

"Good," Harbaugh said without hesitation. To be precise, his idea was even more resolute than Lu Ke's. "We're running this play..."

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz

On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!