The King of Bay Area
Chapter 897: Breaking the Blockade
"Fourth down! The San Francisco 49ers are going for it on fourth down!"
"Should we be surprised? I'm not surprised at all. The immense confidence this team shows on offense is truly outstanding. The boldness of Harbaugh and the calmness of Lu Ke have repeatedly shown their composure in crucial moments. Even when facing a tough opponent, they always find a way to make a spectacular play."
"Fourth-and-inches, it's all up to Lu Ke now!"
In the broadcast booth, you could hear the subtle change in Kirk's tone. Lu Ke—all the attention in the league is now focused on Lu Ke, as he is truly being treated as a leader!
Lu Ke stood inside the offensive line's pocket, his focus completely locked in. He watched every subtle movement of the opposing defense. His mind was racing as all the tactical schemes, defensive matchups, and movement predictions intertwined like a precise computer.
Peppers' position, Melton's position, Tillman and Jennings' positions, and so on.
In the red zone, should he make the play more complex, using a dazzling scheme to confuse the opponent's defense? Or should he simplify things and execute the play in the most straightforward way? Or should he be more cautious of the opponent's aggressive defense and make more adjustments to his scheme?
A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, but in the end, Lu Ke cut them all off and cleared his mind. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
"Attack!"
Standing in a classic I-formation, Lu Ke announced the snap. After gripping the football, he spun around, took a crossover step, and moved backward, quickly closing the distance with the incoming Marcus. He then handed the football to Marcus.
The play they didn't run on third-and-inches was still the most reliable on fourth-and-inches. It's the safest and easiest way to gain the few inches needed by simply pushing forward with a pile of players.
The Chicago Bears' defense was not surprised at all. The defensive line and linebackers immediately layered up. Because it was fourth-and-inches, they only needed a tiny push to get a first down, so they couldn't afford to be careless.
But then, the defensive players saw Lu Ke quickly pull his right hand back. He spun to his left, raised his right hand, and twisted his waist to push the football forward. His target was Michael Crabtree.
Even though Crabtree's "shoulder-shadow pass" had failed last time, no one would forget that if not for Jennings' relentless coverage at the last moment, Crabtree would have completed the catch. So, Jennings' steps immediately tightened up, not giving Crabtree any room to create a passing lane. Another safety was also moving over.
At the moment of release, Lu Ke pulled his right forearm back slightly and used his wrist to adjust the direction of the pass. Without stopping, he instantly flicked the football forward.
The sudden change was so fast that the moving defensive players didn't have time to make an accurate judgment before the pass was already on its way. They could only react instinctively by raising their chins, watching the football arc high through the air.
Who was the target?
Randy Moss's feet were constantly crossing and switching, moving toward the top-left corner where Crabtree was. Since the end zone was only a little over five yards away, the area was incredibly dense. It felt like a defender on every step, and you could see countless defensive players, feeling like there was no open space at all.
But for Moss, this was his backyard.
Although the red zone is a very narrow space where his footwork advantage isn't as pronounced and his disadvantage in physical confrontation is more easily exposed—tight ends have more of an advantage in the red zone—finding a gap in a dense crowd is an innate skill for Moss. It has nothing to do with age or physical ability; it is a gift.
As he approached Crabtree and Jennings, Moss made a quick stop, adjusted his body's center of gravity, and took two big steps back. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of rookie defensive end Shea McClellin moving in. Without even thinking of making contact, Moss's feet slid, and he moved like a gust of wind, passing behind McClellin. He took just one step forward and was near the front of the end zone.
At that moment, second-year safety Chris Conte was rushing over. He saw Lu Ke's throwing motion.
On that side, sixth-year veteran outside linebacker Blake Costanzo made a decisive choice to quickly retreat. As he dropped back, he waved his hands high, trying to interfere with Lu Ke's passing lane or force him to throw with a higher arc, which might lead to a mistake.
Of course, two other linebackers, three defensive linemen, and another safety all rushed toward the same side. The central area and the left side instantly became crowded.
Then, Costanzo watched the football fly past his left side. It wasn't a pass to Crabtree on the left, but to Moss in the middle! Costanzo stretched his fingers as far as he could, but he still couldn't touch the football. He had completely lost his balance and could only watch as the ball got farther and farther away.
Moss still didn't let his guard down. After avoiding Costanzo, his feet landed in Conte's defensive area. He noticed the other defensive players swarming in, and the space to maneuver was no longer enough. Decisively, Moss bumped Conte with his back, disrupting Conte's balance, and used the reactive force to make a small leap.
At the same time, he could see two players on his right side flying in, trying to make a lateral hit. Even if they couldn't break up the catch, they intended to create chaos and disrupt Moss's balance.
Through these games, Moss had come to understand Lu Ke's passing habits. In the entire league, besides Drew Brees, Lu Ke's passing accuracy is probably second—not his throw to a specific spot, but his ability to make precise, soft, and clever passes on the run.
So, Moss only needed to watch the incoming ball and place his hands in the right position to complete the catch. This also allowed him to spare a bit of attention to adjust his body and buy himself more breathing room in the dense defense.
"He caught it!"
Moss's hands accurately gripped the football, but he didn't pull his hands back immediately. He kept them straight, and intentionally raised his knees to create an obstacle between himself and the defensive players. Then, the collisions came down like a storm. After landing on his right foot, he quickly curled up and went to the ground, completely refusing any unnecessary entanglement with the defenders.
One. Two. Three. Four.
A total of four defensive players surrounded Moss, but because they had missed their chance, none of them were able to get into a good position. They crashed into each other in a messy pile, unable to even tell one another apart.
Moss held the football firmly. He knew it was a touchdown; he knew it!
Amidst the chaos and collisions, Moss remained unshaken, protecting the football in his arms like a curled-up hedgehog, leaving no opportunity for his opponents.
"Marcus! No, it's Lu Ke! Crabtree! No, it's Moss!"
In the broadcast booth, Kirk's commentary could barely keep up. Although Lu Ke had made a series of fakes, all the moves were completed in a flash. The tactical changes and schemes followed one after another, leaving no room to breathe before the pass was made.
But it still wasn't over.
"Moss! Costanzo! No, Conte! And Peppers and Briggs! Wait, Urlacher is there too!"
Brian Urlacher is a superstar middle linebacker in the league. A first-round pick in 2000, he has made eight Pro Bowls, been named to four First-Team All-Pro teams, one Second-Team All-Pro team, and was the 2000 Defensive Rookie of the Year and 2005 Defensive Player of the Year. He is the undisputed leader of the Bears' defense. However, he has been battling injuries this year, and his performance so far has not been top-notch.
"Moss! Moss! Moss caught the football!"
In this hostile environment, with a pack of wolves surrounding him, Kirk's commentary couldn't keep up because there were too many detailed movements. His eyes could barely follow, let alone his commentary. More importantly, in a flash, Moss had already completed the catch.
"Touchdown! It's a touchdown! Without a doubt, it's a touchdown!"
"My God, Moss! Randy Moss! Against the Chicago Bears' dense defense, Moss used his elusive route running to successfully create a tiny gap. It was only about a yard of space, but Lu Ke found it. More accurately, the 49ers' tactical scheme perfectly achieved its goal. In the middle of a dense defense, Moss caught the football! This is brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"The 49ers have scored a touchdown! The 49ers are the first to score in this game! In this head-to-head battle of opposing forces, the 49ers' offense was the first to break through. With a brilliant offensive scheme, they found an opportunity in the standoff. And they took it! They held onto that opportunity firmly!"
"Of course, the 49ers' defense forcing the turnover was the prerequisite, but the clash between the 49ers' offense and the Bears' defense was truly spectacular! A touchdown! In the end, Lu Ke relentlessly completed the touchdown! My God, oh, my God! Listen carefully, the entire Candlestick Park has erupted!"
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