Chapter 937: It Was Unavoidable

"Yes, I think so too."

Lu Ke said.

He didn’t know if his choice was right or wrong.

Caught between the offense and defense, he was the quarterback, but he was also the team leader. What should he choose? Patrick Willis and Ahmad Brooks were on the defensive side. He didn’t know the exact reason, but should he side with the offense? If it were Peyton Manning, what would he have decided?

But at this moment, Lu Ke made his choice.

"Do you guys know what the reporters and fans are saying?" Lu Ke didn’t stop talking.

"They’re saying we’re the biggest favorite to win the Super Bowl; they’re saying we’re the most united and positive team in the league; they’re saying we can have a perfect season; they’re saying we’re unstoppable and can create new history that even the 2007 New England Patriots couldn’t."

"They say all this, and you just believe it?"

Since the ticking time bomb had already exploded, he might as well let the aftershock be fully released. There was no need to hide anything or drag it on. All the pride, dissatisfaction, emotions, and arrogance should be put on the table so everyone could see clearly what was going on.

Lu Ke’s words were sharp and brutal.

The defensive players didn’t expect Lu Ke to be so direct and sharp. They all clenched their fists, their eyes filled with rage, and they gritted their teeth as they stared at Lu Ke.

No one should forget, and no one would forget, that Lu Ke was only a second-year player. All his authority and influence came from the accumulation of two seasons, from his focus in practice to his ability to turn things around in a game. Lu Ke was building his authority step by step, but in the end, they still hadn’t won a Super Bowl, and the time wasn’t long enough.

Normally was one thing, but in this tense situation, Lu Ke’s deterrence was not enough.

The veteran defensive players in front of him were all eager to make a move. The tense atmosphere was about to explode, and the entire locker room was filled with a suffocating tension.

But Lu Ke wasn’t intimidated by his defensive teammates’ anger. Not only did he not back down, but he also took a half-step forward and continued to speak relentlessly.

"So, you really believe you’re unbeatable and unstoppable? Look at the last few games. We’ve been walking on a tightrope. We were lucky, and we won the game. If we had just a little less luck, the outcome could have been completely different."

"Do you really naively think that an 11-game winning streak in the regular season means you’re not afraid of anything? Let’s not even talk about the Patriots. The St. Louis Rams can make us look bad in a minute! They’re just waiting for a moment like this to hit us when we’re getting cocky!"

"Look! Now the media is praising us non-stop, and all of you are getting carried away. All of you are starting to think you’re invincible. Any small setback or difficulty makes you angry. Do I need to count the number of yellow flags in today’s game for you? Do I need to tell you how many tackles you missed today?"

"The day we lose, the first reporters to jump on us will be the ones who are calling us Super Bowl favorites today! They’re vultures! Vultures who will never let go of a dead body!"

"Do you know what Harry Waynes said today? He asked me if I would choose the Denver Broncos as our Super Bowl opponent! He actually asked me to pick our Super Bowl opponent! There are still five weeks left in the regular season! Not to mention a series of opponents waiting for us in the playoffs! What makes us so special that we can pick our Super Bowl opponent? What makes us so special!"

"If we lose in the divisional round of the playoffs, what do you think the outcome will be? No one will care how we did in the regular season! No one will care how long we fought to get to where we are now! They’ll only remember how arrogant and confident we were before we fell flat on our faces."

"So, have you already forgotten what happened last season? Have you already forgotten the pain and humiliation of losing the NFC Championship game? Or are you already satisfied with an 11-game winning streak? Damn! You’re a bunch of idiots! A bunch of lunatics!"

"What I want is the Super Bowl, the moment when we stand on the highest stage and declare that we are the strongest! Not being complacent after a regular-season win! If you’re already satisfied, then you’re a bunch of real losers! Look at how many opportunities you missed today? Look at how many times your penalties ruined everything we worked for? This is your ability? The number one ranked defense in the league?"

"That’s ridiculous!"

The entire visiting team’s locker room went silent.

In the beginning, the offensive players were self-satisfied and proud. They held their heads high and looked down at the defensive players, gloating. But gradually, they began to understand the deeper meaning of Lu Ke’s words.

Even though Lu Ke was still yelling at the defense, the offensive players’ boiling emotions slowly calmed down. They now realized that their argument was incredibly stupid and childish.

Just as Lu Ke said, even if the offense won this game, so what? Does anyone care? Should anyone care? The day they lose, none of this will matter anymore.

To the victor go the spoils. This is the cruel reality of competitive sports.

So, how did this childish argument escalate to such an out-of-control point?

"So, yes, I think so too. The offense won this game. I’m saying it now. The defense needs to seriously reflect on what happened in this game. What happened to us? Why is our team’s performance getting worse? Look at the offense’s performance today. I don’t think there’s any dispute about this!"

In the end, Lu Ke returned to the main topic. He took a step and walked firmly to his right, standing next to his offensive teammates.

This was his choice.

The locker room was so quiet that even breathing seemed to have stopped. The silence spread slowly. Suddenly, Moss burst out laughing. "Well said!"

They could reflect later. For now, the most important thing was that Lu Ke had given the defense a good scolding. Now the entire defense was speechless. Seeing their dejected and depressed faces like defeated roosters, with all their witty words gone, Moss couldn’t help but feel happy.

Then, Moss, as if afraid of peace, started whistling, clapping, and laughing. At the same time, he kept waving his hands up and down to get all the offensive players excited.

They looked at each other, and then Logan and Crabtree were the first to start cheering. Then, others slowly came to their senses and joined in on the fun and celebration. The locker room immediately became a party.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang. Many people looked over and saw Aldon punch a dent into his locker. But even with that, Aldon still couldn’t vent his anger. He stormed out of the locker room and slammed the door shut.

The loud bang echoed down the long hallway.

But the offense’s celebration continued, with cheering and jumping. It was a lively scene. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The press conference was over, and the locker room was cleaned up. The players left the stadium and got on the official team buses to head to the airport and fly back to San Francisco. But today, the team’s atmosphere was completely different. All the offensive players were on one bus, and all the defensive players were on the other.

Lu Ke stayed in the locker room, not getting up. He was quietly thinking. He didn’t get up until all his teammates had left. He was the last one to leave, closing the locker room door and walking toward the team buses.

Was his choice the right one? Could he have found a better solution? Before today, should he have stepped up and prevented this from happening? Or was it a better choice to let all the negative emotions out like this? Was it right for him to go with the flow? What should he do now? Will there be a rift between the offense and the defense?

Being a team leader is never easy. And leading a super-large team of 53 people is even more difficult. Lu Ke still had a lot to learn.

But one thing was for sure: he would never shy away from his responsibilities, just like he did today.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Ke walked toward the team bus. Marcus stood at the door of the bus and waved at Lu Ke, signaling for him to sit there. Lu Ke quickly walked up.

Marcus looked at Lu Ke with concern. Compared to the lively and impulsive Logan, Marcus was more calm and low-key. Although he could talk smack sometimes, he was the calmer one in crucial moments. "...Are you okay?" In the end, he didn’t know how to put his feelings into words and could only ask this question.

Lu Ke patted Marcus on the shoulder. "I’m fine. Don’t worry. You know I’ll never give up easily."

"I know." Marcus nodded in confirmation. "You should also know that Logan and I will always stand behind you, right? It’s just... Logan’s way of expressing himself is a little different."

"Hehe, I know," Lu Ke said with a smile.

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