Chapter 953: Chapter 953: Uncontrollably Angry

Chapter 953: Uncontrollably Angry

"27-0."

When the referee blew the whistle to end the first half, that was the halftime score. The home team was in front, and the away team was behind.

For the San Francisco 49ers, this was a complete disaster.

The offense, which had been on fire all season, was shut out for the first time in the first half. They didn’t get a single point, no touchdowns, and no field goals. It was as if they had gone back to the stone age. The defense, which had risen strongly and been completely upgraded this season, was also lost and helpless, watching the opponent run back and forth on their side of the field.

If they wanted to blame someone, they could find many reasons.

The bad weather had a huge impact. Gillette Stadium was indeed one of the most famous hostile home stadiums in the league. Belichick’s specific tactical plan was also very ruthless, especially the tight coverage on the receivers, which was eye-opening. The different styles of Gronkowski and Welker were equally powerful and impossible to defend against.

If Manningham’s catch wasn’t rushed and hadn’t led to an interception, they could have kept moving forward and even scored. If Aldon hadn’t missed that crucial tackle on Welker, they wouldn’t have been behind so quickly. If Marcus and Gore’s running game could have seized the opportunity to move forward, all the offensive pressure wouldn’t have been on Lu Ke.

And so on.

But the reality is that there are no "ifs." Excuses, excuses, these are all just excuses.

Lu Ke knew that excuses were useless, just like there’s no turning back time. They had to realize, deeply and truly, that their poor performance in the first half was their own fault. A football game is a competition. One side goes up while the other goes down, and the suppression and counter-suppression between the two sides are mutual. In other words, the better the New England Patriots played, the worse the San Francisco 49ers looked.

The defense was still a mess.

The offense was still struggling in the wind.

The special teams, even if they wanted to try, could only do so if the offense and defense created opportunities for them. What about now? David Akers wished he could get on the field and help, but he was ultimately powerless and could only sit on the sidelines, feeling anxious and annoyed.

No reason, no excuses. The 49ers’ nightmarish performance was the biggest reason for their current predicament.

Ever since the locker room conflict erupted three weeks ago, their performance has been stumbling and tumbling. The wins against the St. Louis Rams and the Miami Dolphins were not based on skill but on luck! Now, their luck has run out, and the terrible form is still continuing.

In the first half, all the players on offense and defense were like zombies sleepwalking. They had no idea what they were doing. They were like a light bulb with a bad connection, flickering on and off. No one knew if it was going to just go out completely in the next second.

But in fact, the team’s ups and downs can be traced back to the game against the New York Giants in Week 6 of the regular season. At that time, Crabtree’s performance in the first half was not satisfying, and in the second half, Moss took his place and played as a starter for the first time. That was the first sign.

After that, the performance of the offense and defense began to fluctuate. With time and a continued winning streak, the fluctuations became more and more severe and obvious. The locker room conflict after defeating the New Orleans Saints was actually an emotional release and an eruption of the pressure that had been building up for weeks.

Everything had a pattern.

And then, things came to this point. They were sitting in the locker room at Gillette Stadium, facing a "27-0" deficit against Belichick and Brady, who would never let any opportunity slip away. At this moment, their eyes were blank. Even if they wanted to come back and win, they didn’t seem to know where to start or what to do.

Silence.

The entire locker room was silent. Not even a single sound of breathing or coughing. It was like a stagnant pool of water. All life was swallowed by the howling wind at Gillette Stadium.

At the same time, everyone’s heads were bowed. They didn’t dare to make eye contact, didn’t dare to make a sound. Even their anger had completely disappeared in the freezing air. There was no spirit or morale. It was as if they had already chosen to surrender before the second half had even started.

What’s more terrifying than being behind and losing?

Retreating without a fight!

Giving up without a fight!

Collapsing without a fight!

This is what the 49ers looked like right now. It was a suffocating feeling.

But last season, the 49ers were not like this.

They were a team that was best at making comebacks. Even when facing the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, even when facing the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants, even in games where there was almost no hope of winning, and even when they were on the verge of disaster, they never gave up. They never surrendered!

This season, the 49ers’ journey has been too smooth.

The most difficult game was against the New York Giants. They were also in a tough spot in the first half. But even in that game, their situation and troubles were far from as severe as they are today.

In a season where things went so smoothly, they started to take their consecutive victories for granted. It was as if winning a game didn’t require any effort and was as easy as picking something out of a bag. Their preparation for crises and difficulties became numb and stiff, so much so that they forgot the fighting spirit and ruthlessness of being in a desperate situation.

The media’s "kill with praise" strategy only added fuel to the fire, making them all so overjoyed that they forgot their own abilities. It was as if they were standing in the clouds, unable to see the danger or the difficulties, and naturally, they couldn’t see their fighting spirit.

They used to be a dark horse that had nothing to lose, fighting their way up. Now, they are the number one seed in the league, living in luxury, like flowers in a greenhouse.

This kind of 49ers is truly too unfamiliar!

The silence in the locker room now, the kind of silence where even anger couldn’t burst out, was uncomfortably suffocating.

Lu Ke finally couldn’t take it anymore. He didn’t want to.

With a "whoosh," Lu Ke stood up and slammed his right fist hard against the locker door. The "bang-bang-bang" sound was so loud in the silent environment. It was like a thunderous drumbeat that was slowly re-energizing this stagnant pool! This game wasn’t over yet, and this season wasn’t over yet. Lu Ke had no intention of giving up, and he wouldn’t!

The loud noise continued to echo in the locker room. Because it was so noisy and piercing, everyone couldn’t help but feel their hearts jump. Slowly, the players started to frown and lift their chins, looking in the direction of the sound. They then saw Lu Ke’s serious face, and everyone’s eyes dodged a little, quickly turning away.

But Lu Ke still didn’t stop.

Because there were still some people with their heads down: Randy Moss, Justin Smith, Aldon Smith, and a few others, as if they were completely unaware. Their heads were buried deep, refusing to make any kind of response.

They didn’t react, so Lu Ke wouldn’t give up.

Not only did Lu Ke not stop, but he also hit harder, slamming the locker door. Finally, he slammed the door with a loud "bang." At this, the remaining players all looked up, glaring in the direction of the sound, venting their dissatisfaction.

Lu Ke didn’t back down. Instead, he stepped forward and looked directly at Moss and Aldon. "Do you have anything to say?"

Moss and Aldon wanted to say something but held back. They looked around quickly and frantically and finally didn’t say anything. They then sat down again with a sullen expression.

But their desire to keep the peace only angered Lu Ke more. "Really? This is your reaction now? Does no one want to say anything now? So, this is what we’ve become? A bunch of cowards? Huh? Say it out loud! Tell me what you’re thinking! Are you unhappy? Disdainful? Contemptuous? Or angry?"

The more angry he was, the brighter his smile was.

Lu Ke’s lips were in a wide smile as he looked around, but there was a strong murderous intent hidden in that smile. To be exact, he was sending a provocative signal without hiding anything, once again reminding people of the brutality and strength of the "Bloody Bambi." That bloody aura seemed to begin to spread.

Lu Ke couldn’t believe his eyes. Even though he had provoked them so sharply, when he looked at them, all the players avoided eye contact and kept their mouths shut. Not only did they not say anything, but they also seemed to have lost the courage to make eye contact. The quiet atmosphere slowly solidified, making it hard to breathe.

Absurd! Ridiculous!

After the locker room conflict, they started to maintain a facade of harmony and unity, and then slowly, one by one, they all shut their mouths. All their emotions disappeared, and so did their edges and sharpness? It sounded like a fantasy!

Could it be that to continue their winning streak, they all chose to keep their mouths shut? But the problem is, they are not selfless players who think about the team!

This atmosphere made Lu Ke uncontrollably angry. He smiled without holding back and started to mock and ridicule them. "So, when you shouldn’t be talking, you’re all fighting to say something, but now, when you should be talking, you’ve all shut your mouths? What is this? A new way for high school girls to get along? Or a Barbie doll’s dream life?"

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

On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!