Chapter 962: Chapter 962: It’s Coming Together

Chapter 962: It’s Coming Together

Randy Moss was charging forward quickly. Although speed wasn’t his strongest suit, after completing the catch and evading the players, the end zone seemed within reach. It was a mere 23 or 24 yards, a distance that seemed achievable with just a few breaths. This made Moss push his speed to the limit.

While sprinting, he looked back. Moss knew that his speed wouldn’t give him an absolute advantage, so he had to constantly keep track of the positions of all the defensive players on the field. Only then could he anticipate and adjust his movements.

The entire New England Patriots’ defense was in pursuit.

The mighty army of players was right behind him, looking like a huge wave. This made Moss feel like he was back in his prime, with a heroic and ambitious spirit, taking the head of the enemy general from the midst of ten thousand soldiers without getting a single scratch. This surged through his blood, and adrenaline began to flow continuously.

Devin McCourty and Aqib Talib were chasing with all their might, getting closer and closer. He could almost feel their hot, rapid breaths and their fingertips, which were so close. This made an unimaginable amount of energy burst from Moss’s body again. There were no fancy position changes or fake moves. He was just relying on his speed!

Physical talent.

This was Moss’s strength, but after he turned thirty, his physical abilities seemed to be slowly declining. Compared to the average person, Moss was still as strong as a bull. But in the highly competitive professional football world, he was starting to feel that he couldn’t do it all on his own. It seemed to be becoming impossible to defeat his opponents with just his talent.

But at this moment, Moss felt like he was back at twenty-five, and an endless stream of energy was continuously bursting out.

That passion, that enthusiasm, that pride, was burning brightly. He, Randy Moss, was still one of the top wide receivers in the league! The one and only!

With a "whoosh," Moss crossed the goal line and ran into the end zone, scoring a powerful touchdown. But the momentum of his charge was so strong that his feet began to stumble, and his body seemed to lose control. The result was that his knees buckled, and he rolled on the ground.

He felt like he was twenty-five, but he wasn’t twenty-five after all.

Even so, Moss laughed happily, laughing freely.

Actually, Moss had a mix of good and bad memories with the New England Patriots, but most of them were good. The 2007 season was still the most perfect year. Before this game, Moss had already decided that if he scored a touchdown, he wouldn’t celebrate. It was a sign of respect.

But his state of mind was completely different now.

The ups and downs of this game completely immersed him, and the passionate words in the locker room at halftime awakened the passion deep in his soul. He could truly feel that he was a Niner, a true Niner, completely and harmoniously integrated with this team and these teammates. That excitement, that focus, that dedication, and that madness to win even if he had to be torn to pieces, burst out uncontrollably at this moment.

He was a Niner.

When he realized this, the touchdown he had just scored became something else entirely. Then, Moss couldn’t help but clench his fists and lie in the end zone in the shape of a star, roaring crazily. But then he laughed freely again. He hadn’t felt that pure joy and happiness since he entered college.

"TOUCHDOWN!"

"The San Francisco 49ers have scored a touchdown again! Randy Moss! It’s Randy Moss who scored the touchdown this time!"

"Absolutely brilliant! This is absolutely brilliant! Facing the New England Patriots’ conscious strategic changes, in just one or two offensive downs, Lu Ke made two in-game changes, twice running out of the pocket on his own, once choosing to run with the ball himself and once choosing to pass the ball before the line of scrimmage!"

"The Patriots’ defense seems to be unable to keep up with the rhythm now. It’s not just Lu Ke’s two consecutive changes in strategy, but also the overall confrontation situation in this offensive drive. It’s clear that the 49ers’ offensive intensity has risen by more than just one or two levels. It’s like a storm, completing a crushing advance."

"Can you believe it? This drive only took less than three minutes, and in a total of six plays, the San Francisco 49ers scored their second touchdown since the second half began!"

"The situation is changing. My God, is this game going to enter the 49ers’ rhythm?"

Watching Moss enter the end zone, Lu Ke couldn’t help but wince for Moss when he saw his knees buckle due to overexertion. Then he couldn’t help but laugh.

Lu Ke had no idea that this pass would result in a touchdown.

This was a contingency plan in a critical situation. He chose Moss only because he was in the right place at the right time.

Originally, Lu Ke thought it would be a good result to just get a first down. After all, his passing speed was not fast, and the arc of his pass was not well-hidden. The defensive players had enough time to make a judgment and run back to cover. But he didn’t expect Moss to have a burst of energy and score a touchdown.

This was great!

He could now clearly feel that the San Francisco 49ers’ offense was getting back into form step by step.

This wasn’t because of the two consecutive touchdowns, but because of the details in the entire offensive process. Whether it was the success rate of catching the ball, the blocking, or the second move after catching the ball, or the connection of the offensive rhythm, all the details showed signs of improvement and recovery. It was the accumulation of these details that led to the touchdown.

In this drive, the San Francisco 49ers had just crossed the midfield. After Lu Ke completed the pass, he quickly scanned the field, thinking about how to proceed with the offense. But he didn’t expect Moss to go straight for the end zone and complete the ultimate goal of this drive.

In other words, this was a natural result. After their form improved and they regained their competitiveness, the San Francisco 49ers were now slowly turning the tide of the game. Of course, they were still a long way from closing the gap in the score.

The score on the board was "30-14."

Then, the San Francisco 49ers’ defense also started to find their rhythm.

Aldon Smith’s mind seemed to have finally cleared up, though only a little. There was still a gap between him and his peak form, but he almost completed an interception.

The pass from Tom Brady to wide receiver Brandon Lloyd was a little too low. Aldon raised his hand and swatted the ball away.

At the same time, the ball’s flight path changed and went up instead of out, which gave Aldon a chance to intercept, but... he couldn’t control the ball. He fumbled it a few times like a clumsy juggler, and it eventually fell to the ground.

Missing the interception was frustrating for not only Aldon but also the other defensive players. Their emotions were still fluctuating. But then, they turned this emotion into motivation. The pressure from the defensive line was very effective. They created three hurried throws under pressure, which also caused Brady’s rhythm with his receivers to be involuntarily disrupted.

Continuous pressure, continuous pressure, continuous pressure.

Although the offense led by Brady still crossed midfield and entered the field goal range, the defense led by Willis was creating more trouble for them, and the overall morale of the team was clearly improving.

Now the crucial moment had arrived. It was time to see who would win. Clearly, Belichick still had firm control of the game, but Harbaugh had already launched the counterattack. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

After Gostkowski made another 46-yard field goal, the score became "33-14." The New England Patriots still had a 19-point lead.

Lu Ke then came on the field, and he just completed a six-yard short pass to Mario Manningham. Before he had time to run the second-and-four play, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the third quarter. This meant that the fate of the game would be decided in the final quarter.

In the third quarter, the San Francisco 49ers had a "14-6" advantage, but the hole they dug in the first half was too big. The New England Patriots were still experienced and making steady progress. This left the visiting 49ers far behind.

What was even more serious was that Belichick had a firm control over the game time. Entering the final quarter, the New England Patriots didn’t even need to rush to score. They could focus on minimizing mistakes and running down the clock. They were basically in an invincible position.

Time. Score.

Now, both factors were extremely unfavorable for the San Francisco 49ers. They not only needed a touchdown but a quick touchdown. Otherwise, one quarter of time would not be enough.

In this situation, a risky long pass seemed to be the best choice. It was simple, brutal, and fast. This was especially true for a rookie or sophomore quarterback, who often tends to be impatient and make aggressive plays. This was a double-edged sword. It could either lead to heaven or hell. It all depended on the quarterback’s touch and whether he could create a clear path to victory.

A long pass was originally Lu Ke’s strength, and now that the rain had stopped, everything seemed to be going in that direction.

But surprisingly, the San Francisco 49ers chose to run the ball.

What was the plan this time?

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