Chapter 1079: A Series of Accelerations

The second half of the NFC Championship game began.

At their own 18-yard line, it was first and 10.

Lu Ke called the snap. He stood in a traditional pistol formation and made a motion as if handing the football to Kendall Hunter. Hunter sprinted forward but didn’t take the ball. Instead, he cut inside and came in front of Lu Ke. He made a fake run with the ball along the channel torn open by the offensive line, and he continued to move forward.

Lu Ke simultaneously began to drop back, one big step, two big steps. He quickly scanned the entire field. As the defensive line and offensive line were tangled up, pressing in on him from both sides, he remained calm. He took a step forward and returned to the broken pocket, using the momentum from the step to complete the pass.

The brownish-red football drew a matte arc in the air, flying forward at a 45-degree angle to the left.

Even though it was a two-by-two offensive formation, after the snap, Vernon Davis, who was on the inside of the left wing, quickly cut inside and ran across the field along the channel between the linebackers and the defensive line. His explosive run drew the attention of most of the defense, leaving only one receiver, Randy Moss, on the left wing.

Moss chose the simplest running route, a straight sprint. In the first half of the play, he pushed his speed to the limit, going head-to-head with the cornerback Dunta Robinson, who had just been subbed in for the second half. His fierce and powerful charge forced Dunta to quickly move back and adjust his defensive position.

In a flash, Moss had already sprinted 10 yards. Then, he could be seen lightly tapping his right foot, instantly changing direction and his forward angle. He sprinted at a 60-degree angle to the front-right.

Moss, who could always break down a zone defense, could also find open spaces against a one-on-one defense. Dunta was a half-step slow and immediately moved quickly to his back-left, trying to keep up with Moss’s change in footwork. But just as his speed was picking up, he saw Moss make a second emergency stop and change direction again.

During the high-speed sprint, Dunta’s body’s reflex forced him to change his center of gravity, but his muscles couldn’t keep up with his mind’s speed. His feet began to stumble and trip. Although he didn’t completely lose his running rhythm, his rhythm and space began to fall behind.

After Moss adjusted his direction, he continued to sprint diagonally to his front-left for about six yards, which was just a blink of an eye. Then, he made a third sudden stop and turn. His feet, which had just braked, instantly stopped in place. In his line of sight, he could see Dunta retreating like an out-of-control race car. The distance between them was further widened.

From the initial three yards of space to the current seven yards of distance, Moss had completely broken away from Dunta’s man-to-man coverage.

Moss used his left foot as the center of a circle. Using the forward momentum, he turned his body around. His right foot planted on the ground to support him and controlled the swaying of his body. He had just taken a deep breath when the football quickly came toward his chest. He put his hands on his chest and successfully controlled the football.

He then used his right foot to push off, and with his left foot as the center of a circle, he turned back around. Without even looking, he instinctively sprinted diagonally to his front-right. Just as his feet started moving, he saw Dunta catching up. But because Moss had anticipated it in advance and got a head start, his speed had already picked up.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Moss strode forward. Dunta had cut him off but couldn’t stop Moss’s speed. It was at this moment that outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas arrived in time. Together with Dunta, he forcibly knocked Moss to the ground, ending this passing play.

A gain of 24 yards.

The seemingly simple play raised the tempo. It used the Atlanta Falcons’ opportunity to increase their pass rush intensity in the second half. A short and quick pass was thrown to Moss, making full use of Moss’s individual ability to complete the catch in a one-on-one matchup.

Lu Ke’s original intention was a short pass, but Moss had the upper hand in his one-on-one with Dunta, creating more open space. Lu Ke then took advantage of it without hesitation, completing a medium pass into the open space. Moss’s continued run after the catch was the icing on the cake and could be considered an unexpected bonus.

After falling to the ground, Moss held the football firmly and waited for the referee to come over. After confirming the position of the catch, he quickly stood up and tossed the football to the referee. Without waiting for Dunta and Nicholas to react, he quickly returned to the line of scrimmage.

Dunta and Nicholas turned their heads in confusion, and they were also startled. They quickly put their heads down and chased after him because Lu Ke had quickly lined up and set up the play. He didn’t seem to be giving the defense any time to breathe and was about to start the next play.

He was going with a no-huddle offense right after the second half started? No way!

At the 42-yard line, it was first and 10.

As expected, Lu Ke chose to snap the ball quickly. The players from both sides hadn’t even recovered from the last play, and the next one had already started. The Falcons’ defense still chose to blitz, committing five defenders to tear open the pocket.

The offensive and defensive lines immediately went one-on-one, scattering around Lu Ke like satellites, forming a pincer movement. But surprisingly, Lu Ke didn’t choose to pass the ball quickly. Instead, he dropped back and observed for a moment. After all the receivers had run their routes, he used the same tactic as before: taking a step forward, actively entering the turbulent waters of the broken pocket.

Using the momentum from the step forward, Lu Ke quickly adjusted and found Vernon in the middle with a straight pass!

In this play, Vernon was still on the inside of the left wing. After the snap, he sprinted out along a 75-degree diagonal line to the right. He slightly adjusted his footwork and cut into the middle, charging toward the channel of the right goalpost.

After sprinting for less than five yards, outside linebacker Weatherspoon tackled Vernon’s waist. But the force and rhythm of the run were out of sync. Vernon used his strength to instantly break free from Weatherspoon’s tackle and caused the latter to lose his balance. He stumbled and tried to get back into position but was left farther behind.

Vernon continued to move forward.

From five to 10 yards, it was a blink of an eye. From 10 to 15 yards, it took just a single breath. Then, he could see safety Moore getting closer and closer. Vernon turned his body and ran a small return curve, like a boomerang. He turned his body along the arc, facing Lu Ke head-on, and then he could see the football coming toward him in a straight line.

A bullet pass.

Vernon straightened his upper body and accurately caught the football at his chest. In the next second, Moore first and then Weatherspoon converged on him, disrupting Vernon’s balance. Vernon then fell to the ground helplessly, but the only thought in his mind was to control the football.

After regaining control of his body, he stood up and raised his left arm, pointing to the end zone, indicating that they would continue to move forward.

But his cool gesture only lasted for a moment. Then, Vernon quickly returned to the line of scrimmage because the offense was already lining up again.

At the 30-yard line, it was first and 10.

It was obvious that the 49ers’ offense was speeding up. All the play designs and tactics seemed to have been listed in Lu Ke’s mind long ago. He broke through with a clean move, and the Falcons’ defense could only passively improvise. The two consecutive passing plays had excellent results.

This time, Lu Ke also snapped the ball quickly. He stood in a pistol formation, holding the ball with both hands. He made small, quick adjustments in place. He decisively raised his right hand and chose to pass. The quick-pass motion carried a storm, and it instantly made the linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties all move.

But then, Lu Ke pulled his right hand back, turned his body, and handed the football to Kendall Hunter.

It was a run play!

The problem was that the Falcons’ defense hadn’t anticipated it at all. The offensive and defensive lines were still going at it as they had been in the previous two plays. The five offensive linemen were facing off against the five defensive linemen one-on-one, scattered like stars in the sky. The distance between each pair was like a deep chasm.

Hunter didn’t need to make any adjustments. His light feet effortlessly ran through the players, instantly crossing the line of scrimmage and quickly advancing another five yards. Then, he could see the terrified linebackers.

They had just been dropping back, preparing to defend against a pass. But it was a run play. They tried to quickly change their center of gravity but slipped and lost their position. They could then see Hunter running toward them. In their panic, they could only raise their hands to try and stop him.

But this didn’t stop Hunter at all. He ran through them like a bulldozer, crossed the linebackers’ defense, and then charged toward the incoming safeties and the cornerbacks from both sides. He ran a full 13 yards before his ankle was grabbed by a linebacker who had fallen earlier, and he lost his balance and fell to the ground.

At the 30-yard line, it was first and 10.

With no time to breathe, Lu Ke snapped the ball again. This time, there was no fake move. He just handed the football directly to Hunter.

The Falcons’ defense finally made an adjustment. They took out a linebacker, leaving only four defensive linemen to rush the passer. But because the receivers’ forward momentum was too fierce, the three linebackers didn’t dare to move recklessly. They still couldn’t move up in time, and Hunter still gained space to run forward.

This time, Hunter’s run was stopped after he had advanced five yards by three linebackers. But the excellent ground offense still forced the Falcons’ defense to retreat. In the first four plays of the second half, the 49ers had completely entered an unstoppable, sweeping state!

Speeding up! Lu Ke was still speeding up!

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

On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!