Chapter 945: Chapter 945: Stumbling and Tumbling

Chapter 945: Stumbling and Tumbling

"Ted Ginn!"

"Ted Ginn!"

"Touchdown!"

"Ahhh! Touchdown! That’s an undeniable game-winning touchdown!"

"Number 19 of the San Francisco 49ers, Ted Ginn, has completed a touchdown catch! Oh my God, oh my, oh my, oh my God! Ted Ginn made an incredible touchdown catch just as overtime was about to end! They won the game at the last second! Game-winning! The San Francisco 49ers were on the edge of a cliff, but at the last moment, they turned the tide and won again!"

"Not a tie! Not a tie! Not a tie!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a tie! With one minute and 15 seconds left in overtime, Lu Ke threw a 27-yard pass to the left side to a streaking Ted Ginn. With the blocks from Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis, Ginn completed the catch and, with his speed, forced his way past two defenders to score the touchdown!"

"Game-winning!"

"That’s a game-winner!"

"The San Francisco 49ers avoided their first non-win of the season at the last moment, and they won again in a game-winning fashion! The game is over! The game is officially over! The San Francisco 49ers have come back from the dead again, extending their winning streak to 12 games! Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, this game was so exciting! Absolutely so exciting!"

"Who would have thought? God, to be honest, before this game, who would have thought of this situation? Who would have thought of this score? Who would have thought of this progression? Of course, division matchups are always full of suspense and surprises, and the St. Louis Rams are famous for being good at division games. But this game was still far beyond anyone’s expectations! It almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Who would have thought that the San Francisco 49ers’ closest game to a loss in the 2012 season would be against the St. Louis Rams? Unbelievable! Absolutely brilliant! Simply amazing!"

The studio was in a frenzy.

The televisions were in a frenzy.

The stadium was also in a frenzy.

Just as the commentator said, no one had expected the 49ers to have such a difficult game.

Against the Rams, a team that was good at division games and bad at non-division games, a team that was ranked 25th in offense and 14th in defense this season, a team with a 4-7 record in 2012, and a team that the 49ers had easily defeated at Candlestick Park a few weeks ago... the 49ers were in a slump for the entire game, as if they were in a ghost maze and couldn’t get their act together.

First, the defense.

The 49ers’ defense could not stop Sam Bradford’s passing game. He repeatedly gave up yards at key moments, allowing the Rams to continue their drive. Especially the connection between Bradford and his two wide receivers, Danny Amendola and Brian Quick, they seemed to have no answer for them.

The problem was that Amendola was an undrafted rookie in 2008, and Quick was a second-round rookie this year. Neither player had any notable performance or record.

To make things worse, veteran running back Steven Jackson, who had been selected to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro Second Teams, seemed to have a sudden revival after being in a slump for more than two years. He had his best performance in the past three years against the 49ers, a team that had a top-ranked run defense for two consecutive seasons.

Although the 49ers’ defense was still commendable in the red zone and held their ground at the end, they lost their ability to force turnovers and three-and-outs. This meant they lost the ability to control the game.

They couldn’t get the Rams’ offense off the field quickly, so they couldn’t get more time for the 49ers’ offense. Then, the game fell into a vicious cycle.

It got worse and worse! More and more sluggish! More and more exhausted!

The entire defense seemed to be half-asleep for the entire game, not knowing what they were doing. They had to be thankful that their opponent was the St. Louis Rams, a team with a truly poor offense. In the end, Bradford lacked the explosiveness and failed to seize the opportunity; otherwise, they would have been torn to shreds.

Next, the offense.

The offensive line’s rhythm never seemed to click. Although they only gave up two sacks for the entire game, the stats weren’t too bad. But the number of times Lu Ke was forced to hurry his throws under pressure was as high as eight. That stat was terrible. The entire pocket was a chaotic mess. Not to mention passing, even his footwork was stumbling.

Faced with such a bad situation, Lu Ke still tried his best to make a drive, but he didn’t get much help.

Marcus Lynch and Frank Gore’s running game was in a slump again. They often ran directly into a wall like headless chickens, losing yards, or they would be tackled after gaining only one or two yards. Not to mention relieving the pressure of the passing game, Gore even fumbled once, and the opponent’s defense recovered the ball, giving up the momentum of the drive.

The receivers were the same. Crabtree and Vernon hadn’t fully recovered their touch; they had only improved a little. Moss’s performance also had its ups and downs. Sometimes his routes were normal, but other times, they were completely illogical. It was truly ridiculous, like a martial artist with a strange sword technique.

So, Ted Ginn and the rotational Mario Manningham became the last hope. A.J. Jenkins was also forced to rotate in to adjust the pace of the offense.

But Ginn also had one drop and one silly mistake that cost him his position, resulting in two incomplete passes. In addition, Moss also had two perfectly catchable balls, but he messed up his footwork, which led to incomplete passes.

For Lu Ke, who was struggling to make a play with no support, it was one thing after another. This even led to Lu Ke’s own mistakes. He threw two interceptions in the entire game, a new career high.

There was no room for excuses. It was Lu Ke’s own mistake. He had a complete lapse in judgment during his pass observation and failed to spot a defensive player waiting to intercept. The defensive player suddenly appeared and forced an interception before the pass connection could be completed.

When it rains, it pours. This was the best description for the San Francisco 49ers in this game.

But Lu Ke still didn’t give up. He gritted his teeth and continued to press on. Against the St. Louis Rams’ defense, which had a few good performances this season, Lu Ke still tried his best to make a drive in the storm. In the end, he didn’t lose the game completely, and he stubbornly dragged the game into overtime.

No one would believe it, even if they saw it with their own eyes.

The final score of the regular game time was "6-6."

The San Francisco 49ers, a team that had been scoring touchdowns easily this season and averaging over 30 points per game, were in a touchdown drought today. This was the first time Lu Ke had not thrown a touchdown pass in the 2012 season, which truly shocked everyone.

The St. Louis Rams had two field goals.

The San Francisco 49ers had two field goals.

The game in regulation was so dull, so boring and uninteresting that it made people sleepy. It was hard to imagine that this was a 49ers game.

But the audience who had watched the entire game knew that the current situation was hard-earned.

On one hand, Bradford didn’t seize the opportunity. Otherwise, with the 49ers’ defense’s performance, they would have given up at least three touchdowns. On the other hand, Lu Ke’s persistence. He used everything he had, from tactics to execution. He was missing a leg and an arm, but he still tried to find a way to break the deadlock. Otherwise, the 49ers would have lost the game in regulation.

The "6-6" score was a product of this.

After entering overtime, the situation still didn’t get any better.

According to the rules, the first team to score a touchdown or a safety would win the game. The first team to kick a field goal, if the opponent couldn’t immediately kick one as well, would also win the game.

But... the 49ers and the Rams were still unable to score.

The first drive, both sides didn’t score. The second drive, both sides still didn’t score. The third drive... it wasn’t because the defense was so good. It was because the confrontation between the defense and the offense had become dirty and ugly. Yellow flags were flying everywhere, and mistakes were all over the place. It was like two ruffians wrestling in the mud. Even watching was hard to bear.

Overtime was supposed to be a nail-biter, tense and exciting, but the game was so uninspired that it made people want it to end as soon as possible. This was also a rare sight, which made everyone not know whether to laugh or cry.

If this continued, and neither side could score, then after time ran out, it would be a tie. After entering the playoffs, because there had to be a winner, there would be another overtime. But the regular season wasn’t so demanding. If the score was still tied after one overtime, the game would end in a tie.

But the biggest charm of this game was that you could never predict what would happen next. When everyone thought a touchdown was about to happen, it was a three-and-out. When everyone thought the winner had been decided, it went back to a tie. Now, when everyone thought it would end in a tie, the winner was suddenly decided.

Just as the game was about to end, Lu Ke and Ginn finally connected and narrowly completed a touchdown. Relying on the offense’s deep talent and a little bit of luck—or a lot of luck—they successfully turned the game around and won!

All the fans were in a frenzy, not because it was brilliant, but because it was another thrilling and unexpected game. They looked at the field with a puzzled expression and a head full of question marks: Did we win? Did we lose? Has the winner finally been decided? Finally! We are finally free!

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