Chapter 958: Chapter 958: Precise Control

Chapter 958: Precise Control

The reason a trick play is called a "trick" is because it’s unconventional. This is true for the passive side as well as the active side. If you’re not careful, you might shoot yourself in the foot.

The wind!

The wind, which had interfered with the game multiple times today, started to cause trouble again.

To ensure the accuracy of the ball, Marcus didn’t dare to put too much power on the ball, especially since their own end zone was not far behind Lu Ke. He mainly used the power from his forearm. The ball then wobbled like a falling leaf in the wind, and its flight path became very strange. It was impossible to make an accurate judgment.

What’s worse was that the wind was mixed with a layer of mist. It was hard to tell whether it was starting to rain again or if it was mist condensed from the thick water vapor. The most serious problem was not the slightly blurry vision but the fact that the ball was easy to slip.

Standing in the pocket, Lu Ke’s focus remained highly concentrated. As he watched the ball’s trajectory begin to wobble, he didn’t hesitate and immediately activated "Absolute Footwork."

Catching the ball, while the hand movement is the most direct and important, accurate footwork can reduce the risk of accidents. It also helps with body balance and the rhythm of the catch. At this critical moment, Lu Ke didn’t care if he was wasting a special skill. He was fully committed to this offensive play.

The first second.

His upper body remained stable and upright, while his lower body was making small adjustments. All the offensive and defensive players in his peripheral vision were temporarily put aside. His eyes were only on the erratic ball.

Because of the gusty winds, the ball was shaking violently. The lower part of the ball was constantly spinning, and the arc was getting bigger and bigger, which also made the landing point constantly change.

This was not a situation where a strong wind would completely blow the ball off its course. If that were the case, there would be a pattern, and he could quickly make a judgment. Instead, it was a gust of wind that was sometimes light, sometimes heavy, sometimes fast, and sometimes slow.

This made the ball in the air unstable. The offset could be as small as half a palm or even less, but it was constantly moving left and right. This required the receiver to constantly adjust his steps to accurately match the ball’s rotation, or he might drop it.

With only a 40-point catching ability, every muscle and nerve in Lu Ke’s body was tense. His eyes never left the ball. He constantly adjusted his small steps in a half-circle space, and then, in the safest way possible, he made a cradle gesture and tucked the ball into his arms.

But even so, the ball, which was covered in mist, was still slippery and almost slipped out of Lu Ke’s arms again.

Fortunately, Marcus’s pass didn’t have too much power, and the ball’s momentum was limited. Lu Ke still managed to control it successfully. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The second second.

As soon as his hands caught the ball and before he had time to control it with his right hand, Lu Ke quickly looked up, and a quick scan of the field gave him a clear view of the situation.

But Lu Ke didn’t have time to carefully look for a receiver or a defensive match-up, because someone had already broken through the offensive line and was charging toward him like a runaway bull: number 75, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

Actually, even though Wilfork was responsible for matching up against the 49ers’ right offensive line, his defensive position was on the inside. He was more likely to be matched up against Anthony Davis or Jonathan Goodwin, and he could even play as a nose tackle if necessary. But in the trick play just now, all the players had tilted to one side, which also caused the offensive line’s position to shift, leaving Wilfork’s position out of place.

Wilfork is a big guy, weighing 325 pounds (147 kg). Moving is not his strength. Even in a quarterback rush, he is the one who is responsible for hitting the offensive line and creating pocket pressure. So, he just stood there and watched the entire defensive standoff.

Then, he saw Marcus’s backward pass.

Wilfork immediately sensed the danger and quickly started to move again. Although his "quick" was still very, very slow, he still hit Boone, who was not in a good position, with his shoulder and charged toward Lu Ke.

Wilfork, with his arms wide open, was like a big brown bear, showing his fangs and pouncing on his prey. Just his roar was enough to make people dizzy, not to mention the pressure from his huge body. It felt like he could be torn to pieces at any moment.

Lu Ke didn’t rush to escape. He paused for a moment, held the ball with his right hand, and adjusted his fingers to firmly control it. Then, in his eyes, he saw Wilfork’s shadow mixed with the wind and rain rushing toward him. He felt like he was being covered in a dark shadow.

At the critical moment, Lu Ke took a heavy step with his left foot, using his right foot as a pivot. His body moved sideways. At the same time, his left foot left the ground, went around Wilfork’s body, and pulled his body into a soft and tough arc. He flashed past Wilfork’s arms and then quickly got behind him.

A sharp and strong gust of wind hit his ears, and the wind began to become piercing. But... it was gone in a flash. As he changed and shifted his steps, the fierce and brutal wind instantly slid past his shoulder and cheek, disappearing without a trace.

Light, agile, and graceful.

It only took two steps, but he created a complete mismatch between the two of them. Then he could only watch as Wilfork lost his balance and his target, awkwardly and clumsily pouncing forward, unable to control his body. And Lu Ke had already started to adjust his small steps again, making a passing motion.

The third second.

Lu Ke gently lifted his chin. Where was his target?

D*mn it, where was his target?

Drizzle, drizzle. The hazy mist made his vision blurry. The whistling cold wind also became clearer. His slightly stiff fingers couldn’t help but clench, and his muscles became tense again.

Calm down, stay calm! He had to stay calm!

At this moment, if you were to look down from a high point, you could see a serious imbalance on the entire Gillette Stadium field.

The left side of the San Francisco 49ers was a complete mess. From the moment Marcus passed the ball to the moment Lu Ke was ready to pass, only one or two seconds had passed. Neither the offensive nor defensive players could immediately redeploy their tactics, so they could only continue to confront each other on the spot.

The offensive players were trying to run their routes again and get into a position to receive the ball.

The defensive players were trying to defend on the spot and cut off all possibilities.

At least ten players, or even more, were gathered on the left side.

In comparison, the right side looked much weaker. Two players in white away jerseys were facing three players in dark blue home jerseys. Even the standoff between the offensive and defensive lines had shifted to the other side, making this side look a bit calm and desolate.

Just as Lu Ke shook off Wilfork, the matchup on the right side also changed.

Number 19, wide receiver Ted Ginn, who was originally moving forward quickly along the inside slot, had now moved about 23 or 24 yards from the line of scrimmage. He suddenly veered to the outside, quickly moving toward the sideline.

Number 13, wide receiver Chad Hall, who was originally moving fast toward the outside of the center, had now moved toward Aqib Talib’s defense. The two of them were getting tangled up, and then Hall suddenly cut inside, running a post route.

The three defensive players on the same side had to react immediately.

Outside linebacker Rob Ninkovich, safety Steve Gregory, and cornerback Aqib Talib were the three Patriots’ defensive players this time.

Originally, Ninkovich was covering Ginn, and Talib was covering Hall.

Now, Hall was quickly moving toward the other side of the field, looking like a lamb walking into a tiger’s den, actively running toward the mess where countless defensive players were gathered. The scene looked very chaotic. On the other hand, Ginn was moving to the outside and had completely unleashed his vertical speed. Considering the potential threat of the two players, Ginn was obviously the more likely target.

In a flash, Talib immediately gave up on Hall and quickly moved toward Ginn. Ninkovich also followed Ginn’s movements closely.

Gregory, on the other hand, didn’t make a move. He was still adjusting his steps in the backfield to prevent Hall from becoming an undefended player, but overall, his center of gravity was still slightly closer to the sideline because Ginn’s speed was so well-known.

As they crossed over, Hall and Ginn continued to move toward the deep area, which made their figures blurry in the misty rain, sometimes appearing and sometimes disappearing.

Lu Ke knew that he had to stay calm. He was looking for a target to pass to. But the figures in his vision were very blurry. He couldn’t make an accurate judgment of the players’ positions, routes, and the control and adjustment of the pass. At this moment, a short pass would be the safest choice.

However, Lu Ke didn’t hesitate. He gritted his teeth. Since he had already started, he had to go all the way. He still decided to complete the pass according to the pre-snap play. If he chose to play it safe, then Lu Ke wouldn’t be Lu Ke, and the 49ers wouldn’t be the 49ers.

He adjusted his steps, pushed off the ground, pulled back his right arm, and threw the ball. But... who was the target?

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

On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!