Chapter 963: Step by Step

To pass or to run?

Lu Ke’s mind remained clear. If he were to mess up the offensive rhythm in order to save time, it would not be worth it. He should remain calm and make choices based on the actual situation on the field. That was the most reliable and efficient plan. So, now it was time for the quarterback to play a game of wits with the defense.

Second and four.

By reading the defense, Lu Ke keenly caught the opponent’s defensive strategy. Although it wasn’t obvious, he could keenly notice that the two outside linebackers’ positions and balance had shifted slightly to the outside. It was either because the rain had stopped or because his own state had recovered, but his entire observation of the field had improved.

If that were the only thing, it would not be enough.

In addition, the secondary defense’s position also moved slightly forward and was in a man-to-man coverage. This also meant that there was a high chance the defense would rush the quarterback and that the short-passing area would be further compressed.

What if it was a trap?

Lu Ke didn’t have time to think any further. He immediately adjusted the play, trusting his instincts.

After the snap, the offensive line split apart like an inverted "V," and a small gap opened in the middle. This became the breakthrough.

Lu Ke chose a fake pass and a real run. After making a passing motion, he tossed the ball sideways to Marcus. Marcus didn’t miss the opportunity and ran forward nimbly. Because the opponent’s quarterback rush was from the two wings, the defense in the middle became weaker. Marcus avoided the collision with middle linebacker Mayo and not only successfully got the first down but also gained another three yards.

He gained a total of seven yards.

As the analyst said, the San Francisco 49ers’ offense was starting to recover. The continuous acceleration and pressure of the offense, combined with Lu Ke’s quick thinking, made them hard to defend against.

If Tom Brady’s quick pass and defensive judgment were unmatched in the league, then Lu Ke’s defensive reads and tactical combinations were top-notch. This made the New England Patriots’ defense a bit flustered and overwhelmed.

While the defensive coordinator was changing the play on the sideline, Lu Ke would seize a fleeting opportunity during the play and make another adjustment, easily putting the defense on the back foot.

"People often joke that when Peyton Manning is on the field, it’s not fair, because it’s like two offensive coordinators are playing the game together. Now, the same joke seems to apply to Lu Ke."

"This sophomore quarterback’s tactical knowledge and defensive reads are truly amazing! It’s hard to imagine how much time he must spend reading and understanding the playbook to reach such a level!"

The following drive was the same.

Lu Ke chose to run the ball whenever he saw an opening. It was either a fake pass and a real run, a run from a shotgun formation, or a run from an "I" formation. The overall offense started to lean toward the ground game. Out of seven plays, he chose to run five times and pass twice, and he also achieved excellent results.

All five runs were successful, gaining a total of 33 yards. Marcus and Gore’s running efficiency clearly recovered, mainly due to the blocking of the offensive line and the New England Patriots’ targeted defensive strategy today.

The defense was having a hard time now.

They still continued the strategy from the first half. They didn’t cut off the running lanes. Even if the opponent chose to run, they wouldn’t rush to tackle them immediately. Instead, they would surround them and complete the tackle like catching a turtle in a jar. This strategy was still effective. In the past few drives, the 49ers’ average yards per run was 6.6 yards.

Based on normal game data, this running efficiency was outstanding. But based on Belichick’s pre-game strategy, this run defense could be considered a success since they still kept the running efficiency within seven yards.

But the problem was that after the continuous runs by Marcus and Gore, the momentum and rhythm started to climb. Every run resulted in a gain of yards, which made the offensive rhythm accelerate, and the defensive pressure also started to increase. What’s more, the unexpected passes were still a big problem.

Both passes were also completed. One was an 18-yard medium pass. Logan gained another seven yards after catching the ball. The other was an eight-yard short pass. Vernon also gained another five yards after catching the ball.

What did this mean?

It meant that Lu Ke was now making fewer throws, but he was always holding a dagger to the defense’s back. When the opponent was a little careless, a quick and sharp throw would immediately cause the New England Patriots to bleed heavily. Both passes successfully gained more than ten yards, and they easily got a first down. The entire offense became full of power.

With their steady and progressive offense, the San Francisco 49ers didn’t look like the San Francisco 49ers at all, but they were slowly getting back into their own unique rhythm. This was not a good situation for any defense.

In the blink of an eye, they had reached the Patriots’ 19-yard line. They were not far from the red zone and the end zone. Although the time spent was a little longer than expected, the feel of the game was recovering little by little. Sharpening the knife doesn’t delay cutting the wood. This phrase was very appropriate at this moment.

This kind of San Francisco 49ers was a little strange and a little scary.

Belichick, who was standing on the sideline, immediately sensed the danger and immediately made further targeted adjustments to the defense.

But it seemed a little too late.

First and 10.

After the snap, Lu Ke could clearly notice that the New England Patriots’ defensive positions had changed. Now they were back to their usual multi-layered defense, which meant that middle linebacker Mayo’s tactical position had returned to normal.

Mayo’s position was about three or four yards behind the defensive line, but he was constantly moving back and forth, making it impossible to figure out whether he was going to defend against a run, rush the quarterback, or defend against a short pass.

The two outside linebackers both moved up, standing on a similar horizontal line with the four defensive linemen. Together, they formed a "six-on-five" matchup advantage, posing as if they were going to rush the quarterback.

The two cornerbacks were standing on the sides near the sidelines, on a similar horizontal line as Mayo, but they were matched up against the offense’s two wide receivers. The two safeties were about five yards behind, matched up against the offense’s two tight ends who were standing on the inside.

This could be simply understood as a conventional defensive strategy: the first line is the defensive line, used to confront the offensive line; the second line is the linebackers, who can go forward or retreat; the third line is the cornerbacks and safeties, who are responsible for pass defense. However, when executing the play, their positions would change to confuse the quarterback’s judgment.

For the San Francisco 49ers, the bad news was that the effect of a continuous run play would inevitably decline. The good news was that the pass defense had returned to a rhythm that Lu Ke was more familiar with.

In this emergency, Belichick could only adapt. Once his little tricks were exposed, he would return to his usual strategy.

Lu Ke, who was in a shotgun formation, received the ball with both hands and immediately took a quick step back. Then, the change in the entire defense came into view.

As expected, there were only four defensive linemen rushing the quarterback. The two linebackers were matched up against the two tight ends, the two cornerbacks were matched up against the two wide receivers, the middle linebacker was matched up against the running back, and the remaining two safeties were quickly moving to complete their coverage. This time, they were targeting Chad Hall and Randy Moss.

In this two-tight-end play, besides Logan and Vernon, the two wide receivers were Hall and Moss.

It was obvious that the New England Patriots’ defense’s mindset and judgment had changed. The threat of Hall had surpassed Logan’s.

On the one hand, Logan had just returned from a concussion, and his form still needed to be adjusted. He hadn’t had many impressive plays so far in this game. On the other hand, Hall’s route-running ability was indeed good. When he was playing with Moss, their impact in the short-passing area was even stronger.

Hall and Moss were both in a situation of being double-teamed. Logan and Vernon were also tightly guarded in man-to-man coverage.

In the end, Lu Ke chose Moss as his target, but the defense was too dense. Lu Ke’s pass control was also a little off. The arc was not low enough, and the ball flew directly out of bounds like an anti-aircraft gun.

But Lu Ke was not panicked at all, because the New England Patriots’ current defensive strategy was a play that Lu Ke was more familiar with, and he knew how to break the lockdown. Now, he just had to pay attention to the fact that there was no drizzle or strong wind, but the temperature was still cold. His pass control was not as precise as usual, so he should lower his expectations and increase the success rate of his passes.

Second and 10.

Lu Ke still announced the snap methodically. The opponent’s defensive position changed slightly, but the overall formation and matchup were exactly the same.

Lu Ke still didn’t let his guard down. He held the ball, took a step back, and meticulously observed the entire defensive matchup. Then he raised his right hand and used the power of his forearm and wrist to make a light toss. The release was incredibly fast. According to official data, it was only about 1.76 seconds.

But the ball still made a high arc in the air, looking a bit rough and simple, more like a high-arching pass, which made it easy for the defensive players to predict the landing spot. At this point, they were only 19 yards from the end zone, so there was no need for such a pass. It was just a medium pass, not a long one.

The trajectory he saw with his eyes was like that, but in the actual flight, the ball’s speed was beyond his imagination. It instantly went into the end zone.

It was a pass to the end zone!

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