Chapter 974: Chapter 974: The Game-Winning Pass

Chapter 974: The Game-Winning Pass

"Interception!"

"It’s an interception! Safety Devin McCourty has killed the game! He intercepted Lu Ke’s 11-yard pass at the edge of the end zone. This is an interception that will turn the entire game around! Oh my God, oh my God!"

"At the critical moment, Lu Ke’s connection with Moss had a slight deviation. Lu Ke’s pass was clearly a half step too far back, which prevented Moss from twisting his body to make the catch. The safety, McCourty, who had been playing a solid game, never gave up. He kept his eyes on the ball and dove to make the interception before the football hit the ground!"

"Unbelievable!"

"This is all just too unbelievable! Who could have predicted the turn of events in this game! Lu Ke, who has been consistently stable in his passing this season, just threw his third interception of the game..."

"Wait, wait, a yellow flag! Why is there a yellow flag?"

"This is a crucial call! This could even be a game-changing call! So, will this be a call that changes the course of the entire season? A yellow flag has been thrown!"

"The referee has stopped the game. Ted Ginn is shaking his head. What’s going on? Jerod Mayo is arguing with the referee, but the referee is refusing to listen to the argument and is sticking to his call. What’s going on? Is it a defensive penalty? The situation seems a bit chaotic now. We need to watch the replay."

The situation on the field was a bit chaotic. Ginn shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, "The call is correct, I’m so innocent. If there was no yellow flag, I would have been so wronged."

Moss stood not far away, looking around in confusion, as if trying to figure out what was going on.

And the New England Patriots’ defensive players had surrounded the referee and started to protest.

"Oh... a foul, this is indeed a foul, a clear foul!"

"Lu Ke’s pass should have been to Ted Ginn, judging from the arc and the strength of the pass. But during the confrontation, Mayo sensed the danger. He pulled on Ginn’s helmet, which messed up Ginn’s position to catch the ball. This is a very obvious helmet pull foul, and it’s a very serious one. There’s no room for argument."

"After Ginn missed his position, the ball’s arc didn’t immediately drop. Moss, who was standing behind Ginn, still had a chance to complete the pass. Unfortunately, the unexpected happened too fast. Moss ran a little too far, and he couldn’t get into the right position to catch the ball. Instead, McCourty, who was a half step behind, found an opportunity to intercept."

"This... this is a twist on top of a twist!"

Although this was Gillette Stadium, the home team’s whistle couldn’t be so obviously biased. The defense’s appeal ultimately failed to change the referee’s call.

"Foul for pulling the helmet, defense, number 51. The offense gets an automatic first down. The game clock will be reset to 27 seconds."

The referee announced the result. The entire stadium erupted in boos. The defensive penalty directly gave the San Francisco 49ers a first down, moving them from the 23-yard line to the 13-yard line. At the same time, the defense’s argument had wasted game time, and the referee wisely turned the clock back.

McCourty, who had just made the interception, stood there in a daze. He had thought he had become a hero, saving the game and the entire team. But before the joy had a chance to soar, all his efforts instantly returned to square one. Going from heaven to hell like that was an emotional roller coaster that was almost unbearable for the heart.

Meanwhile, Lu Ke, who had just thought he had thrown an interception, let out a long breath. There was nothing wrong with the play and the pass itself. It was his own inadequate read of the defense. The pass was also a little hesitant, and the control was not good enough. As they got closer to the end zone, the offensive difficulty would definitely increase, not decrease. He now had to calm his mind as soon as possible and refocus on the next play.

First and 10.

The New England Patriots’ experience and maturity as a team were shown in this offensive and defensive play. They only left four defensive linemen to rush the pocket. All the other seven players were scattered around the receivers, airtightly cutting off any potential passing lanes.

If it was just that, it would just be a normal play.

The most cunning part was that Belichick completely messed up the defensive line’s formation. Rob Ninkovich, who was a linebacker, completed a crisscrossing motion with his teammate after the snap, and he became a defensive end. At the same time, the defensive tackle, Vince Wilfork, temporarily moved a step toward the middle, transforming from a defensive tackle into a nose tackle, which changed the entire defensive strategy.

To put it simply, the Patriots’ defense was originally a "4-3" formation, with four defensive linemen: two defensive tackles and two defensive ends. Now, Wilfork suddenly transformed into a nose tackle, which made it a "3-4" formation, with three defensive linemen: one nose tackle and two defensive ends.

This also meant that Ninkovich became an "extra" player in the "3-4" formation.

After Wilfork’s position changed, he took on two offensive linemen and blocked their positions. The other two defensive linemen also moved to the outside, respectively blocking the positions of Joe Staley and Alex Boone, who were on the outside of the offensive line. As a result, the 49ers’ left guard, Mike Iupati, was left without a man to block, becoming a useless piece.

At the same time, Ninkovich voluntarily broke to the outside, bypassed Alex Boone’s outside, and suddenly cut into the pocket to sack Lu Ke.

This kind of play was actually a type of trick play. Belichick’s sudden and unannounced change at a critical moment caught the 49ers completely off guard. Not to mention Lu Ke, even Harbaugh on the sideline was dumbfounded.

This season, Lu Ke’s pocket footwork had improved by leaps and bounds. In a crisis, he still didn’t give in easily. He took a horizontal step to the left, shook off Ninkovich’s first attempt at a sack, and used Iupati’s block to buy himself time to throw. But the problem was that in a hurry, Lu Ke couldn’t find a better passing lane.

In the end, Lu Ke’s pass arc was too low and went straight to Moss’s feet, making it impossible to complete the catch.

Incomplete pass.

Second and 10.

The eyes of all the offensive players were on Lu Ke. The continuous high-intensity no-huddle offense, coupled with the ever-changing game process, and the fact that it was close to the end of the season, every player’s energy and physical strength were severely tested. They were inevitably out of breath, but their bright eyes showed an unwavering determination, believing in Lu Ke with all their hearts.

After a moment of thought, Lu Ke called a play for the first time in this drive. It was not a formal huddle. Instead, he used the timeout opportunity that the incomplete pass provided to quickly call a play. This also allowed the offensive players to catch their breath. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Then, they lined up again with a unified resolve. Facing such a high-intensity and high-paced game, the opposing defense was suffering even more than they were.

"Attack!"

Shotgun formation, two-by-two formation.

On the right side, Chad Hall and Ted Ginn lined up. After the snap, both of them ran toward the deep area. Hall was slightly toward the outside sideline, and Ginn was slightly toward the inside goal post, like a budding flower. But their running rhythm was completely different. Hall was adjusting his feet in a wobbly way, while Ginn was sprinting forward like a whirlwind.

At the same time, Marcus Lynch’s footsteps slowed down a beat, and then he also shot out of the slot. His position was a bit lower than Ginn’s, and he also ran toward the inside, aiming for the goal post. After running five yards, he made a step to the outside and ran in a straight line toward the wide channel between Hall and Ginn.

The running routes of the three players instantly made five defenders move as a group.

On the left side, Logan Newman and Randy Moss lined up. After the snap, their running routes were different. Moss ran in a straight line and then cut horizontally to the inside, like a surgeon’s knife, precisely running along the position behind the linebackers. Logan, on the other hand, moved quickly toward the corner of the end zone.

The two players’ runs also immediately attracted three defenders. The cornerback, Kyle Arrington, was covering Logan closely, while the other two defenders followed Moss’s footsteps.

This also meant that there were only three defenders rushing the offensive line.

Lu Ke, who was already in the shotgun formation, continued to step back after taking the ball. He scanned the entire field, raised his right hand, and made a throwing motion toward the center.

Moss and Ginn appeared one after another in this area, so similar to the previous play. But the difference was that this time Moss was in front and Ginn was in the back.

The crisscrossing of the two players made it impossible for the defenders to make an accurate judgment. Lu Ke only needed to adjust the angle of his wrist to change his target, which made the entire defense nervous.

Just as Lu Ke was about to release the ball, at the moment he waved his right hand forward, he pulled his body forward, not letting go of the ball at the release point. Instead, he continued to twist his body, turning another 30 degrees to the left. The accumulated power instantly burst out and sent the ball flying.

This was not a pass to the middle, but a pass to the left side.

The target on the left side was...

Logan Newman!

When his feet crossed the five-yard line, Logan used an emergency brake to create space between himself and Arrington. Then, he moved again, instantly unleashing his maximum speed like a gust of wind, flashing past the temporarily stopped Arrington, and then forcefully rushed into the end zone near the corner.

He adjusted with small, quick steps and turned around. Then, Logan saw the pass that was in his blind spot behind his shoulder.

He took a deep breath, adjusted his body, put his hands on his shoulders, and got ready. Then, he firmly caught the football!

He caught it!

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