Chapter 977: Chapter 977: A Bold Assumption

Chapter 977: A Bold Assumption

Before the 2012 season officially began, countless assumptions were made: Who would win the Super Bowl? Who would dominate the regular season? Who would make the playoffs? Who would emerge out of nowhere? Who would make a comeback? Who would shine in the league? And who would become the biggest winner of the long season?

Among these, of course, was the performance of second-year player Lu Ke.

However, among the countless assumptions and guesses, what people never expected was that the San Francisco 49ers would lead the entire league with an unparalleled performance—it could even be called a dominant performance!

14 consecutive wins.

Unconsciously, the 49ers’ winning streak had reached its 14th week. Their undefeated record quietly extended to the crucial moment at the end of the season. By defeating one of the strongest and most difficult opponents of the season, the New England Patriots, the 49ers had also passed the most important mountain. Now, they had only two opponents left:

The Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals!

They were two weeks away from a perfect season.

This was not a strategy to praise someone to set them up for failure, nor was it a pipe dream or nonsense. It was a real possibility that was happening.

Not to mention before the season, even three weeks ago, in the face of the ups and downs of the game against the St. Louis Rams, no one was willing to believe that the 49ers could really chase a perfect season. But now, all of this was happening, and it was happening for real. This was the biggest focus of the season!

The press conference center at Gillette Stadium has always been a sacred place for the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have created too much history and left countless unforgettable moments here. However, today, something unprecedented happened.

The visiting 49ers stole all the attention. More than 70% of the reporters flocked to the visiting team’s interview room, making the home team’s interview room a bit deserted. On the New England Patriots’ turf, the 49ers won their unique moment.

Facing such a situation, Brady was obviously not willing to talk much. He just said with his iconic charming smile, "Congratulations to them. The team that performed better won the game." After this simple, official statement, Brady refused to respond further and focused more on the next game.

And Belichick once again showed his cunning side. "Of course, San Francisco is now the hottest Super Bowl contender in the entire league."

As the head coach of the New England Patriots, Belichick is best at manipulating people. How to praise an opponent to set them up for failure, how to belittle an opponent, and how to gain an advantage through psychological warfare are also part of his arsenal. In some ways, he is the coach who is most adept at psychological tactics in the league.

"Yes, I think they are the top seed to win the championship."

"The perfect season and championship feat that we couldn’t complete back then, I think San Francisco has a chance to complete it this year. Why not? Their defense is even better than ours back then. Their offense also showed absolute strength in today’s game. Their special teams are also top-notch in the league. I can’t see any reason that can stop them from making history."

Praise, the entire statement was filled with praise. Belichick seemed to not hide his appreciation for the 49ers. He even praised Lu Ke at great length, believing that he had the potential to become the next elite quarterback. "I think he has the potential to surpass Tom." A simple sentence from Belichick immediately put Lu Ke on the spot.

Now, Belichick still had the leisure to praise the 49ers’ excellent performance, but for Harry Vanes, a reporter from Sports Illustrated, it was like being in hell.

Praising to set someone up for failure, the key part is the "failure" that comes after the praise. But now, the 49ers seemed to be continuing their powerful run. There was only praise, no failure. So, was this still a trick? Was he sure he wasn’t shooting himself in the foot?

The only way to break the trap of the "praise to set up for failure" overt plot is to continue to perform well, even better and more powerfully than the praise. Then, gradually, that "praise" will become the best embellishment of one’s strength and all turn into a part of one’s own power.

Harry Vanes vaguely felt a sense of foreboding.

But as soon as this negative thought popped up, Harry immediately and decisively cut it off. "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Even the New England Patriots couldn’t complete such a feat, so how could the 49ers do it? Even though the Miami Dolphins created the miracle of a perfect season and championship back then, it was not a 16-game regular season. How could the 49ers be the first to make history?

"Impossible!"

After muttering to himself, Harry finally calmed down, but his mood was still uncontrollably irritable, especially when he entered the visiting team’s interview room. He saw the huge crowd of people, and there were not enough seats. So all the reporters were standing. Even so, the bustling crowd still packed the entire interview room.

Reporters like Harry, who came to interview the visiting team after interviewing the home team, could only stand at the door now. There was no way to squeeze in.

Through the layers of dense crowds, he could see Lu Ke standing in front of the interview platform. A dense circle of microphones surrounded him. The entire interview platform could not fit them all, but in front of him, a large group of reporters were still holding up their voice recorders or phones. The circle of cameras was already spectacular and jaw-dropping.

This was not even a perfect season, and it was not the Super Bowl yet. The reporters had already reached a climax first, seemingly having completely forgotten the "praise to set up for failure" strategy and entering a stage of genuine admiration. Harry felt his irritable emotions become uncontrollable again.

"Bambi, what are your special thoughts on this victory?"

"Phew, it’s finally over. If the game lasted any longer, I’m not sure if I could have continued to hold on. Without a doubt, this was a high-intensity game. We did better in a few details, and we also had a little luck. In the end, we won the game. Without a doubt, when we go back, we have a lot to summarize. But... it’s finally over."

After saying that, Lu Ke let out an exaggerated breath, and his clown-like actions made the atmosphere on the scene relax.

"After defeating the Patriots, the possibility of the 49ers having a perfect 16-0 season is right in front of you. There are only two games left. Do you think you can complete this feat?"

Lu Ke seemed to have anticipated this question. Without thinking, he said directly, "As you said, there are still two games left. So, let’s leave this question to be answered in two weeks."

Saying that... seemed to be correct. The reporters were stunned for a moment, and some of them couldn’t help but chuckle.

"What about winning the championship? Now, the only undefeated team in the entire league is San Francisco. Without a doubt, you are the biggest favorite to win the Super Bowl. What do you think?"

Lu Ke shrugged lightly. "I think all of our attention right now must be on our next opponent. The situation from two weeks ago must be avoided from happening again. The Super Bowl is our goal, and it’s also the goal of the other 31 teams in the league. After the season ends, the team that performed the best will be the one that gets the last laugh."

It was still an official answer. Every time the perfect season or the Super Bowl was mentioned, Lu Ke was like a loach. He was so slippery that he couldn’t be caught no matter what. The reporters also seemed a bit helpless.

But how could the reporters give up so easily?

"Bambi, what do you think was the change in the team between the game two weeks ago and this game? Or, what kind of change happened during halftime of this game that ultimately led to the comeback victory?"

This was a tricky question.

"Focus." Lu Ke naturally would not talk about locker room issues.

"The entire season is too long. It’s inevitable to face more challenges in terms of energy and physical strength. In such an intense game, it’s even more difficult to stay focused. Obviously, there are still two games left in the regular season. To play more games in the playoffs, we have to learn to adjust. This is not an easy thing, and it’s also something I need to continue to learn."

In his serious answer, Lu Ke’s signature private touch still appeared: "To play more games in the playoffs"? What did that mean?

"Bambi, before the season started, did you ever imagine that you could challenge for an undefeated season?"

"Ha." The reporters really wouldn’t give up. After going in a circle, they came back to this question. "Not to mention before the season, even now, I still don’t have that kind of pre-assumption. Things change in the blink of an eye on the sports field. Anything is possible. I don’t like to make assumptions. If I have to set a goal, like all other teams and players in the league, our goal is the Super Bowl."

After a round of Tai Chi, all the reporters’ attacks were once again dissolved.

Harry finally couldn’t hold back. Since the "praise to set up for failure" strategy had reached such a stage, he could only continue with it. He knew from the 2007 New England Patriots that no one knew what would happen until the last moment. So, Harry shouted loudly, "Bill Belichick thinks the 49ers are the biggest favorites to win the championship. What do you think?"

"I think the Patriots are the biggest favorites to win the championship. We have already witnessed them create countless miracles. One victory doesn’t mean anything. I still think they are the biggest favorites this season." It was just a game of mutual flattery, and Lu Ke was also an expert at it.

After saying that, Lu Ke deliberately looked in Harry’s direction, and through the layers of people, he gave him a fake smile. Harry only felt a lump of frustration stuck in his chest, and he almost couldn’t catch his breath.

The press conference was just the beginning. After the game ended, the wave of amazement officially began!

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

On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!