Chapter 978: Chapter 978: A Sense of Shared Experience

Chapter 978: A Sense of Shared Experience

"The San Francisco 49ers have won again!"

At this stage of the season, this could no longer be called news, but this time, the situation was slightly different.

"They defeated the AFC’s number two seed, the New England Patriots, on the road!"

Now, this could still be a news headline. It seemed that any time any team defeated the New England Patriots, it could be news. And if the quarterback was a rookie or a second-year player, the news would be even more noteworthy, because Belichick was an old fox who specialized in dealing with young players.

On top of that, if they could take it a step further:

"From ’27-0’ to ’33-36,’ the San Francisco 49ers handed the New England Patriots their most unbelievable loss of the season at ’Foxboro’."

Now, the news had completely exploded. Even though people had once expected the 49ers to win, even though Lu Ke had proven himself with a powerful performance this season, and even though this was just a regular season game that would not affect their playoff spot, this was still the absolute focus of the week.

After the game and the press conference ended, the news frenzy on social media had just begun, especially after the game stats were released. The sounds of amazement and praise just kept coming.

Lu Ke, 30/50 passes completed, 566 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions, a quarterback rating of 107.8, and a PFF rating of 1.3.

Tom Brady, 29/45 passes completed, 399 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions, a quarterback rating of 96.4, and a PFF rating of 1.1.

From Lu Ke’s individual stats, besides the passing yards, all the other stats were season lows. The number of interceptions, completion rate, and other stats all showed a clear decline. The quarterback rating was the third-lowest of the season, which also showed how intense this game was.

But overall, Lu Ke’s performance was still slightly better than Brady’s. It could almost be said that he was superior in every aspect. What’s more, in such an intense and close game, Lu Ke managed to hold on and won the final victory. This was the most difficult part.

In his two seasons so far, Lu Ke has faced Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Tom Brady. In a total of four games, Lu Ke has an overwhelming "4-0" record. Although in a battle between teams, the quarterback is only one part of it, and winning does not mean defeating the opposing quarterback, this feat is still unbelievable.

The sensational news media could not wait to create a buzz. "The four elite quarterbacks, now there is only one left: Peyton, are you ready?"

In fact, the 49ers had played the Denver Broncos in a preseason game this year, but in that game, Lu Ke did not play, and Manning only played for one quarter. In the end, the 49ers also lost that game. Strictly speaking, preseason games are not counted in a head-to-head record, so it couldn’t be counted as a matchup between Lu Ke and Manning.

Now, the entire league was already looking forward to the matchup between Lu Ke and Manning. According to the schedule, the 49ers will not play against the Broncos next year either, which means that if they want to see a matchup between Lu Ke and Manning this year or next year, it can only happen in the Super Bowl.

A Super Bowl ultimate showdown?

That’s a bit exciting.

It was in this context and atmosphere that after the 49ers’ dramatic comeback victory over the Patriots, social media platforms were flooded with new posts at a rate of 6,000 per second. Although it didn’t break a historical record, it was still the hottest moment since the start of the 2012 season.

"Lu Ke/Elite," "49ers are going to defy the odds," "Lu Ke vs. Manning," "Lu Ke 16 wins," "Lu Ke defeats Brady," "San Francisco is the champion," "Lu Ke’s dramatic comeback"... Keywords like these spread wildly across major social media platforms. The biggest common point was: an overwhelming amount of praise!

After his unexpected rise in the 2011 season and his powerful surge in the 2012 season, Lu Ke had now become one of the most watched quarterbacks in the league.

His excellent strength, brilliant performance, and outstanding leadership qualities have made Lu Ke the number one hot quarterback of the year, surpassing players like the top-performing Peyton Manning who came back from injury, the steady and relentless Matt Ryan, and the sudden rising stars Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III.

No one could surpass him!

The sounds of amazement, praise, and exclamation had swept across the entire league and had even become a phenomenon. Now, no one would question Lu Ke’s ability.

But none of this mattered to Lu Ke. The most important thing was that the familiar team had finally returned.

After leaving the press conference and returning to the locker room, the chattering noise was endless.

"...Get out of here, what was that defensive play of yours? Your footwork looked like a drunk’s..."

"...My footwork isn’t good? Why don’t you come try it? Look at your offensive footwork. I can beat you every time. Intercepting you is too easy..."

"...Belichick’s tactical changes are too crazy. You guys on offense don’t feel it, but we on defense have to face fast-paced, quick releases every time. It’s deadly..."

"...Nonsense. Why don’t you switch to our offense and try it out? Everyone underestimated Belichick’s defensive skills..."

"...My eyes! God, my eyes! Put on your towel, you pervert..."

The noise and chatter, which were like a traditional market, were full of warmth. Even the mutual teasing and cursing seemed friendly. The frank and unrestricted talk between them would not truly hurt their feelings. That kind of rude and straightforward camaraderie between professional players had returned to the locker room.

This was the most perfect state.

A victory, to be precise, a victory after a tough battle, a victory with a dramatic comeback, and a victory achieved with a united effort. This was far more effective than any words, alcohol, or catharsis. It firmly united the entire team again. This was much more direct than a psychologist’s pep talk. The team had finally returned to the right track after a long time.

"Bambi." Crabtree walked toward him.

In this game, he actually didn’t get much playing time. After wasting opportunities again and again, Mario Manningham and Chad Hall earned more playing time and took his place. But the strange thing was that Crabtree was not as frustrated and angry as he had imagined. Instead, he felt a sense of relief, becoming a part of the offense and a part of the team as a bystander.

Crabtree finally understood one thing now: the team was a whole. Besides Lu Ke, every other position could be replaced. Without him, without Logan, and without Ginn, Lu Ke could still use Manningham and Hall to win the game. This game was the best proof, and their opponent was the New England Patriots.

Or, it could be said that even Lu Ke could be replaced.

This finally made Crabtree truly calm down. All the irritable and angry emotions settled. He needed to win back his starting position, not with sympathy or pity, but with his own strength. He had done it before, and he could still do it now.

Crabtree decided to make peace with himself and with Lu Ke. He owed Lu Ke an apology.

Now was the best opportunity.

Crabtree took the initiative to walk up, held Lu Ke’s right hand, and pulled it in, bumping shoulders. "Thank you."

"..." Lu Ke was confused. He just subconsciously replied, "You’re welcome...?" Then he couldn’t help but laugh. "Why are you suddenly thanking me?"

"No reason. I’m just thanking you for leading us to victory, and for everything else." Crabtree didn’t say much more. Then he jokingly looked behind him. "And thank you for this."

Lu Ke shrugged and said easily, "Although this is not my credit, I... will enjoy it."

As they were talking, other teammates also came up one after another. Some raised their right hands high and high-fived Lu Ke. Some did a set of dazzling hand gestures in a street greeting style. Some ran and jumped up to chest-bump Lu Ke in celebration. Some came forward with a big smile and shoulder-bumped Lu Ke in celebration.

The entire locker room was boiling. Every single player—literally every single player—joined the celebration party with Lu Ke.

In the end, even Moss appeared in front of Lu Ke.

All of this was different, especially facing the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. This made the taste of victory even more different. Not because of the victory itself, but because of the way it was won.

Back then, here, with his partners from the Patriots, they created a miraculous season. A victory was a victory, and it was still joyful and happy. And now, with his partners from the 49ers, they were also writing their own journey. But more important than the victory was the camaraderie that surged between them, which made every moment of fighting side-by-side precious.

Lu Ke’s face was beaming with a bright smile. He looked at Moss with a happy and confused expression, spreading his hands. "Can someone tell me what’s going on?"

"Because you led them to victory. It’s all because of you." Moss had a sense of shared experience.

It was not just the speech at halftime today, but also the unyielding spirit of the past few weeks. Even when facing the severe situation of fluctuating performance and a team that was falling apart, Lu Ke still did not give up, leading them out of their predicament step by step. Just like a true leader.

Moss walked up and gave Lu Ke a big hug, patting him on the back. "Nice job. Let’s keep winning!"

Moss, who was so passionate and emotional, was so unfamiliar that Lu Ke became even more confused. But he still burst out laughing. "Why not? Let’s continue this journey!"

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