The King of Bay Area

Chapter 422: The Resilient Mode



In the tense moment, Ted Ginn Jr.'s mind remained completely calm, without a shred of doubt. Even though Lu Ke's performance in the second half was mediocre, Ginn's confidence in him was unshaken. Ginn's outstanding performance this season, which was in stark contrast to his first few years in the league, was built on Lu Ke. So, even if all the fans, all the commentators, and all the coaches questioned Lu Ke, his faith would never waver, not even for a second!

He lowered his head, started running, controlled his body, turned, and caught the ball. The entire motion was fluid and seamless, just like any other pass in any other game this season. Ginn had once again connected with Lu Ke at a crucial moment. Everything was so familiar that Ginn didn't have any emotional fluctuations. He didn't hear the cheers erupting from Candlestick Park and was completely focused on this drive.

The drive was not over yet! Although the game time was incredibly precious and getting out of bounds after the catch was the best way to control the game, there was still some time left before the two-minute warning. That was a free timeout, so he could still advance. This drive was not over yet.

After making a solid catch, Ginn's feet moved forward, he made an abrupt stop, and controlled his body. Then, a storm of tackles came from behind. The cornerback who had run past him just a moment ago used his physical advantage to slam on the brakes and quickly readjusted his center of gravity to tackle him. In less than a breath, he had already completed the support defense move.

Ginn could clearly feel the heavy pressure on his shoulder, but with just a step forward and a turn to the left, he used the opponent's momentum to shake off the tackle. The cornerback stumbled and fell out of bounds. After making a small circle and a 180-degree turn, he was ready to run again. Right in front of him, the linebacker who had been covering Marcus Lynch was now rushing over to support the defense the moment Lu Ke threw the ball.

In his eyes, he could see the linebacker charging toward him like a freight train. Ginn's balance and footwork were not yet stable, and it was clear he couldn't adjust in time. "Calm down, calm down," Ginn thought, without any distractions. He didn't rush to move. Instead, he stood still, adjusted his center of gravity, and waited for the linebacker to pounce on him. The description may seem long, but it happened in the blink of an eye. In an instant, the linebacker crashed into him with a ferocious impact. At that critical moment, Ginn didn't retreat. Instead, he lowered his shoulder and charged forward. "Bang!" The two collided head-on with a loud thud, as if their helmets had hit each other. The linebacker lost his balance and was thrown to the side, while Ginn adjusted his steps and stumbled toward the right, continuing to advance.

The cornerback who had run out of bounds and back in, the defensive end who had failed to sack the quarterback, and the safety who had been covering on the other side all abandoned their players and swarmed toward Ginn. But Ginn remained incredibly calm, his eyes fixed on the front, looking for any potential gaps to break through.

"He caught it! Ted Ginn's route completely deceived the player covering him, and he ran into an open space and made a successful catch! He turned, avoiding the opponent's surefire tackle, and then crashed into another player. Oh, that head-on collision was brutal! He powered through the linebacker's tackle, and the drive is still going!"

"He's surrounded! Ginn is in a tight spot! He makes a lateral move, shaking off two defenders' tackles. Crabtree completes a block, pushing a defender away, which allows Ginn's lateral move to continue. Right in front of him is another Giants' cornerback, but... he missed the tackle! He missed the tackle! Ginn used a twist of his waist to shake off the tackle! My God!"

"He's unstoppable! Unstoppable! Ginn changes direction and moves forward! Will Blackmon, number 36 cornerback Will Blackmon, made a key tackle! All the defenders are swarming in, one, two, three! Ginn is tackled to the ground. Ginn's drive has finally come to an end."

"My God, one tackle, two tackles, three, four, a total of five tackles! Ginn broke five tackles and gained fifteen yards! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! At this crucial moment, Ted Ginn bravely stepped up and reopened the game for the team's struggling offense!"

Troy's passionate commentary was back. After a dull third quarter and a sluggish fourth quarter, Troy, the undisputed home team commentator for the San Francisco 49ers, finally found his rhythm, repeatedly hitting the table to express his joy and excitement. In the heavily defended middle of the field, Ginn officially entered his resilient mode, showcasing the toughness and power that the 49ers had relied on to establish themselves in the league this season. No matter how tough the situation, they would never give up easily!

"It's worth noting that Blackmon was Ginn's one-on-one defender. From his initial misstep to missing the tackle, Blackmon never gave up, relentlessly chasing Ginn and finally making the tackle in the final moments. It was a form of self-redemption."

"Clearly, the Giants' defense is still in great form. It's a certainty that they won't let the 49ers' offense easily advance. The game is once again getting exciting. Now, the question is, has Lu Ke's touch returned?"

It wasn't just Troy who was concerned about this. Amidst the cheers and shouts of the home fans, Lu Ke's teammates on offense were also worried. But Lu Ke ignored their concerned looks, as if he didn't even notice them. He waved his hand like a groundhog, leading the offense to the 30-yard line, ready for the next drive. In his focused state, Lu Ke had completely forgotten about the discomfort in his right arm. The soreness and the sharp pains were all gone. The only thing that mattered to Lu Ke now was to drive, drive, and drive again, and to win this game. That was all that was on his mind.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Let's go, let's go!"

Lu Ke kept urging his teammates to hurry, trying to get the ball snapped before the two-minute warning to get one more drive in. He didn't even plan to huddle. He immediately went to the 30-yard line and called his teammates to line up. But he was still a half-step too slow. The referee blew his whistle, signaling the two-minute warning, and the 49ers couldn't start another drive. Helpless, Lu Ke had to throw the ball to the referee and, along with his offensive teammates, left the field and went to the sideline to huddle around Harbaugh and the coaching staff to plan for the next drive.

"Speed up, Bambi, we need to speed up," Harbaugh shouted. At this point, all the fans in Candlestick Park were standing up and cheering loudly. It wasn't just noise; it was encouragement, a way to inject energy into their players. "Fast! Even faster! Bambi, try to shorten the huddle time. We have to increase our speed. This is what you're good at, and it's what they're not used to!" In the final moments of the game, Harbaugh still bravely chose to trust Lu Ke, who had been inconsistent today. He firmly believed that this was the key to their victory. Harbaugh didn't say much. He just looked at Lu Ke and said, "Understand?" Lu Ke clenched his fist tightly and didn't say a word. That was enough. Then, Harbaugh quickly started to plan the strategy for the drive after the timeout.

The referee announced the start of the game again, and both teams lined up. The San Francisco 49ers once again used a multiple-route offense. However, this time, three receivers were on the left, and only Logan Newman was left on the right. And the New York Giants once again lined up in a man-to-man defense. Everything was familiar, having been seen many times in the game so far.

After the snap, Lu Ke quickly started to adjust his footwork, watching the receivers who had started at the same time. Only Ginn ran a deep route, while the other three receivers ran to the mid-range area, concentrating a lot of players in the middle. This was a deep pass play, aiming for a pass of about forty yards, hoping Ginn could make another catch and drive aggressively. To cover up this play, they lined up in a pistol formation instead of a shotgun, with Marcus Lynch standing next to Lu Ke to block.

But Lu Ke had just started to adjust his footwork in the pocket when Joe Staley on the right side missed his man. Jason Pierre-Paul had broken through the offensive line and was charging toward him. A thought flashed through Lu Ke's mind: should he take a hit, or throw the ball immediately? In that instant, Lu Ke spotted an opening and immediately chose to throw the ball, sending it out in a small arc. The ball had just left his hand when Jason Pierre-Paul tackled him, and the two of them fell to the ground. But Lu Ke's eyes were fixed on the ball, watching Ginn's catch.

"Open! Ted Ginn ran into an open space between two safeties, and they don't have time to cover him! He's passing! Ah, too bad. The pass, thrown in a hurry, was about two yards short. The ball slipped past Ginn's fingertips and hit the ground. The arc was too low. Ginn tried to make a scooping catch, but it was just a little short."

"Once again, the Giants put a lot of pressure on the 49ers' offensive line. Lu Ke's throw was a little too rushed, and his control of the power was a little off. Although this pass was incomplete, the 49ers are starting to get back in rhythm. The question is, do they have enough time? Do they have enough time to come back and win the game?"

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