The King of Bay Area

Quick snap, quick start.

Lu Ke was trying to completely speed up the pace of the game, but the 49ers still weren't running a no-huddle offense. The head coach, Harbaugh, was still in charge of every play call. After all, Lu Ke was still a rookie quarterback, and even Peyton Manning didn't get that kind of treatment in his rookie season. So, they couldn't skip the play-calling process, which meant the pace of the offense couldn't be at its maximum. The players still needed time to digest the play.

Now, the problem was that the offensive line didn't fully understand the play, so the pocket quickly collapsed. Although it didn't completely break down, it put a lot of pressure on Lu Ke and hindered his pass. Lu Ke kept adjusting his footwork and even considered just taking a sack, but with the limited time and pressure in the pocket, he quickly found a throwing window and decided to throw a short three-yard pass to Kyle Williams. Williams was near the sideline and was open. Lu Ke was hoping Williams could get a few yards, and even if he couldn't, he could get out of bounds quickly to stop the clock and give them some breathing room.

But the Giants' defense took advantage of the opportunity and tackled Williams fiercely right after the line of scrimmage. Not only did they not give up any yards, but they also made him lose yards and let the clock continue to run. At that critical moment, Jim Harbaugh quickly used a timeout, stopping the clock at one minute and eight seconds.

It was second-and-twelve, and there was no time for frustration or regret. Lu Ke immediately gathered all the offensive players and quickly used the timeout to plan their next move. In the final stretch, the pace was more important to the 49ers than the yards they gained. As long as they could speed up their offense, they would have a chance. Instead of trying to get a touchdown with one play, a series of short, quick passes was the most effective strategy at that moment and could be the key to winning the game.

"Wow, a short pass! Lu Ke surprisingly chose a short pass and successfully found Michael Crabtree. It was a five-yard pass, and Crabtree quickly got out of bounds to stop the clock! The release was incredibly fast, taking only 1.63 seconds. It gave the defense no time to organize an effective play."

"Again, Lu Ke snaps the ball quickly and releases it quickly. This time, Kyle Williams makes the catch. It's another short pass, about six yards. Williams doesn't hesitate and immediately runs out of bounds, successfully stopping the clock. Beautiful! Let's check the release time... Wow, 1.70 seconds! An incredibly fast release, almost without thinking, he made the decision in an instant!"

"Now, the 49ers' offense has completely sped up. They've completed two short passes and are now on the Giants' 31-yard line with forty-six seconds left on the clock."

"Now they are facing a fourth-and-one situation, but the rookie quarterback, number 14, has found his rhythm and is unstoppable. Fourth-and-one is not a problem for him. The entire offense has sped up and is moving steadily forward. The Giants are in danger!"

In the broadcast booth, Kirk, as a neutral observer, could clearly feel that the 49ers were speeding up their offense. The huddle time was getting shorter and shorter, the passes were being released in a flash, and even the passing yards and drive rhythm were in a high-speed state. It seemed there was no time to breathe, and the Giants' defense was clearly having trouble keeping up. In just twenty seconds, they had completed two drives, almost as fast as a no-huddle offense. Of course, by snapping the ball quickly, receiving the ball quickly, and getting out of bounds quickly, they were able to use the clock stoppage after getting out of bounds to plan their next play, maximizing the use of the game rules. The actual game time was more than twenty seconds.

People often think that deep passes are the only way to get a touchdown, but sometimes, short passes can also be effective. The key is how the quarterback uses them.

Teddy completely agreed. "Lu Ke's touch is back. The last two passes have shown people his true colors again. Accurate! From the timing of the throw to the control of the arc, and even his judgment of the players' routes, it's absolutely beautiful. This kind of Lu Ke is truly frightening and has a 'kill any god you see' kind of momentum."

It wasn't just the commentators. Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin, standing on the sideline, also smelled danger and bravely called a timeout. The Giants had three timeouts left in the second half, and this was a strategic timeout. The clock had already stopped because Williams had run out of bounds, so they had enough time to rest and discuss. But Coughlin knew the 49ers were speeding up, so he deliberately called a timeout to disrupt their rhythm, slow down the game, and give his defenders more time to rest. The coaches could also make some adjustments accordingly.

Fourth-and-one is a tough situation for any team. It looks simple, but it's full of risks. Even a small mistake could be a missed opportunity. For the 49ers, if they failed to convert this fourth down, the game would be over. There was no room for error. It was in this critical situation that Tom Coughlin bravely called a timeout, trying to disrupt the 49ers' offensive rhythm. As expected, when the timeout ended and the players returned to the field, the situation changed immediately.

"False start! Jesus Christ! It's a false start on the offense!"

The entire stadium gasped, and the players on both sides went from heaven to hell. Even the commentators were shocked. No one could have predicted that Coughlin's timeout would have such a magical effect, and the game took an unexpected turn because of this accident. "In a state of extreme tension, Michael Crabtree surprisingly committed a false start, jumping the snap. This is not good for the San Francisco 49ers, absolutely not good."

"It was originally fourth-and-one, but now it's fourth-and-six. At the same time, the clock is at forty-one seconds, and all eyes are on the rookie quarterback Lu Ke."

It was all or nothing, a true all-or-nothing moment! If they were on the edge of a cliff before, they were now falling off the cliff. The situation was getting more and more dangerous. Even if they got a first down, there wouldn't be much time left. And if they couldn't convert on fourth down... there would be no "what's next." Success or failure, the outcome of the entire game now rested on this fourth-and-six play. The value and cleverness of Coughlin's timeout were now obvious.

Danger, danger, danger. Every corner of the situation was signaling danger. The restlessness of the crowd was getting out of control, and the tension and anxiety were spreading and getting more intense. You could even smell the gunpowder in the air.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Lu Ke quickly waved at Crabtree, motioning for everyone to huddle up, quickly discuss the play, and quickly get in formation. Since the last play was an incomplete pass, they only had 25 seconds on the play clock. What's more, they needed to speed up, so there was no time to comfort or encourage each other, or even to feel nervous or think about the dire situation. They just had to move forward, forward, and forward.

In the crucial moment, Lu Ke was still incredibly calm and focused, like a stone-cold killer. Without any hesitation, he quickly called the play and once again lined up in a shotgun formation, openly signaling that he was going to pass. Once again, the 49ers used a basic "two-by-two" offensive formation, but this time it was a little different. It wasn't a "two on the left, two on the right" but a "three on the left, two on the right," and the three players on the left were not in a triangle but in a straight line.

On the left, Crabtree, Ginn, and Vernon were lined up in a straight line, slightly behind the offensive line. On the right, Logan and Marcus were also standing parallel to each other, in a straight line with the three players on the left. It was a two-tight-end play, with Williams on the sideline, and Vernon's position was a little more advanced. This was a change in formation.

However, the Giants didn't change their formation at all and stuck with their man-to-man defense. They lined up nine players on the front line—four defensive linemen against the offensive line, and five players covering the receivers. The remaining two players were about ten yards behind, to prevent any potential deep passes. Regardless of how the 49ers' offensive formation changed, the Giants had given up on reading it. There were no changes or new ideas. Now, it was a battle of skill in man-to-man coverage, or... Lu Ke once again outsmarting his opponent with his play calling.

"Offense!" Without any hesitation or frills, Lu Ke immediately started the play. The five receivers all sprinted forward in a straight line. This time, there were no tricks. Every player was running forward with all their might. The red wave was coming forward with a powerful and majestic force, and with the cheers from Candlestick Park, it was even more formidable.

There were no exceptions. Naturally, all the Giants' players also started backpedaling quickly. Whether they were in man-to-man coverage or in the second line of defense, they all sped up their backpedal. The gap between the first and second lines of defense opened up like the tide going out, and a huge open space appeared in the middle. But without any players, a huge open space was useless.

Wait, who were those two players in the middle of the field? It was tight end number 85, Vernon Davis, and defensive tackle number 99, Chris Canty, who were both running in a straight line! But why were they in the middle of the field? What was going on?

An accident, another accident.

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