Chapter 830: Shouldering a Heavy Burden
In the team's daily practices, positional training is organized by function. For example, in passing practice, all quarterbacks and receivers gather together to ensure their tactical understanding of throwing and catching is on the same page. If a quarterback or receiver gets injured, a backup can step in at any time and complete the game without a hitch.
Scrimmage practices, on the other hand, are done by groups. The first-team offense and second-team defense, and the first-team defense and second-team offense are paired up to practice plays and formations. This ensures the entire practice follows the rhythm of a real game. Of course, occasionally, in special circumstances, the first team will play against the first team and the second team will play against the second team to test their plays.
In these practices, the starting quarterbacks for the first and second teams are naturally different.
Last season, Alex Smith was the team's second-string quarterback, the number one backup. The second-team offense was led by him. This season, Colin Kaepernick is the team's second-string quarterback, and he is responsible for the second-team offense's practices. Occasionally, Scott Tolzien will also take over the command of the second-team offense for practice.
Now, Lu Ke was actively asking to practice with the second team.
There was a reason for this.
In the past two games, the San Francisco 49ers' receiving corps has been inconsistent. Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis are still in a slump, and Ted Ginn and Logan Newman have also regressed. The only one in good form, Randy Moss, is limited by his stamina and can't play the entire game. And the number one backup wide receiver, Kyle Williams, is out for the season with an injury.
And Lu Ke knew that this was just the beginning.
After the team achieved an incredible seven-game winning streak, the situation was only going to get more difficult.
On one hand, the "sophomore slump" is still inevitable. Because of their excellent performance last season, they have become a target for the entire league. Their plays must be changed, and the players' performance must be adjusted. Otherwise, the long-standing rookie wall is a real thing.
On the other hand, the pressure of winning will continue to increase. They are bound to become the target of the entire league, just like the 2007 New England Patriots. On the night of the Super Bowl, the whole of North America was divided into "Patriots fans and other fans," and all the other fans chose to support the New York Giants.
This pressure builds up little by little, like a ticking time bomb. No one knows when it will explode and completely defeat the entire offense, or even the entire team. A winning streak is a double-edged sword. If they can withstand the pressure and transform, they will charge toward the championship. But if they can't handle the changes and their mindset, a small mistake can lead to a complete collapse.
In other words, the adjustment of the receiving corps' form is an urgent matter, but no one knows for sure how long it will take for them to adjust and regain their game rhythm—or if they'll ever be able to.
So, the time to test the team's depth was now.
Beyond the starting receivers, the San Francisco 49ers had to find more rotational players.
Without a doubt, Crabtree and Vernon's performances in the past two games were not reassuring. One Moss was still not enough to fill the void of two receiving targets. What's more, the form of the two running backs, Marcus and Gore, was also a cause for concern.
In short, the team needed backup players who could rotate in at any time to turn around the current predicament of the starting receivers' poor form and give the starters more time to recover and adjust.
In fact, this was the area that the San Francisco 49ers were least worried about this season.
At the beginning of the regular season, the coaching staff led by Harbaugh finalized the 53-man roster. Of those, there were 31 offensive players, 19 defensive players, and three special teams players. In addition, there were seven practice squad players and six players who were out for the season but still with the team.
It was clear that the offense was still the core of the entire team.
Of course, this was related to Harbaugh's coaching style.
As a player, Harbaugh was a quarterback. As a coach, Harbaugh was best at coaching the offense. The West Coast offense, with its flexibility and variability, had countless possibilities in Harbaugh's hands. Whether it was a traditional pocket quarterback like Alex Smith or a new mobile quarterback like Colin Kaepernick, Harbaugh could combine them with different tactical options.
Even the personnel on special teams were mainly offensive players, which made the special teams' attack even more powerful. Their contributions in the two games against the Green Bay Packers and the New York Giants this season were another reflection of the entire team's improved strength in the offseason.
Among the thirty-one offensive players, there were five running backs, five wide receivers, and three tight ends. This configuration was considered top-tier among the thirty-two teams in the league, even a bit bloated. So, logically, this should have been the team's most confident and threatening area, but now, under the pressure of the winning streak, it was the first to show a problem.
The main reason was that the backup and rotational players' skills were not up to par for playing in a regular game.
So, Lu Ke brought up the request.
The running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends on the second-team offense were all facing similar problems. Their understanding of the playbook was not keeping up with the team's pace. Even as role players, they couldn't play their corresponding roles in the plays. To some extent, this was becoming a hidden problem for the San Francisco 49ers.
There were many reasons, and all aspects were involved. It couldn't be simply generalized.
Lu Ke hoped that by practicing with the second team, he could help them adapt to the playbook more quickly and help them grow more quickly, truly becoming a part of the team.
This was Lu Ke's confidence as the starting quarterback. He believed that his understanding and reading of the game could bring about more direct results. This was also Lu Ke's responsibility as the offensive team captain. He needed to shoulder the responsibility of a leader and participate in the team's development more proactively and comprehensively.
Becoming a leader was not easy, and Lu Ke was working hard to learn.
But Lu Ke still needed to ask for permission from the head coach. After all, he was only a second-year player and was not yet at the level where he could have a say in the team's management.
Harbaugh held his marker pen in his hand and fell into deep thought. He could understand Lu Ke's idea and intention. If possible, having Lu Ke practice directly with the second team would undoubtedly be the best way. But Harbaugh was worried that this might be a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, because the first team's practice couldn't be delayed.
He didn't want to lose the game against the Arizona Cardinals, as that would be a huge loss.
"We can use the extra time to practice. When the official practice starts on Friday, we can mix up the first and second teams according to the practice requirements to test the results and also prepare the second-team players to play." Lu Ke seemed to have anticipated Harbaugh's concerns. He went on to explain further, and after he finished, he added with a chuckle, "Of course, that's if they are willing to come out and practice on their day off."
"You're the only practice fanatic on this whole team," Harbaugh said with a happy laugh, teasing him. "So, you've already planned it all out? You even have the practice schedule all planned, right?"
The game against the Seattle Seahawks this week was a Thursday night game. The game against the Arizona Cardinals next week was a Monday night game. There was a full ten-day gap between the two games, which was the longest rest period during the regular season, aside from a bye week.
In addition, after the game against the Cardinals, the San Francisco 49ers would have a bye week in Week 9 of the regular season, and then they would return to play the St. Louis Rams. There would be a full eleven-day gap between those two games, which was also a long rest period.
This meant that for the next three weeks, the San Francisco 49ers' rhythm would be completely different. The game preparation rhythm, the rest and adjustment rhythm, and the daily practice rhythm would all be disrupted. After that, the team would return to its normal regular season rhythm and charge toward the playoffs. So, the state of adjustment during this period became even more important.
In fact, the coaching staff led by Harbaugh was also discussing how to arrange the upcoming practices.
Now, Lu Ke had proposed a novel plan. After thinking about it, it was feasible. Using the rest period to add more tactical practice and also changing the first team's practice rhythm to find the key to recovering their form might be effective. What's more, Harbaugh was a head coach who was willing to take bold risks.
"What about your own tactical meetings?" Harbaugh asked further.
"They'll be held as usual," Lu Ke had clearly thought about this already. "This time, I will specifically invite the second-team offense and sincerely hope they can participate. I also hope that the things we discuss in the tactical meetings can be applied in practice."
In fact, the tactical meetings led by Lu Ke were always open to anyone who was interested, but the second-team players were more or less a bit reserved, so their attendance was limited. Of course, even Moss didn't attend until last week, so it wasn't surprising.
According to the schedule, the San Francisco 49ers' next few opponents were teams with stronger defenses than offenses. This meant that the offense led by Lu Ke would have to face more pressure and confrontation, and everyone on the team needed to get their act together. The tactical meetings became even more important.
Harbaugh didn't question it any further. He nodded slightly in agreement. "Then go ahead and do it. The only requirement is that a member of the coaching staff must be present to avoid injuries. I need my quarterback to stay healthy on the field. That's more important than the receivers' form."
Lu Ke broke into a big smile. "Of course. I will do my best to ensure your quarterback stays healthy, and I sincerely agree."
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