Chapter 965: Capitalizing on the Momentum
Patrick Willis, who had just made the interception, also showed a rare burst of emotion. He held the football in one hand and continued to roar and shout, venting his excitement and exhilaration. This was because he knew better than anyone else how important and rare this interception was in the fourth quarter.
Meanwhile, Tom Brady, who had just thrown the interception, stood in place with his hands on his hips. The expression on his face, hidden inside his helmet, was unreadable, but his lowered head revealed a hint of frustration and disappointment. An interception in itself was already bad enough, but it was even worse when the opponent was making a strong comeback and fiercely trying to catch up. The momentum had completely shifted.
The situation of the game had taken another subtle turn.
Even with all his experience, Brady was still a human being. At this moment, his emotions were slightly out of control. He was disappointed with his team's performance and even more disappointed with his own. He stood in place, panting heavily, and in the end, he was unable to get rid of his negative emotions. He then walked off the field and went to the sideline to calm down.
At the same time, on the other side of the field, Lu Ke was taking a breath. He wasn't too excited or too emotional. He maintained the calm demeanor of a killer. The more tense the moment, the more he needed to stay calm and collected. Otherwise, the great opportunity that the defense had just won with an interception could be given away again.
The interception was made by Willis near the San Francisco 49ers' 43-yard line. After the interception, he also tried to return it, but he couldn't control his steps well enough and was finally tackled on the 49ers' 46-yard line.
For the New England Patriots, they had finally advanced to the opponent's side of the field. They only needed to get another first down to get into the field goal range. Then the game would basically be sealed. There was a difference between a 12-point gap and a 15-point gap. But... they ended this drive with an interception.
For the 49ers, the momentum of their continuous scoring since the second half was getting stronger and stronger. At the same time, the quality and intensity of their defense were also increasing. Their current state could be said to be the best in three or four weeks. Now the opportunity was in the hands of the offense again. They didn't just need a field goal; a touchdown was the only goal.
They had to capitalize on the momentum!
This offensive and defensive exchange was equally important for both the 49ers and the New England Patriots. If the 49ers couldn't score a touchdown, they would still need to make up a 12-point difference in the remaining time, and their chances would get smaller and smaller. The upward momentum would also be interrupted. Naturally, the New England Patriots' defense also took on the corresponding heavy responsibility.
Standing in the pocket again, Lu Ke's mind and breath remained calm. All his attention was focused on the defense. He started to carefully read the defense.
The New England Patriots' defensive positions had changed again. They were completely different from the first half and seemed to have a hint of the Pittsburgh Steelers' style.
The four defensive linemen confronted the five offensive linemen. About three or four yards behind them were three linebackers. Their positions were slightly spread out. The middle linebacker was directly in front of the quarterback on the other side of the line of scrimmage, and the two outside linebackers were almost matched up against the offensive tackles on the outside of the offensive line.
In front of and behind the linebacker line, the cornerback on the left moved forward two steps, matched up against the wide receiver on the same side. The cornerback on the right moved back two steps, matched up against the wide receiver on the same side. The entire formation was still moving slightly and not completely staying in place.
About three or four yards behind the linebacker line, you could see two safeties. They were standing in the gaps between the three linebackers, but their feet were a little further back, and they were vaguely matched up against the offensive guards on both sides of the offensive line.
This formation could be said to have three lines or four lines, but that wasn't the point. The point was that they were layered like an onion, crisscrossing each other. Once they started to move, they would surge forward in layers like waves, forming an interactive chain of reactions, intercepting the offense like a dam.
Of course, the difference between theory and practice was whether they could perform 100% as expected. There was never a lack of surprises in sports. Just now, Brady threw an interception, which made the entire Gillette Stadium gasp in surprise. What if Lu Ke also...
The New England Patriots' defensive formation could be used for both offense and defense. It was impossible to make an accurate judgment just by reading the defense. But the coaching staff and Harbaugh all agreed that there was a higher chance of a pass defense.
Similarly, the 49ers' offensive formation could be used for both passing and running. It was impossible to get any offensive information from the two-by-two basic formation in the pistol formation. What's more, in the last touchdown, Lu Ke had just "debugged" his run play.
The fans at Gillette Stadium let out a loud and fierce noise, trying their best to disrupt the 49ers' offensive rhythm. But Lu Ke was not affected at all.
"Attack!"
After confirming that both sides were waiting for the other to make a move, it was now time to see whose brain could calculate and react faster in a real combat situation. For this, Lu Ke was eager to try. Since the storm had already begun, let the storm come more fiercely!
Holding the ball with both hands, he quickly took a step back. Lu Ke didn't even make a fake run-and-pass motion. He passed Marcus and slightly raised his chin to scan the entire defensive layout of the field. This was a pass! A straightforward pass! So now, it was time for the pass defense to confront the pass offense!
But then, Lu Ke sensed danger.
The experienced—or rather, cunning—Belichick used the same trick again, copying the first play of the first drive in the second half and launching a quarterback rush again.
After the three linebackers completed a cross-shift, they all moved forward at the same time and joined the four defensive linemen, creating a mismatch. With an absolute numerical advantage of "seven against five," they tore through the pocket like a storm, as fast as lightning.
This season, the 49ers' offensive line had been outstanding, but they were not superheroes. With five against seven, in an absolute numerical disadvantage, they still couldn't hold on. The five offensive linemen were completely stuck in their positions, while the two linebackers went around the outside without any obstruction and flanked Lu Ke from the left and right.
Just after the snap, the three linebackers completed their cross-shift. Jerod Mayo and Rob Ninkovich appeared on the left and right sides, respectively. Their steps were fast, and their collisions were fierce. They created a powerful wave of air as they quickly advanced, swarming toward Lu Ke and leaving him no way to escape.
There was no time to look for a receiver now. Lu Ke only had time to shout, "Marcus!"
Because this was a pistol formation, Marcus didn't run out in a hurry. Instead, he stayed on Lu Ke's right side, consciously moving a beat slower to find an open space in the short passing area through a time difference. Unexpectedly, the opponent's quarterback rush was so fierce that Marcus saw Mayo charging toward him before he could even start to run.
Even without Lu Ke's warning, Marcus had already lowered his center of gravity and blocked the path between Mayo and Lu Ke.
Because he could see the confrontation and collision on the right, Lu Ke instinctively moved to the left, one step, two steps. After turning his head, he saw Ninkovich charging toward him like a hungry wolf. The blind side, the blind side, the d*mn blind side!
But there was no use in being annoyed now.
Lu Ke had gone through this kind of situation before. He made a judgment in a quick glance. Without using any special skills, he pushed off with his left foot, made an emergency stop, and then quickly moved in the opposite direction, creating a distance before Ninkovich could complete the tackle.
One step, two steps.
The hard training during the offseason turned into muscle memory at the critical moment. Lu Ke's footwork in the pocket was light and fast. Even without the use of a special skill, his lateral movement still allowed him to get away. He watched as Ninkovich adjusted his balance and came after him again relentlessly. Lu Ke took another step to the right.
Mayo caught a glimpse of Lu Ke. He tightly blocked Marcus's position with his shoulder and charged toward Lu Ke without any hesitation. Because the distance was too close, his hands seemed to be able to touch Lu Ke's shoulder, and his fingertips could even feel the fabric of his jersey.
In the nick of time, Lu Ke increased his speed again. His pace and stride increased again, and he narrowly dodged him. Mayo's left hand hit Lu Ke's shoulder heavily, but the force and angle were all wrong. It only managed to shake Lu Ke's balance, but it didn't pose any threat. Then he could only watch as Lu Ke ran away.
After getting rid of the sack, Lu Ke still didn't let his guard down, because he could feel that Ninkovich and Mayo were still chasing him relentlessly and had no intention of giving up. This meant that he had to throw the ball as soon as possible.
Lu Ke's feet moved sideways quickly. He was about seven or eight steps away from the pocket. The field of vision became wide again. The target, the target, the target—a total of seven defensive players participated in the quarterback rush just now, which meant that the secondary defense was very weak.
An opportunity! A great opportunity!
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