American Football: King of the Bay Area

The curses were overwhelming; the taunts, endless; the scorching, sharp stares, inescapable.

Standing on his team’s twenty-yard line, Lu Ke could clearly feel the restless energy and taunts surging from all sides. But far from being scared or intimidated, he was actually starting to get excited. Compared to the dead atmosphere last week, at least today Candlestick Park was buzzing with life, which made him believe he wasn’t fighting this battle alone.

Standing behind Jonathan Goodwin, Lu Ke meticulously read the Dallas Cowboys’ defense.

Suddenly, a DING echoed in his mind. Lu Ke’s brow furrowed slightly. ’At such a critical juncture, the system has a special notification?’

He summoned the system and gave it a quick scan. It was a special mission!

This was the first time Lu Ke had ever received a mission during a game, let alone a special one. It was a complete surprise. But the second half had already begun, and the play clock was ticking down. He didn’t have time to examine the special mission in detail, only enough to scan the requirements:

”Mission Requirements: Achieve a pass completion rate of sixty-five percent; limit interceptions to one or fewer.”

A single glance was all it took for Lu Ke to understand. Though he didn’t have time to check the mission’s description, rewards, or penalties, he knew this was a special mission from the system, prompted by his performance in the first half:

Lu Ke’s passes had to be more precise and more cautious, and his judgment needed to be sharper. The completion rate was one part of it; controlling the number of interceptions was the other.

In essence, it was a sub-quest of the main game mission. But because it appeared mid-game and adjusted its requirements based on the live situation to push Lu Ke to perform better, it was classified as a special mission.

Clearly, the system had changed again. But Lu Ke had no time to dwell on it. He would have to figure out the specifics after the game. For now, he had to refocus and start reading the defense.

The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive formation hadn’t changed at all. In fact, they had spread out slightly, their positioning less compact than before. It seemed they were aiming for more comprehensive field coverage, leaving almost no gaps. Still, Lu Ke’s sharp senses detected something different—

His Hidden Attribute, Anticipation, was kicking in.

’I can feel it. The defense has widened the area for medium passes while further compressing the space for short and long ones. It’s like they’re laying a trap. ’Come and get it,’ they seem to say, ’the middle of the field has the most open space.’ The invitation is so obvious it feels like a feint. Does this mean they’re actually focusing their defensive awareness on the short and long routes?’

Feints and realities were intertwined. The Dallas Cowboys’ formation looked unchanged, but they hadn’t spent halftime singing victory songs.

”Welcome back, folks. We’re live with week two of the 2011 regular season, where the Dallas Cowboys are facing the San Francisco 49ers on the road. The halftime score is 17-0, with the Cowboys in the lead, putting the home team in a tough spot. As the second half gets underway, the 49ers will have the first possession.”

Teddy quickly wrapped up the recap and turned his attention back to the field. ”The San Francisco 49ers’ offense struggled in the first half. To start the second, they’ve come out in a peculiar formation. It’s a retro-style I-form, with the quarterback behind the center, followed by a tight end, a wide receiver, and finally a running back. You don’t see a formation like this very often these days. Kirk, what’s your take on this?”

It was less of an ”I” formation and more of a ”T” formation. Five offensive linemen were spread out in a horizontal line, flanked by a wide receiver on each end. At the center of the ”T” was Lu Ke, with a string of players lined up behind him. The whole formation looked simultaneously simple and incredibly flashy.

”To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either.” Kirk shook his head, not hiding his confusion. ”But one thing is certain: the 49ers are looking for a change, for a breakthrough. A formation like this suggests a power run, but it’s impossible to tell which way the running back will go. It also sets up possibilities for play-action, using the size of the tight end and running back to block and then break out for a powerful gain after the pass.”

Kirk offered his quick tactical analysis. Seeing Lu Ke get ready for the snap, he added, ”As a quarterback, Lu Ke’s Tactical Awareness and in-game performance are definitely bright spots. Let’s see if he can turn the tide in the second half!”

”Hike!”

Lu Ke’s command cut through the deafening roar. Jonathan snapped the ball, and a second later, Lu Ke felt the leather in his hands. His fingers tightened as he quickly backpedaled. The three players behind him shot off like rockets, sprinting in different directions.

The Cowboys’ defensive players were momentarily dazzled. A wide receiver and the tight end both sprinted towards Lu Ke’s right. Suddenly, the 49ers’ right side became the strong side, with two wide receivers and a tight end—three potential receivers—stacked in an instant.

Against a formation like that, even with tight coverage, it was impossible to defend against everything. Only one of the three players needed to find an open lane for a reception to be completed.

The Cowboys’ Defense Team remained composed. They left one cornerback and one linebacker in zone coverage while assigning two other linebackers to press man-to-man, determined to shut down any passing lanes. Even if a pass was completed, they’d be there to immediately smother any chance of a gain.

Of their four linebackers, three immediately shifted to the Cowboys’ left. This left their right side exposed.

Demarcus Ware was the only one who held his ground. Defending the left was crucial, but the running back hadn’t made his move yet, so Ware couldn’t abandon his position. Besides, the quarterback still had the ball and was continuing his drop-back.

Ware’s eyes were glued to the running back and the quarterback. Then he saw them both start to run at the same time.

’Just as I’d expected. They both started moving toward the 49ers’ left—the Cowboys’ right.’ Ware began to shadow them, his eyes like a hawk’s, locked on the quarterback’s every move. ’But why hasn’t he handed off the ball? This isn’t a run play... it’s a pass?’

In a split second, Ware made his decision.

But a second later, Ware froze for a moment. The quarterback was running out of the Pocket! The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback had actually, voluntarily, run out of the Pocket!

For a traditional pocket quarterback, what did running out of the Pocket mean? It meant losing the protective barrier of the Offense Line and exposing yourself completely to the defensive players. Even a mobile quarterback like Cam Newton gained no advantage when pitted against defenders built like bulls. So what chance did a less-sturdy quarterback have?

It was like a turtle leaving its shell to stand naked in the open. How could an eagle soaring overhead possibly miss such an opportunity?

Ware didn’t know what had gotten into the 49ers’ quarterback, but he smelled blood—the chance for a sack. The offensive, confrontational instinct buried deep in every defensive player’s bones awakened. He took off like a cheetah, practically drooling as he sprinted toward his prey, baring his sharp fangs and claws.

It wasn’t just Ware. The cornerback on that side, Orlando Scandrick, charged in as well. The man who’d made the interception in the first half was riding a hot streak. His eyes were locked on the quarterback, and he sensed a golden opportunity, like a beautiful woman appearing before him, completely unguarded.

All he had to do was pounce!

Lu Ke saw two players lunging at him from his peripheral vision—Scandrick on the left, Ware on the right. The oncoming pressure was so intense he could feel it on his skin. His feet weren’t moving fast enough. Still not fast enough.

Pocket Footwork and Ball-Carrying Run footwork are two completely different skills, and the latter was one of Lu Ke’s biggest weaknesses.

Though Lu Ke’s Ball-Carrying Run was a seventy-one, his evasion was only a sixty-three, to say nothing of his stiff-arm, juke, or illusionary ability. This was no time to rely on luck. As the two defenders lunged at him, he calmly shouted in his mind, ’Absolute Step!’

His Special Skill, unleashed for the first time in an official game!

The first second.

He could see Ware’s gleaming forehead, his expression savage and fierce as he lunged like a tiger pouncing down a mountain.

Just then, Marcus Lynch, who had been shadowing Lu Ke, charged forward and slammed his shoulder hard into Ware’s body, knocking him off balance in an attempt to prevent the sack.

But amazingly, even as Ware stumbled, his center of gravity completely thrown off and his body nearly parallel to the ground, he still relentlessly charged toward Lu Ke. Even if he couldn’t complete the tackle, he had to use his momentum and sheer presence to pressure Lu Ke into a hurried throw.

Lu Ke’s footwork, however, was like that of an elegant ballerina—supple, light, nimble, and fluid. He carved a perfect arc, effortlessly evading Ware’s determined tackle. Then, with a sudden stop and a sharp turn, he continued to move toward the other side.

The second second.

To his left, Scandrick’s face was now right in front of him. Lu Ke could even feel his hot breath as the man’s hands came crashing down from above, looking to wrap him up tight in the next instant.

But in the nick of time, Lu Ke ducked. Pivoting on his left foot, he pushed off the ground hard, his body light and supple as he shot off in the opposite direction, leaving behind a faint afterimage.

Scandrick’s left hand slapped against Lu Ke’s shoulder, but it wasn’t a solid hit and slid right off. Having overcommitted and used too much force, he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, a victim of his own momentum and gravity.

And then… the third second!