American Football: King of the Bay Area

Troy Ball was completely in the zone, adrenaline firing on all cylinders. His commentary, far from slowing down, was only getting faster. He was so excited spit was flying from his mouth.

”A run! Everyone thought it was a running play. But from the very beginning of this offensive drive, Lu Ke had already laid out his plan. He deceived everyone—not just his opponents on the field and the crowd in the stands, but all of us commentators! Wow!”

Troy couldn’t help but express his awe. Even though a commentator should remain neutral, he just couldn’t hold back in that moment. What was unfolding before his eyes was simply incredible, a perfect showcase of the enthralling magic of competitive sports!

”Just when everyone thought Lu Ke would run it himself, he audaciously stopped in his tracks and chose to pass! With the Cowboys’ entire defensive formation in tatters, a massive hole opened up in their secondary. Logan Newman ran a perfect inside cut and completed a fifty-yard reception! If Logan hadn’t lost his balance and fallen, that pass would have gone for a touchdown!”

Unable to restrain himself, Troy slammed his hand on the desk, venting his elation and excitement. ’This wasn’t just luring the tiger out of the mountains; it was pulling chestnuts from the fire!’

Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! A magnificent play!

It wasn’t just Troy; all the commentators in the booth were beside themselves with excitement. Some even started cursing—it was the only way to express their profound shock and amazement.

In truth, the play itself wasn’t that complex. The Cowboys’ defense had been outstanding all day, their pass coverage nearly flawless.

So, Lu Ke first showed a passing formation to draw in the defenders. Then, he took off with the ball himself, scrambling to break through. The Cowboys’ Defense Team was forced to hastily adjust their coverage.

Up to that point, the tactic wasn’t actually complex. For a mobile quarterback, it was one of their most frequently used plays: line up in the Pistol Formation, read the defense, and then choose whether to pass, hand off for a run, or run the ball themselves, using their improvisational skills to rip a hole in the opposing defensive formation.

Lu Ke was running the playbook of a mobile quarterback.

But that’s where the surprise came in. Lu Ke didn’t run; he chose to pass. With the entire defensive formation off-balance, Logan’s precise route-running ripped open a huge gap. A fifty-yard completion—you could almost hear the sound of the defense tearing apart. That’s the power of the long ball; once it connects, it’s a lethal weapon!

”Calm, bold, precise, and sharp! On that last drive, Lu Ke demonstrated the highest caliber of an elite quarterback. His read of the defenders, his manipulation of their defensive scheme, his command of his own offensive players—it was nothing short of perfect!” In the studio, Kirk was exclaiming in amazement, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Even Teddy was in utter shock. ”Wow, is this the same quarterback from the first half? He’s been completely transformed during halftime! This is reminding me of last game all over again! This drive was even more stunning than Lu Ke’s first career long touchdown pass!”

Everyone—everyone at Candlestick Park, everyone watching the live broadcast on TV—erupted. Cheers, screams, shouts, and roars instantly merged into a deafening tsunami of sound!

A fifty-yard long pass heralded the resurgence of the San Francisco 49ers’ Offense Team.

But Lu Ke didn’t get carried away with ecstasy or lose his cool. He knew the Cowboys’ Defense Team was now in total disarray, completely bewildered. This was the 49ers’ golden opportunity. He had meticulously planned this incredibly audacious play, even expending one of his Special Skills, not just to complete the pass, but to shatter the Cowboys’ defensive rhythm.

A pass. The play was designed as a pass from the very first second. And a pass to the right side, no less—the very side where the defense was stacked.

Feint within a feint. The Dallas Cowboys had presented a formation full of bluffs and misdirection. But during halftime, Lu Ke had already designed the first play: a combination of pass and run, but with the ultimate goal of challenging them deep for a killer blow!

The entire play was insane, audacious to a fault. If a single element had gone wrong, the result would have been completely different. Especially Lu Ke’s Ball-Carrying Run—one wrong move, and Demarcus Ware would have sacked him, and the pass that followed would never have happened. Even more importantly, Lu Ke had specifically requested Logan to be put in—Logan, who had been playing a mediocre game so far.

Such a risk was nothing short of a high-stakes gamble. Even Jim Hubble was completely stunned, unable to believe his eyes.

But Lu Ke had pulled it off.

More importantly, the Dallas Cowboys’ defense was no longer an unstoppable force; their powerful momentum had just taken a massive hit.

Now, what Lu Ke needed to do was press the advantage and crush them completely!

”Hurry up! Let’s go!” Lu Ke had no time to celebrate. He yelled to the Offense Team, striding confidently and quickly down the field.

In his line of sight, Lu Ke could see Logan roaring, his hands balled into fists, letting out a wild, cathartic yell. All the pent-up frustration from the entire first half was finally being released. The screams and shouts from the crowd were like a tidal wave, crashing down unstoppably.

Candlestick Park had erupted.

Lu Ke raised his right hand and waved at Crabtree, who was nearby. Crabtree immediately got the message, patting Logan on the shoulder to interrupt his celebration.

Logan shot him an annoyed look, but Crabtree just pointed toward Lu Ke. Logan turned and saw Lu Ke’s intensely focused gaze, which seemed to say, ’We haven’t gotten the touchdown yet!’ That instantly deflated Logan. He rubbed his nose and hurried back to the Offense Line to get set.

With a single long pass, the San Francisco 49ers had not only picked up their most important first down of the game but had also, riding that momentum, advanced all the way to the Dallas Cowboys’ 22-yard line!

Lu Ke signaled the Offense Line to get set quickly. Pistol Formation again—a look that could be either a pass or a run. It looked like the Dallas Cowboys’ Defense Team still hadn’t recovered. Everything had happened so fast that they had no time to confer. ’Do we change the play? Or stick with what we have?’

The Cowboys’ on-field defensive captain, Sean Lee, made the call on the spot: stick to the play. But he turned and exchanged a quick glance with Demarcus Ware.

Lu Ke saw it all happen. But he couldn’t decipher it. There was no talking, no hand signal, just a look. He didn’t have the Mind Reading Skill, so of course, he had no way of knowing their plan. However, based on the formation, at least, the Dallas Cowboys hadn’t changed their setup. And with the field shrinking, their defensive density had naturally increased.

For Lu Ke, every step was fraught with danger.

”Hike!”

Lu Ke yelled the command. The next second, after getting the snap, he started a quick backpedal, faking a handoff to Marcus. But at the last second, Lu Ke pulled his right hand back and turned to pass. He never saw it coming. He only caught a flash of white to his left before an opponent slammed violently into him.

Lu Ke had no time to react. He just managed to clutch the football to his chest before he was slammed hard into the turf, a sharp pain flaring in his shoulder.

”Sack!” Troy Ball exclaimed. This second half was proving to be incredible. Just as the 49ers were showing signs of life, the Cowboys’ excellent Defense Team delivered a harsh reality check. ”The Cowboys only sent three rushers, but the 49ers’ Offense Line completely misread the play! It was an unannounced blitz from Demarcus Ware. He met almost no resistance, breaking through the pocket like it was paper and getting the sack before Lu Ke could even finish turning!”

Troy couldn’t help but applaud the Cowboys. In response to the 49ers’ sudden shift, the Cowboys had answered in kind, launching their first truly powerful blitz of the game and catching the 49ers completely flat-footed. Ware barely broke a sweat getting his first sack of the day.

Left guard Mike Lupati hurried over and helped Lu Ke up, his face apologetic. ”Sorry, I was a step slow on that.” The left was Lu Ke’s blind side; he relied on his left guard and tackle for protection, otherwise his back was completely exposed.

Lu Ke rubbed his shoulder. That hit from Ware had been vicious; he was clearly retaliating for the last play. But Lu Ke just shook his head. ”Stay focused. They’re starting to change up their plays. That’s a good thing!”

Lu Ke wasn’t worried about the Cowboys blitzing; he was worried they *wouldn’t* change anything. The whole point of that surprising first play was to upset the balance. ’Now that they’re changing,’ he thought, ’opportunities will follow.’

He gathered his teammates again. The sack had cost them yards, so they needed to adjust the play call.

Jim Hubble’s anxious voice came through the headset. ”Pass, Bambi, keep passing!” He then rattled off a string of play-call instructions. Lu Ke glanced toward the sideline, gave a thumbs-up to confirm, and then finished relaying the play to his team.

Second and fifteen.

It was the Pistol Formation again. After the snap, Lu Ke and Marcus ran in opposite directions. The eyes of the entire Cowboys’ Defense Team were fixed on Lu Ke. Ware locked onto Lu Ke’s movement instantly, and a thought flashed through his mind: ’This is bad—’

It looked like Lu Ke was going for another Ball-Carrying Run. He was already scrambling out of the pocket, not even giving the Cowboys’ Defense Line time to rush him.

The Cowboys’ defensive front and secondary all tensed up. The memory of that last explosive play was still fresh in their minds. Every defender crouched, lowering their center of gravity, trying to watch the other players’ routes while keeping an eye on Lu Ke’s scramble out of the corner of their eye.

Instinctively, involuntarily, the Cowboys’ defensive formation was pulled out of shape by Lu Ke’s movement. Ware immediately went into a tackling posture and lunged for Lu Ke. But Ware had only covered three yards, still at least five yards away, when he saw Lu Ke release the ball.

Lure the tiger from the mountain... a screen pass? This was actually a short pass play!