American Football: King of the Bay Area

A run.

’I must be crazy,’ Lu Ke thought. The absurd idea popped into his head the moment he started moving. Then, Lu Ke realized that one of his mission objectives for today’s game was, coincidentally, a rushing touchdown.

In truth, Lu Ke hadn’t paid it any mind and had no intention of completing the mission. Running the ball had never been his strong suit, nor was it a tool in his arsenal. To him, the so-called rushing touchdown was just a joke from the system, nothing to be taken seriously. Besides, there was no penalty for failing the mission.

But now, an opportunity had suddenly appeared, and Lu Ke had no reason to pass it up. As absurd and comical as it was, Lu Ke pumped his legs and surged forward through the gap in the pocket.

In his peripheral vision, he could see the panicked movements of the defensive players. Even his own offensive teammates were caught off guard, and the tense, drawn-tight atmosphere instantly devolved into a flustered scramble. At least two players charged toward him like ferocious tigers. Although his mind correctly judged that they wouldn’t catch him—their shifts in balance were half a beat too slow—Lu Ke still ran with everything he had.

The line of scrimmage was the five-yard line, and the formation had him positioned four yards behind the center. Therefore, the distance between Lu Ke and the End Zone was nine yards.

Nine yards. It didn’t seem long, but it wasn’t short either. In a single second, countless things could happen on the ever-changing field. What’s more, Lu Ke was essentially pitting his greatest weakness against their strength. The panic born from this unfamiliarity couldn’t help but start beating its wings, like a thousand butterflies taking flight at once.

So, Lu Ke didn’t let his guard down for a second, pushing his seventy-one-point Ball-Carrying Run skill to its absolute limit.

His leg drive was short and powerful, his stride frequency fast and fierce. It was as if this wasn’t a nine-yard dash but a hundred-meter sprint. He accelerated, then accelerated again, pushing his speed to its absolute peak. He whistled past the goal line into the End Zone, then ran right out of it, only stopping when he reached the padded wall at the edge of the field.

Touchdown, successful!

The process was thrilling, but the result was surprisingly easy. Lu Ke didn’t face a single hit or tackle. He came through like a tornado, moving too fast. The two players who had tried to make the stop could only stare at his back and let out a long sigh, the astonishment and bewilderment in their eyes refusing to fade—

What in the world just happened? Why did it look like Lu Ke was being chased by ten wolves?

The players on the Detroit Lions Defense Team all slumped their shoulders, standing frozen in a daze. They had given it their all, but they never expected to give up a Touchdown in such a way. This… they couldn’t even tell which feeling was stronger: the shame or the frustration.

The San Francisco 49ers offensive players were also stunned for a moment. Then they saw the sight of Lu Ke’s back as he practically fled, and an irrepressible wave of humor washed over them. They all burst out laughing—partly for the Touchdown, and partly because it was a rushing Touchdown scored by Lu Ke himself. It was definitely the biggest, most pleasant surprise of the game.

Standing outside the End Zone, Lu Ke tossed the football to the referee and shot him an inquisitive look. ’That Touchdown was legal, right?’ No yellow flags for penalties or anything.

The referee didn’t speak, simply making the signal to confirm a successful Touchdown in response.

The next moment, all the members of the San Francisco 49ers offense swarmed him, surrounding Lu Ke and shouting in mock astonishment, ”God, you’re a madman, a madman!”

Even Ted Ginn Jr., who had just made an unbelievable catch himself, was no exception. He pounded his fist against Lu Ke’s chest and couldn’t help but exclaim, ”Jesus Christ.” He thought he had been crazy enough, but compared to Lu Ke, he was on a whole other level.

Standing in the crowd, Logan lightly pumped his fist and chanted in a deep voice, ”Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!” This was clearly a double entendre. Besides being Lu Ke’s nickname, it was also a jab at his recent run—wasn’t Little Deer Bambi known for his agility and speed?

The other teammates instantly understood and joined in the jeering, ”Bambi!”

Standing in the center of the huddle, the reality of it finally hit Lu Ke: he had scored a Touchdown with his own two legs. The feeling… it wasn’t elation, nor was it excitement. It was something more subtle, something hard to describe.

Back in the broadcast booth, the commentators couldn’t help but chuckle in stunned disbelief, even after rewatching the play. ”Uh, what exactly just happened? What did we just witness? Can someone tell me, my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me, were they? The rookie quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers just scored a rushing Touchdown. He personally ran the ball into the End Zone for the score, right?”

Looking at the bewildered Teddy, Kirk finally couldn’t hold back a cheerful laugh. ”Yes, you didn’t see wrong, and neither did the viewers at home. Just now, Lu Ke completed the first rushing Touchdown of his professional career.”

Although Lu Ke had repeatedly used his legs to gain yards at critical moments during games—especially in the classic Week 2 game against the Dallas Cowboys—there was no doubt that he was a conventional, traditional pocket quarterback. In fact, Lu Ke’s running ability had always been a running gag for the commentators—

Just like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. The running form of those two elite quarterbacks was just as clumsy and flustered, making them look like tractors.

Who would have thought that today Lu Ke would actually score a rushing Touchdown—and a Touchdown that broke the stalemate on the field, potentially even deciding the game. The sense of incongruity was truly amusing.

The game, which had been locked in a stalemate after halftime, had its equilibrium shattered by Lu Ke’s unexpected rushing Touchdown. And now, with the game nearing its end, this subtle feeling born from the collision of thrilling tension and wild absurdity was truly a refreshing experience.

”In the final moments of the game, the San Francisco 49ers have scored a precious Touchdown, seizing firm control of their path to victory. Next, all they have to do is kick the extra point, and the pressure will be on… wait, the 49ers offense is still on the field! The special teams unit hasn’t come out. They’re going for a two-point conversion! The San Francisco 49ers are going for two, they’re looking to kill the game right here!”

A so-called two-point conversion is when, after a team scores a Touchdown, the offense lines up at the two-yard line in front of the End Zone to attempt another ”Touchdown.” If an offensive player carries the ball into the End Zone, they get two points. But if they fail, they get no extra points.

At this moment, the score was 20-26, with sixty-three seconds left in the game.

This was a very simple calculation. By attempting a two-point conversion, first and foremost, the offense could burn more time off the clock, regardless of whether they succeeded or not.

Second, if they succeeded, the score would become 20-28. This meant the opponent would need to score a Touchdown and then complete a two-point conversion of their own in the remaining time, exponentially increasing the difficulty. Even if they failed, the score would remain 20-26. Unless the Detroit Lions completed a last-ditch Hail Mary for a Touchdown, the San Francisco 49ers would be in an unbeatable position.

And so, Jim Hubble made the incredibly bold choice to go for the two-point conversion.

On the field, the restless and excited energy still surged through the air. Lu Ke could clearly feel the gazes of his offensive teammates, each one full of meaning. He could just imagine that after the game, this bunch of guys wouldn’t let him off the hook. This rushing Touchdown was probably going to be a topic of ridicule for a long time to come.

But right now, Lu Ke had to focus and complete this two-point conversion.

This was equivalent to having to score another red zone Touchdown. One could imagine the difficulty.

Taking a deep breath, he methodically relayed the coach’s play call, and then all the players quickly got into formation.

When the members of the Detroit Lions Defense Team saw their opponent’s formation, they couldn’t help but start cursing under their breath. No changes. The San Francisco 49ers were using the exact same offensive formation as their previous Touchdown play—a perfect copy.

The opponent hadn’t changed, but the Detroit Lions couldn’t afford to do the same. They had to make adjustments—bold and aggressive ones. The window for their victory was shrinking. To grasp this sliver of hope, they had to go all-out. Otherwise, failure was the only outcome. More importantly, if they didn’t change now, they might not have time to change at all.

And so, the linebackers edged forward slightly, showing a heavy blitz look. At the same time, the safeties and cornerbacks also pressed forward, further compressing the defensive space.

Standing in the pocket, Lu Ke was neither rushed nor anxious. He patiently read the defense, taking in every detail before calling for the snap.

After a quick drop back, Lu Ke still couldn’t see much of an opening. Even though the three linebackers had moved up, it also meant the pocket was collapsing rapidly. The space Lu Ke had to survey shrank quickly, and his entire field of vision became a turbulent, churning mess. The omnipresent pressure was changing the situation on the field.

No openings. No passing lanes, and no running lanes.

But Lu Ke remained patient, keeping an eye on the linebackers on both sides who were about to use their numbers advantage to force their way past the line. At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small passing window open up in the middle of the back of the End Zone.

Lu Ke didn’t rush the throw. Instead, he faked a screen pass, using himself as bait. He deliberately waited for the linebackers to break through the pocket, for the Defense Line to continue its push, and for the secondary to press forward before he finally put a light touch on the ball. He lofted it in a high arc toward Crabtree at the back of the End Zone, while simultaneously shuffling backward to avoid the powerful impact of two linebackers.

Even with a defender closing in to make a play, Crabtree used his body to his advantage, boxing out the opponent with his back. He forcefully secured the football and then got both feet down, successfully completing the two-point conversion.

The score on the field became 20-28. With twenty-seven seconds remaining, the game was all but over.