American Football: King of the Bay Area

”Lu Ke, can I ask, what did that running touchdown feel like? Is it any different from a passing touchdown?”

The post-game press conference carried on the tension and excitement of the match. A heated, frenzied atmosphere spread through the room. A clamor of questions filled the air, and the eager gasps of astonishment and admiration felt like they were dancing on your skin. The lively questions thoroughly ignited the fiery joy from the game.

The spectacle was even more overwhelming than the wild cheering of the away fans.

”Maybe next time I should just hand the ball to Marcus. That would be a smarter choice.” Lu Ke made a self-deprecating joke, poking fun at his own lack of skill as a runner. He was clearly not the best option for a rushing play, which made all the reporters chuckle.

”After defeating the Detroit Lions and handing them their first loss of the season, do you have any particular thoughts on that?”

This was obviously the highlight of the week. The Lions’ undefeated streak had finally come to an end, preventing them from extending their team record. Now, the pressure of maintaining a winning streak fell entirely on the shoulders of the Green Bay Packers.

However, Lu Ke was very composed about it, not getting carried away. ”More than the winning streak, we were focused on our opponents themselves. The Lions are undoubtedly one of the best-performing teams this season. It was a very tough game, and winning in the end is crucial for building our team’s confidence.”

”You guys still need to build confidence? I thought you were full of confidence on the field.”

”Well, it’s not like you reporters have been helping, have you?”

The first line was an unexpected ambush question from a reporter; the second was Lu Ke’s effortless counter. The room was stunned for a moment, then erupted into collective laughter—

Lu Ke had actually confronted the reporters head-on.

Over the past few weeks, the reporters had been constantly questioning Lu Ke and the 49ers, persistently pessimistic about the team’s prospects. Far from helping build confidence, they seemed intent on tearing them down. Now, Lu Ke had struck back in a joking manner. You had to admit, it was clever.

The other San Francisco 49ers players who were being interviewed also started to whoop and cheer. The reporters on site couldn’t help but look at each other, then burst out laughing, speechless. The scene was momentarily surreal.

The entire interview session was incredibly lively. It lasted for nearly twenty minutes, and still, no one wanted it to end. If a member of the coaching staff hadn’t come over to rescue him, the interview would have continued, gradually turning into a talk show.

Even so, after returning to the locker room, Lu Ke could still feel a buzzing in his eardrums. The chaotic noise refused to fade, like an army of mosquitoes holding a concert right next to his ear.

It had been six weeks since he entered the Professional Alliance, but after every game, the fan support and media interviews still felt new. Each week brought slight changes; things seemed to be getting livelier, more intense, little by little, step by step, opening its arms to welcome the rookie player.

It wasn’t until he was fully submerged in the ice bath that the soreness in his muscles and the fatigue in his nerves rushed over him like a tidal wave. Only at this moment did the sheer difficulty of the game become truly clear.

’It’s hard to believe we actually won.’ He’d defeated the strongest opponent they’d faced since the season began. And they had done it in a hard-fought, tit-for-tat battle, clinching the victory through sheer grit. The experience gained was even more precious.

Moreover, this was only the sixth week of the regular season.

On the surface, it seemed Lu Ke hadn’t taken many hits or tackles in this game. Last week was also manageable. The level of physicality didn’t seem that intense, at least much better than the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. But in reality, as the season progressed, the accumulated fatigue and weariness from game after game were slowly building up. The pressure on his body and mind was rising in tandem.

Now, Lu Ke finally understood why people always said the playoffs and the regular season were on completely different levels. For one, the opponents were stronger. For another, after a long season, even a Superman would find his condition and energy worn down. Maintaining peak performance at all times, like at the start of the season, was by no means an easy feat.

Therefore, as the season went on, injuries inevitably began to pile up.

Lu Ke couldn’t help but feel fortunate now. After stacking his physical fitness up to 71 points, even though it still wasn’t top-tier, he had at least adapted to the intensity of the professional league. Compared to his college days, he was completely transformed.

More importantly, the regular season would continue into its seventh week, but the San Francisco 49ers had a bye week. This meant they had no game and a precious week to rest and adjust before making a final push for the second half of the season.

Only now could Lu Ke truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The arrival of the bye week also meant that the first phase of the regular season had come to a temporary close. The first phase of his journey since entering the league as an undrafted rookie was also over for now.

Though he didn’t show it on the surface, he had been hastily thrust into the role of starting quarterback without enough time to familiarize himself with the playbook or build chemistry with the team. Even with the system in hand, deep down, he hadn’t felt entirely confident. Now, after six weeks of play, a 5-1 record wasn’t too bad.

’But this is just the first phase.’ The next phases would only get harder, the intensity only higher. He couldn’t let his guard down; he needed to work harder, be more focused, and more committed. Becoming a professional quarterback wasn’t easy. Becoming a great professional quarterback was even harder.

He let out a light breath, cleared his mind of stray thoughts, and summoned the system. It was time to take stock of his rewards from the game. This was the right way to experience a victory.

The DING DING DING sonata was becoming familiar, but every time he heard it, the excitement and joy didn’t diminish in the slightest. It was still as refreshing and exhilarating as ever.

He had completed two passing touchdowns, earning two basic points; completed at least one rushing touchdown, earning two basic points; completed designated area passes of at least thirty yards to the left, middle, and right routes, earning one basic point; achieved tactical area control with a short pass usage rate of at least thirty percent, earning one basic point; and secured the victory, earning three basic points.

After tallying everything up, he had earned a total of nine basic points from this victory—an outstanding result.

In fact, after the game ended but before he confirmed the mission status, Lu Ke had suspected he’d failed the ”Complete Designated Area Passing” mission.

During the game, Lu Ke hadn’t spent much energy calculating his mission progress. He was fully immersed, focused, and single-minded. His control of the zones was just a rough estimate, nothing precise.

Furthermore, in today’s game, Lu Ke had opted for a game plan centered on short passes with long passes on standby. His total passing yardage was only 267 yards, his lowest in a single game since the regular season began.

Naturally, Lu Ke had worried he might not have completed the designated area passing mission. But in the end, the mission was successfully completed, earning him one basic point. Additionally, when Lu Ke checked the mission details, he saw that his short pass usage rate for today had actually exceeded sixty percent.

Spectators and commentators familiar with Lu Ke’s playstyle would probably have been completely baffled by today’s game. This was an atypical Lu Ke, controlling the tempo with short and mid-range passes, using zone coverage to manipulate the Defense Team, and then launching a surprise long pass at a critical moment. His entire style of play had become more steady and stable. The boldness, craziness, and risk-taking from the previous five games seemed to have been reined in.

But only Lu Ke himself knew this was a consciously controlled result, spurred on by the game’s missions. Once he returned to his own rhythm, he would go back to playing in his previous style. After all, as a professional player, Lu Ke had only played six games. He was still accumulating experience, and his style still needed refining.

It was also worth mentioning that during today’s game, at critical moments, both Vernon Davis and Ted Ginn Jr. ran excellent routes and connected with Lu Ke. On the Offense Line, the tactical execution of Chilo Rachal and Anthony Davis had also improved significantly. If the entire team hadn’t been united as one, that final touchdown probably would have been impossible.

This once again made Lu Ke understand the importance of teamwork and the playbook in a football game.

This was because during last week’s preparations, Lu Ke had used the mission reward from ”Gathering the Heart of Candlestick Park”—that special Quarterback Training Package. ”After using the Quarterback Training Package, efficiency in watching game film, analyzing game film, and interpreting the playbook will be amplified by two hundred percent for ninety minutes.”

Lu Ke had used the training package without hesitation during the team’s collective strategy meeting.

At the time, he couldn’t directly determine the training package’s effect. But now, it was clear the results were impressive. The whole team’s coordination and operation were much smoother. It was this timely boost that allowed them to defeat the Detroit Lions.

”Gathering the Heart of Candlestick Park” had also awarded another Special Skill: Amplification Aura.

He hadn’t used it in this game, but Lu Ke couldn’t help but wonder if its effects were immediate, capable of turning the tide at a critical moment. Or perhaps he should save this skill for a special occasion, like the playoffs.

However, it seemed a bit too early to be thinking about the playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers still had many games to fight through to earn a playoff ticket.

In any case, defeating the Lions this week and earning nine basic points was the best possible outcome. It meant Lu Ke’s strength could be further supplemented. But before he allocated the points, his gaze fell upon this week’s new item:

Target Mission.