Chapter 795: A Brilliant Trick
"Lu Ke passes... the target is Marcus Lynch! Marcus Lynch, who has been almost invisible in this game! This is definitely a surprising choice!"
"It's a very light ten-yard pass. Lynch is adjusting his steps. Lynch's steps seem a little nervous! Nice, Lynch has made the catch steadily! A beautiful pass selection, a beautiful pass combination! In a crucial moment, Lynch did not fail Lu Ke's trust and successfully completed the catch!"
"Webster is chasing quickly, trying to make a second tackle! Marcus Lynch makes a series of high-frequency, quick steps, completely throwing off the two of them's center of gravity. Webster only managed to grab Lynch's waist, and then he was met with a centrifuge-like centrifugal force and was sent flying!"
"Lynch! Lynch has found an open space! Lynch is advancing quickly! My God, Lynch's run is so powerful. With a slight dip of his shoulder and a raised arm, he pushed away the assisting safety Rolle. Rolle was completely knocked over! Lynch's run and collision are truly too fierce. My God! He's completely unstoppable!"
"Rolle is still trying to struggle. He grabs Lynch's jersey, a yellow flag foul!"
"But that still hasn't stopped Lynch's advance! Lynch! Lynch's running force seems to have finally shown some signs! Lynch has shaken off Rolle's entanglement and is still advancing! Outside linebacker Kawika Williams has caught up! Logan is trying to disrupt Williams's balance, but Williams is a step ahead and launches himself with all his might, grabbing Lynch's legs!"
"Lynch is still trying to advance! High knees! My God, Lynch is still advancing with high knees! This! This is simply unbelievable!"
"Starting from the 33-yard line in the San Francisco 49ers' half, Lynch successfully caught the football around the 43-yard line. After crossing midfield, he broke one tackle and then shook off another! 30-yard line! 25-yard line! 20-yard line! 15-yard line!"
"Oh my goodness, Lynch is unstoppable! Lynch has entered the red zone! Lynch has fallen! Williams has made a great play! Williams stopped Lynch's touchdown run on the 10-yard line, finally making the tackle and preventing an even worse outcome. Unbelievable! It's too unbelievable!"
"Who would have thought that Lynch, who had been struggling the entire game, would make the most important catch and breakthrough at the most crucial moment!"
"Not only did we not expect it, but the New York Giants' defense also completely didn't expect it. Except for Webster, the entire defense completely lost their judgment, and there was an open space of at least 15 yards! This allowed Lynch to gradually build up his running ability and complete this final burst!"
"What's most commendable is that Lynch broke four tackles from three players in total! At the same time, all of them were completed in head-on confrontations. This is simply too spectacular! Words can't describe it! Who would have thought that Lynch would be the one to step up at the crucial moment! Lu Ke's choice was truly brilliant!"
"Now, the San Francisco 49ers' offense has driven deep into the red zone, instantly seizing the initiative of the game. This is truly terrible for the New York Giants! It's unpredictable. The momentum of the game is now completely unpredictable!"
"Who would have thought! A ten-yard pass created a full 57-yard gain! It instantly turned the entire situation on the field around!"
"For neutral fans, this is what they want to see most! Overtime! Are we now hoping for another overtime game? Although every matchup between the New York Giants and the San Francisco 49ers makes our hearts pound, the reality is far beyond our expectations! Dear God, all of this is too magical! We must rewatch that last drive! A brilliant drive!"
Candlestick Park had erupted in a different way:
"Offense! Clap clap! Offense! Clap clap! Offense! Clap clap!"
They firmly believed in their offense, believed that they could score another touchdown, drag the game into overtime again, and once again charge toward victory! There was no need for a Hail Mary! They were already in the red zone! They just needed to be a little more patient, a little more determined, and the initiative would be in their hands!
The roar of the crowd: "Offense! Clap clap!"
A surge of heat rushed forward, and adrenaline was at an all-time high for both the offense and the defense. The most tense, most exciting, and most thrilling moment of the entire game had truly arrived!
Ten yards from the end zone, in the red zone.
The intensity of the confrontation suddenly rose to a new level. Facing a first-and-10, Lu Ke decisively handed the football to Marcus, who had just made a great play.
The warmed-up Marcus had finally found some of his running and colliding feel. With the offensive line's help, he broke through the middle and forcefully gained six yards with an unstoppable momentum.
The two teams' players formed a spectacular small hill. In the front were layers of defensive players, and in the back were layers of offensive players. Marcus became the central focus of the tug-of-war. He completed this run with his head down, but the collision was so intense that Joe Staley's helmet was knocked off.
Even Kirk couldn't help but sigh. "There's a sense of gunpowder between the two sides. The confrontation is truly too fierce. Marcus Lynch almost made the impossible possible, completing this run with absolute toughness. Although his running game hasn't been able to gain traction the entire game, in this drive, Lynch has finally shown signs of a comeback, which is good news for the San Francisco 49ers."
The New York Giants called a timeout.
There were only 54 seconds left in the game, a very ambiguous amount of time.
If the New York Giants' defense could make a strong stand here, forcing the San Francisco 49ers to waste all their chances and still not score, that would naturally be the perfect outcome. But what if they couldn't? Once the San Francisco 49ers scored a touchdown and tied the score, the possession would return to the New York Giants. This meant that Eli Manning could take the field again.
They could either attempt a "Hail Mary" or try a deep pass to get into field goal range. Either way, both options could end the game before it goes into overtime. This also meant that time was starting to become important for the New York Giants. They couldn't let the San Francisco 49ers slowly run down the clock, score a touchdown, and drag the game into overtime.
The importance of time management was suddenly highlighted, and the unexpected connection between Lu Ke and Marcus, and the defense missing three tackles in a row, seemed even more fatal.
Lu Ke quickly looked at Staley and Marcus, giving them a questioning look. The confrontation just now was too intense, and he was worried about them getting injured, which would be the worst-case scenario. Both of them responded with their eyes, signaling that they were fine and ready to go again.
Lu Ke nodded, quickly gathered the offense, and planned the next touchdown play for second down.
Second down, five yards to go for a touchdown.
The New York Giants' defense lined up perfectly across from the line of scrimmage. A full seven players formed a straight line, and even the spacing was almost the same. The remaining four players were in a trident formation, standing directly across from Lu Ke, eyeing Lu Ke and Marcus.
"Hut!"
After receiving the football from Goodwin, Lu Ke handed it to Marcus for the second consecutive time.
This was Harbaugh's tactical choice.
First, for the sake of caution, to reduce the possibility of a receiving player's mistake. Second, to catch them off guard. After a series of passes, he was now running the ball twice in a row, completely disrupting the defense's rhythm.
Third, to run down the clock. For the San Francisco 49ers, there was no difference between a third and a fourth down. It was a one-way street, and the offense was down. So, they not only needed to score a touchdown, but they also needed to run down as much time as possible. The remaining time in the game was meaningless for the San Francisco 49ers if they lost.
With the offensive line's help, Marcus pushed forward with his shoulder. This time, the New York Giants' defense was clearly prepared and did not give an inch. In the fierce confrontation, Marcus only gained three yards and still couldn't find an open space.
Now there were only two yards left to the end zone, and the open spaces would become fewer and fewer. The offense would also become more difficult.
The New York Giants called another timeout.
The ball boy quickly came onto the field to give the players energy drinks and water. Lu Ke refused the ball boy's service and quickly started a conversation with Harbaugh through his headset. "What? What did you say? Coach, I can't. I really can't. Don't you know me? If I can, I will never back down."
"Bambi, trust me, I'm not kidding. This is only a third-down play, and they won't expect it. Let's try it. Even if we fail, we still have a fourth-down play. Just do what I say." Harbaugh quickly gave the order.
For the first time, Lu Ke showed a look of hesitation.
"We haven't even practiced this!" Lu Ke cried out, holding his helmet.
Harbaugh chuckled. "You haven't practiced since your first game. I'm not afraid, so what are you afraid of? This is my tactical choice, and I'll take the responsibility. Bambi, I thought you were the brave one. Keep your head clear. You can do it."
Unprecedentedly, Lu Ke started to panic on the field.
He let out a long breath and nodded heavily. "Then let's go for it!" His tone was filled with a firm resolve!
Lu Ke quickly gathered all the offensive players and announced the play. But this time, he didn't show his hesitation. Instead, he looked at his teammates firmly. "How is it? Any questions?"
Everyone looked at each other.
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