Chapter 801: A Series of Breakthroughs
After the quarterback's receiving touchdown, and after the quarterback passed to himself to secure the two-point conversion, the San Francisco 49ers made another astonishing move by choosing an onside kick.
One trick play is a clever tactic, two trick plays are a coincidence, but three trick plays... are a strategy. Jim Harbaugh was using unexpected methods and plays, breaking through the Giants' defense one after another, and charging forward with great force toward the final victory. He was demonstrating an absolute and dominant determination to win.
One step forward is heaven, and one step back is hell. This is what it means to go all-in. Harbaugh's tactical choices in these crucial moments once again stunned the entire league.
Strictly speaking, ever since he chose Lu Ke as the backup quarterback in the offseason last year, Harbaugh had already shown the demeanor of a gambler. In critical moments, he was always the one who dared to fight with his back against the wall, take a risk, and give it his all. Today was no different. First, it was a heart-stopping quarterback-receiving play, and now it was an unexpected onside kick.
Normally, Harbaugh could have just handed the ball to his defense.
Twenty seconds. After the kickoff, about three seconds would pass, leaving seventeen seconds. Without any timeouts, the New York Giants could try a quick snap and a quick throw, then get out of bounds to gain some yards, and then they would be in a position to try a "Hail Mary."
The San Francisco 49ers could have played a conservative defense, firmly holding on to their one-point lead, and putting their trust in the defense instead of choosing a risky onside kick.
But who knows?
Perhaps it was precisely this gambler's audacity and guts that allowed Harbaugh to instill a tough and gritty fighting spirit into the entire San Francisco 49ers team. He truly sparked a steel-like spirit of blood and fire in his tactical choices and personnel. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
The fact was, Harbaugh chose an onside kick.
Instead of saying that Harbaugh didn't trust his defense and chose the special teams, it would be more accurate to say that Harbaugh abandoned passive defense and chose to take the offensive. From the ups and downs of their last two matchups to this fierce battle today, who could say that this choice wasn't because of Harbaugh's personal demons?
Of course, before officially choosing the play, Harbaugh wouldn't reveal any information, and the special teams wouldn't say anything either. The purpose of the onside kick was to catch the opponent off guard and increase the success rate of the kick while the opponent was unprepared.
If the San Francisco 49ers were still the team that was behind at this moment, then an onside kick would be an obvious choice, and both special teams would naturally be on high alert. But now, the San Francisco 49ers were the team in the lead, and they still boldly chose an onside kick. This could almost be considered insane.
In the broadcast booth, Kirk's commentary took a dramatic turn. He said "wait" three times in a row, unable to hide his surprise and... excitement.
Let's rewind three seconds, back to the moment of the San Francisco 49ers' kickoff.
David Akers stood at the spot for his run-up. To hide the intention of the onside kick, he still stood in the regular position for a long kickoff. Before officially kicking the ball, he carefully observed the opponent's special teams' formation. In his mind, he recalled Lu Ke's simple analysis of the opposing team's special teams players.
No one on the entire team could compare with Lu Ke in terms of watching game film. Even Harbaugh bowed down to him. During the game preparation week, Lu Ke's knowledge of the game film was second to none. Even the coaching staff would occasionally ask Lu Ke about the specific timing of a play or the formation.
Of course, this was just a replication of the game film. As for the specific tactical analysis, that was another matter. At his core, Lu Ke was a quarterback, and he had a bold and adventurous offensive spirit.
After confirming the entire formation, Akers gave a hand signal to his teammates and then began his run-up. But as he approached the football, he suddenly slowed down, kicked the top of the ball with his foot, and stepped on it hard, as if he were a clumsy rookie, completely faking a mistake.
The football hit the ground hard and then bounced up, hopping forward like a kangaroo.
It wasn't until this scene appeared that everyone realized that this was not a mistake, but an onside kick. The surprised shouts from the broadcast booth rang out, while the cheers and shouts in Candlestick Park instantly froze, and everyone fell into a deathly silence.
All eyes converged on the football. All twenty-two players on the field ran toward the football. Even Akers, who had just kicked the ball, was no exception. Then, a figure in a red jersey shot out. After lowering his center of gravity, his upper body was almost parallel to the ground. His feet pushed off like a praying mantis, and with a dive, he brought the football into his arms.
Kyle Williams curled his body up, holding the football tightly. His arms and legs formed a tight box, firmly holding the football within his body. There was only one thought in his mind: "Victory! Victory! Victory!"
As long as he could get control of the ball first, victory would belong to them. As long as he could firmly hold on to the football, they could turn the game around. As long as he could grit his teeth, he wouldn't repeat the same mistake. As long as he could hold on for this second, he could atone for his sins. As long as he could complete this onside kick, he could once again be a part of this team fighting side by side.
Hold on! Kyle, hold on!
"Kyle Williams!"
"My God! Kyle Williams! The San Francisco 49ers' Kyle Williams has recovered the ball! Unbelievable! The onside kick was successful! It actually worked! Jim Harbaugh's gamble has paid off! The New York Giants were completely in the dark, and Tom Coughlin was completely outsmarted!"
"Now the referees need to review the video to confirm if Kyle Williams crossed the line of scrimmage when he caught the ball to confirm if the onside kick is valid. But... but! From the replay in our studio, the San Francisco 49ers' onside kick definitely traveled more than ten yards. Kyle Williams was a half-step ahead of his opponents and got the ball before they could react. This means the game is over!"
"Yes! The referees have confirmed it! This is a legal onside kick!"
"The San Francisco 49ers have control of the ball! Game over! The entire game is officially over!"
"In the end, the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, won with a score of '43-42,' winning the game in the final seconds. They didn't go into overtime and refused to repeat the history of the NFC Championship! My God, this brilliant showdown is finally over! It ended with a San Francisco 49ers victory! God! God! God!"
"Who could have predicted a game like this?"
"In the NFC Championship last season, Ted Ginn was injured and had to leave the field. Kyle Williams, who had gradually become the number three wide receiver, came on as a substitute but had butterfingers during a touchdown catch, missing the most important touchdown catch! After the game, countless fans expressed their strong dissatisfaction with Williams, shifting the blame for the loss to him!"
"This season, Kyle Williams, who was plagued by injuries during the offseason, lost his spot as the number three wide receiver after Randy Moss's arrival, becoming the team's number four wide receiver and a top kick returner. For Williams, this game was also a battle of redemption, but it was a huge regret that he couldn't play.
"Now, Williams has achieved redemption in his own way! In the final moments, he successfully helped the team complete the onside kick! He directly ended the game! This is not just a revenge, but also a redemption. For Williams, this is undoubtedly a very, very important game. He helped the 49ers defeat the Giants!"
"He did it!"
"Listen, all the fans in the stadium are now cheering and celebrating the victory!"
Kyle Williams's muscles were tense to the extreme. He held the football motionless. There was only one thought in his mind: for this victory, he had to control the ball!
Strong collisions and impacts continuously swarmed all over his body. He couldn't distinguish where they were coming from or where they landed. Even the pain had completely disappeared in his tense nerves. He just passively felt the forces acting on him, but he gritted his teeth and held on tightly, pushing harder and harder.
He couldn't make another mistake.
He couldn't.
"Kyle, Kyle!" Heavy impacts came through his eardrums. He could vaguely feel the slaps on his arms, but it felt like an echo from the other side of a distant valley, with no real sense of it. Then, his body began to shake violently, like a great earthquake.
Kyle finally lifted his head slightly and saw Akers's face. "We did it! We did it!"
Kyle was a little stunned and asked repeatedly, "Did we win?"
"Yes, the victory is ours! Kyle, the victory is ours!" Akers shouted with abandon, his face and eyes overflowing with excitement and joy. Every movement was an outpouring of his emotions.
Kyle finally came to his senses and showed a brilliant smile. He looked up and saw the surging red wave of excitement in the entire Candlestick Park. The sounds of celebration, like mountains and seas, came to his ears. The faces filled with ecstasy were so distant and yet so close.
The overwhelming roar hit him hard without warning, like a punch to the bridge of his nose. Before he could even react, his eyes were filled with tears. He did it. He finally did it! He completed the onside kick! He controlled the ball! He completed the final piece of the victory puzzle!
In this moment, he had finally redeemed himself.
It wasn't just the fans in the stands. All the offensive and defensive players also rushed onto the field in a frenzy, surrounding Kyle and celebrating this hard-won victory with abandon.
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