Chapter 935: Getting Carried Away
Lu Ke was well aware that the San Francisco 49ers were facing a difficult situation.
On one hand, as they entered the second half of the season, their physical and mental strength was being put to the test, and the pressure of the winning streak was constantly building up. This meant the challenge was increasing exponentially, and it was the same for every player; they weren't superheroes.
On the other hand, the team was becoming a target for the entire league. Opponents were studying their strategies more thoroughly and their plans were becoming clearer. This meant that every player had to perform at a higher level, but rushing to do so would only lead to a dramatic fluctuation in performance, which was happening to both the offense and the defense.
In fact, since the regular season game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7, the situation had been getting more and more serious. There had been some ups and downs during that time, but overall, the team's stability was slowly fading. The wins in the past few weeks were nowhere near as easy as the scores showed.
What's more, the media's strategy of excessive praise was creating obstacles, not giving the team and players any breathing room.
Now, Lu Ke finally understood why the 2007 New England Patriots' undefeated season was almost impossible to replicate, and why the 2011 Green Bay Packers, who had a 15-1 record last year, had such a significant drop in performance this season.
It's worth mentioning that even the Packers lost a game after winning 13 in a row, and it was a strange loss to the average Kansas City Chiefs. But Lu Ke wouldn't call it "strange," because it's an almost impossible task to maintain a high level of performance for an entire season. One small mistake in a detail could lead to the first loss.
The same was true for this game against the New Orleans Saints. If Lu Ke hadn't been successful on one of the third downs, or if Frank Gore's red-zone run had been a half-step slower, or if the 49ers' red-zone defense had missed one tackle, the result could have been completely different.
Details. Fleeing details, which seem insignificant in a long season, are precisely the key to a continuous winning streak.
Just look at the Saints; they are the most direct proof of this. But the 49ers are not the Saints, and they are not the 2007 Patriots or the 2011 Packers. Taking a long breath, Lu Ke temporarily put all his worries and pressure aside.
Last week, Lu Ke decided, "Instead of looking back and forth, it's better to go all in."
For the entire team, an 11-game winning streak was a new experience. Everyone was crossing the river by feeling the stones—except for Randy Moss. So, all the worries and fears came from speculations about a future that hadn't happened yet. Maybe it would happen, or maybe it wouldn't exist at all. So, it was better to calm down and enjoy every day of this journey.
Lu Ke and Drew Brees stayed on the field to chat. Most of the players from both teams had already left. When Lu Ke came back to his senses, most of the fans had also left the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The silence after the excitement made Lu Ke's mood calm down.
Taking a deep breath, Lu Ke began to walk back to the visiting team's locker room.
They had won another game today, and now it was time to celebrate. The troubles and worries of the next game could be dealt with tomorrow.
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome was originally named the Louisiana Superdome. It's a historic stadium that was built in 1971 and officially opened in 1975. However, in 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the entire city and the stadium. It was later rebuilt for $190 million and looked brand new again.
At the end of last year, Mercedes-Benz officially became the stadium's first title sponsor. It's rumored that Mercedes-Benz is planning to further renovate the stadium, hoping to turn it into one of the top stadiums in the league and apply to host the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft to further increase its value.
Now, the visiting team's locker room is brand new, with a wide and bright hallway, walls with alternating white and dark blue, floor tiles with emerald green and ivory white, and tall, majestic black doors. Every corner and every detail exuded a new and youthful vibe. In comparison, Candlestick Park, which was built more than 60 years ago and has never been renovated, seemed "historical."
Walking through it, the feeling was truly different.
Lu Ke walked back to the locker room with light steps, showered, and changed his clothes. After making sure his helmet was handed over to Brees, he went to the media room to answer questions as usual.
As expected, all the media outlets praised him. First, he beat the Bears' defense, and then he beat the Saints' offense. The 49ers were truly showing their strength and were deservedly the top team in the entire league.
Harry Waynes even started asking, "Which AFC team do you hope to face in the Super Bowl? The Denver Broncos?"
The Broncos were indeed impressive this season.
After the season started, they had a record of two wins and three losses in their first five games, which was not satisfactory. But a closer analysis showed that:
The three losses were to the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, and New England Patriots—three teams that had been performing at a top level this season. The losses were not an unacceptable result. What's more, at that time, Peyton Manning, who had just recovered from an injury, was still in the process of getting used to the team. His mistakes were far more than expected, and he needed time to adjust.
As expected, after Week 6 of the regular season, after a bye week, the Broncos went on a strong five-game winning streak. Their average score in those five games was 33.2. Manning made a strong comeback and completely dominated the offense. He not only showed his ability as a tactical master, but the passing accuracy that people were worried about was also perfectly resolved.
Manning slightly raised the release point of his passes and tried to increase the arc as much as possible, using the parabola to complete long passes and relieve the pressure on his shoulder and neck. This change in technique had a miraculous effect. Now, with Manning at the helm, the Broncos have tied the Patriots' record and are second only to the Texans. Their record is tied for second in the AFC, but they are currently the third seed due to tiebreakers.
In other words, the Broncos are definitely a team that cannot be underestimated in the AFC this year. Considering Lu Ke's undisguised admiration for Manning, the media began to build up the hype. "If there's a 'Lu Ke vs. Manning' matchup in the Super Bowl, it would be a beautiful sight."
As expected, the strategy of excessive praise continued.
If it were an ordinary player, they would have probably gotten carried away by now, but Lu Ke was different.
First, he's still Chinese at heart, and the humble and low-key Eastern culture flows in his blood. Second, from the time he immigrated at the age of eight to standing on the NFL field, Lu Ke had gone through countless ups and downs. Compared to others, he was more composed because he knew that all the glory was not given to him but was earned by himself.
So, not only was Lu Ke not getting carried away, but he also became more vigilant.
However, when facing the media's strategy, Lu Ke had already found a way to handle it.
Lu Ke responded with a calm and humble tone, "I have a lot of respect for Peyton, but the truth is, both he and I are still a long way from the Super Bowl. That's our shared goal, but to get there, we have to focus on the next game first. We can't get ahead of ourselves."
The reporters' questions were well-crafted, and Lu Ke's defense was great.
The back-and-forth between them made the interview lively. The press conference lasted for almost 40 minutes, and the reporters reluctantly allowed Lu Ke to leave.
But even after Lu Ke left, the reporters' excited chatter didn't stop because the 49ers' performance this season was truly amazing and had become the most noteworthy story of the 2012 season.
As the chatter behind him faded, Lu Ke's slightly tense shoulders finally relaxed. He returned to the locker room, thinking about what he should do on the plane back to San Francisco. Should he read the playbook or review the summary of the next game?
He pushed open the locker room door, and a hot, noisy wave of air rushed toward him. Caught off guard, Lu Ke didn't have time to react or figure out what was happening. He was completely stunned.
"Get out!"
"You son of a bitch! You're an arrogant jerk!"
"But I'm right! Can you deny it? Huh? Say something! Say something, dammit!"
"You lunatics! Are you serious? You can't be serious!"
"You have to admit it!"
"Damn! I can't believe my ears! I absolutely can't believe it!"
"Get out!"
"Fuck your mother!"
...
The chaotic arguing was impossible to follow. He could see countless figures pushing and shoving each other. Although no one had thrown a punch yet, he could already feel the violent and aggressive atmosphere spreading wildly. The spacious locker room felt cramped, and he could feel the tense air, which made his skin tighten.
There was no time.
A fight was about to break out!
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