Chapter 1071: A Head-on Counterattack
Logan Newman stumbled his way into the end zone. His chaotic steps were almost impossible to maintain. He tried his best to straighten his knees and control his balance, but he still tumbled and rolled into the end zone. All his attention was focused on his hands, protecting the football tightly.
The collision from behind was exceptionally fierce. Logan could even feel his internal organs churning. It felt as if he would start to vomit if he relaxed his jaw even for a moment. The football, held tightly in his arms, was no help. The hard ball was hitting his stomach and chest.
But Logan still didn't relax at all. His muscles were so tense that they were about to explode. The burst of adrenaline made him enjoy every bit of it. He savored moments like this.
The collision was over, and the push was over. Logan, with the forward momentum, did a forward roll to unload most of the force. Then, in the midst of the chaos, he looked for the referee. His blurry vision could only see large figures, and then the cheers and shouts from the fans came like a downpour. He knew he had scored a touchdown.
Logan scrambled to his feet and once again made his signature move: he opened his arms, keeping them parallel to his legs, and stood straight, facing the field like a Super Saiyan who had just transformed. He started to roar loudly, "Ah! Ahhh!"
This wasn't a release of emotion, but a show of force!
The San Francisco 49ers' offense in the first quarter couldn't be called bad. All the players were in their best state, but the rhythm never quite clicked. It was like a gear missing lubricant, moving forward with a lot of bumps and stutters. But when compared to the opponent's superhuman performance, they looked lackluster. The score gap was even more glaring.
Now, they finally scored a touchdown.
Logan's exhilarating release of emotion was like a declaration: "This game has just begun! Are you ready?"
It wasn't just Logan. All his teammates on offense were celebrating with clenched fists. It was because of the touchdown, and more so because the rhythm of the entire offense had finally returned. Even the defensive and special teams players on the sidelines sighed with relief. The offense was the soul of the entire team. They needed Lu Ke to lead the offense from the front; otherwise, it would be difficult to break the stalemate.
The fans inside Candlestick Park also began to celebrate, constantly shouting Logan's name and welcoming the offense's return to form with cheers and shouts.
Logan was ecstatic. He ran wildly toward Lu Ke. "How was it? How was it?!"
His bright eyes, shining like stars through the helmet, showed a childlike desire for recognition and a performance. This made Lu Ke burst into laughter.
This season, Logan's form had also fluctuated, and he had even suffered a concussion. The 49ers' receiving corps had also faced several crises. But now, at a crucial moment, it was Logan who stepped up. The passing chemistry between Lu Ke and Logan was still the team's strongest weapon.
"You're the man!" Lu Ke gave him a thumbs-up without hesitation, giving Logan his affirmation.
Logan immediately folded his arms and cocked his chin proudly, showing off to his teammates. He seemed to be saying, "Even Bambi agrees. How about that? Am I good? I'm so good!"
This showboating was met with a slap on the back of his helmet from Moss. "Get off the field. The special teams are waiting to kick the extra point. Don't get a delay of game penalty!"
All the teammates burst into laughter, pushing the bewildered Logan off the field.
"First and 15, standing near the midfield line, Lu Ke chose a surprise deep pass without any warning. The accurate and on-point pass took full advantage of the play design. The seemingly simple route completely tore apart the opponent's secondary coverage. A 33-yard deep pass accurately found the team's number one receiver, Logan Newman. A fatal blow!"
"This is the Lu Ke we know!"
"After the line of scrimmage reached midfield, the entire half of the field became Lu Ke's attack range. He could hit any spot he wanted, and it was almost impossible to defend. This ability is a nightmare for a defensive team! Thomas DeCoud and William Moore's coverage didn't have any major mistakes, but Lu Ke still found an open spot. The defensive task is truly too heavy."
"After two drives of adjustments in the first quarter, Lu Ke finally found the offense's rhythm in the second quarter. Now the Atlanta Falcons' defense will face a super difficult problem, which is also a problem that all teams in the regular season must think about:
How to defend Lu Ke's deep pass? Or more accurately, how to break the 49ers' offensive plan when facing a Lu Ke in his peak form?"
"The excitement of the game is rising. Wow, the matchup between the NFC's number one and number two seeds is indeed full of countless unknowns on every single play."
As David Akers kicked the extra point, the score was now 7-17. The scoreboard was finally getting closer.
The pressure was now on the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan stood on the sidelines, calmly flipping through his playbook, seriously preparing for the next drive.
Ryan is known as "Ice Matt" because he is calm and composed during a game, at least on the surface. He doesn't show his panic to his opponents. What's more, the 49ers have only completed one touchdown. The advantage is still on their side, so there's no need to be nervous.
When Ryan led the offense onto the field again, the atmosphere of the game became more intense. Both the offense and the defense knew the importance of this drive. The score was important, but the momentum was even more important. Both sides wanted to gain the upper hand, put pressure on the opponent, and seize the initiative.
As a result, holding and other flags for penalties started to appear more frequently, and both sides were doing it.
The result of the frequent flags was that the clash between offense and defense became disjointed. The referee became the main character on the field. Both sides were constantly committing penalties, and in the back and forth, the Falcons' offense stubbornly stayed on the field, advancing step by step.
The 49ers' defense clearly improved their quality. The front-line pressure gradually showed its power.
Matt Ryan was in a precarious situation in the pocket. With two sacks, two hurried throws, and one effective hit, Ryan's feet were like a small dinghy, fiercely bobbing up and down in the stormy seas. It seemed he could be flipped over at any moment, but he gritted his teeth and held on. This ability alone showed Ryan's skill level.
As a result, the 49ers' defense was in a dangerous position. They needed to apply pressure, and they continued to apply pressure. It looked like they could completely crush the opponent, but they were just one step away.
As the saying goes, "strike while the iron is hot, or the momentum will fade, and a third strike will be futile." If the attacking side fails to break through after repeated attempts, the momentum might be completely lost, and they might face a complete collapse. But if they can break the formation with force, victory will be within reach. The 49ers' defense was in this very situation.
There was no turning back now. The more the stalemate, the more effort they had to put in.
After another holding penalty, the Atlanta Falcons faced a difficult second and 20 situation. After the snap, the 49ers only sent three defensive linemen to rush, but it had a magical effect. Justin Smith, with his absolute strength, tore open the opponent's pocket protection and charged toward Matt Ryan.
Ryan was almost hanging by a thread, but at a crucial moment, he used a fake step to avoid Justin's certain sack. He didn't completely get away, but he created a mismatch. Then he quickly threw the football, finding wide receiver Roddy White, number 84, and was then tackled to the ground by Justin.
Roddy White was a first-round rookie for the Atlanta Falcons in 2005, with the 27th pick. After several years in the league, he started to shine in 2008. After that, he was selected to the Pro Bowl for four consecutive years. His form this year has slightly declined, especially since Julio Jones has stolen the spotlight, but he is still a reliable receiver for the Falcons.
At this time, Julio, with his own strength, drew the coverage of a linebacker and a safety in the middle. In a second-and-long situation, he was clearly the best choice to break the stalemate. At the same time, Roddy, after his cross route, was in a one-on-one matchup with cornerback Chris Gholston.
Roddy used a forward run to make Gholston move back, then he used an emergency brake to turn around. In a space of less than three yards, he successfully caught Ryan's pass. Although Gholston immediately recovered and pushed Roddy out of bounds, he still successfully got a first down.
This was a 22-yard deep pass!
In an extremely dangerous situation, Ryan also showed his courage and deep-passing ability. He accurately and precisely caught the 49ers' defense's eagerness and patiently and fiercely looked for an open spot. He completed the pass and gained yards, using his toughness to break the stalemate.
In the next drive, Julio's pressure created space for tight end Tony Gonzalez, who completed two important catches of more than ten yards in a row, reviving the Falcons' offense and keeping it going. Then, Gonzalez, with Julio, completed a beautiful pick-and-roll, and after he ran into open space, Ryan immediately threw the football to Gonzalez.
Gonzalez's feet were already at the front of the end zone, and two safeties were blocking him. He used his body to break through from the front, forcefully squeezing into the end zone:
Touchdown!
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
On Patreon, you can explore Extra Chapters in advance!