Time flies. After the regular season started, time seemed to move at high speed. Wednesday's official media day seemed like it was just yesterday. Lu Ke was the focus of all the reporters' pursuit, but they came back empty-handed, not digging up any juicy stories. The expressions of disappointment and frustration on their faces were still vivid. In the blink of an eye, game day arrived again.
On October 9, at 1:05 PM Pacific Time, the San Francisco 49ers' home game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was scheduled to start on time at Candlestick Park.
The team bus was slowly driving toward the stadium. The players, according to their habits, were getting ready for the game. Inevitably, a tense atmosphere began to permeate. It had nothing to do with the loss in the previous game. It's like this before every game. The more urgent the desire for victory, the more intense the tight atmosphere becomes.
"Logan, sorry, just one more question..." Mike Iupati lowered his voice and patted Logan's shoulder. He pointed to Lu Ke, who was sitting by the window, and said with an apologetic face. Then he saw Lu Ke turn his head, and Iupati quickly asked, "We just said that if his fingers make this gesture, it's an inside blitz. But what's the gesture for a run defense again?"
Since the gathering on Tuesday, a trend of studying the playbook had started within the offense. They studied the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the previous three games, and then the Buccaneers' last two games. They were getting to know their opponents better and better, but the complex tactical changes were getting more and more overwhelming. Their minds had limited space, and they would get confused if they weren't careful.
Not everyone can get a perfect score on the Wonderlic test.
"Mike, Mike!" Lu Ke stopped Iupati repeatedly and motioned for him to put his hands down. "In the game, not to mention whether we have time to observe so many details, even if we do, if your attention is constantly wandering, your reaction speed will slow down. We explained those hand gestures as a supplement. If you catch a glimpse of it, it's a reminder, but it's okay if you can't remember. In the end, the tactics change with every down."
In the game, the offensive line and the defensive line are facing each other, so they can see each other clearly. Before the snap, the linemen on both sides have their own habitual movements, such as a change in the hand gestures they use to support their bodies or a shift in their body weight and gaze. These habits often inadvertently reveal their tactical strategies.
Why is watching game film so important? This is one of the reasons. A thorough understanding of the opponent, and a complete analysis of the opponent, can often work wonders in a split second during a game.
But the side effect is getting stuck in the details, like Iupati was now.
Seeing Iupati's dazed look, Lu Ke thought for a moment. "Ultimately, the crux of the tactics is Michael Bennett. Use your intuition to judge Bennett's movements and posture. Staring at him will often have an unexpected effect. If these gestures are too complicated, it's better to just forget them."
Michael Bennett, an undrafted rookie in 2009, is a defensive tackle.
The reason he went undrafted was that Bennett's performance in college was inconsistent, and he couldn't maintain a high level of play. After going undrafted, Bennett entered the Seattle Seahawks through a tryout and was converted to a defensive end. Unfortunately, a month into the season, he was cut and then came to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he settled in and returned to the defensive tackle position.
This season, Bennett was once again playing defensive end, and with his blitzing and sacking ability, he became a key part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense's comeback.
In the team's "4-3" scheme, blitzing and stopping the run are their strengths. But because the team's other three defensive ends are rookies and the overall strength of the defensive tackles is relatively average and lacks highlights, Bennett is the core of their defense. His movements will determine whether the Buccaneers' defense will focus on blitzing the quarterback or stopping the run.
This was also the fifth consecutive week that the San Francisco 49ers had faced a team with a stronger run defense than a pass defense.
As the scouting report from the draft said, Bennett's performance in games is not very stable. It's not a huge fluctuation, but there are some ups and downs. The teammates he plays with on the defensive line are also not very stable, which makes the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense not as strong as people might think.
"Bennett, Bennett, Bennett." Lu Ke repeated a few times, and after seeing Iupati nod in confirmation, he continued, "For everything else, just follow the coach's plan. We'll improvise on the field. Don't get distracted."
The coaching staff knew about the rookie players' playbook study sessions, and they encouraged it. They were proactive in communicating with the players, but the rookies had a lot of limitations in terms of their big-picture view, tactical understanding, and adaptability. So in the end, they still needed to listen to the coach's advice and guidance.
Lu Ke never thought he was omnipotent. Not to mention the offensive line, even with the quarterback's playbook, he still had a lot to learn slowly.
Iupati didn't answer but just nodded vaguely, lost in his own thoughts, and didn't seem to fully understand. But then, his eyes widened, and he stared blankly out the window. He slowly opened his mouth, and his expression of astonishment was almost impossible to hide. Before Lu Ke and Logan could ask, a low murmur of commotion arose in the bus.
Lu Ke and Logan exchanged glances, and both of them turned their heads and looked in the direction Iupati was looking. Then they saw the vast red and gold ocean in front of them.
Large patches of red surged along the road of Candlestick Park, winding all the way toward the stadium. The occasional gold was faintly visible, scattered throughout, cleverly brightening the endless red and outlining a surge of commotion and excitement. You could almost hear the endless roar, as if standing at the mouth of a waterfall where a river flows into the sea. The powerful, majestic sound echoed in their eardrums for a long time.
Grand, magnificent, and spectacular.
What was even more astonishing was the countless red waves coming from all directions, like a continuous stream of water, flowing into the big river and creating a huge tidal wave. The green vegetation, blue sky, and white buildings in their field of vision gradually dissolved into the endless red, creating the optical illusion that all other colors were shrinking little by little. As a result, the whole world began to twist and turn.
It was unimaginable. Absolutely unimaginable.
This was the San Francisco 49ers' third home game of the 2011 season, but this was a sight that Lu Ke had never seen before. It wasn't just Lu Ke. Even veteran players like Patrick Willis and Alex Smith all showed expressions of shock and awe, staring at the grand sight in front of them without making a sound.
Candlestick Park like this had a power that made people's blood boil!
The team bus slowly moved forward. The dense crowd, like a tide, slowly parted to create a path. This scene inevitably reminded people of the biblical story where Moses raised his staff, parted the Red Sea, and led everyone across it.
In front of them was a red ocean, a real Red Sea. The team bus was like the Titanic, big and huge, yet so small on the vast ocean. It broke through the waves and moved forward slowly.
"49ers! Hey, 49ers! Go, go!"
"Go, guys, this week is all up to you!"
"Good job, brothers, nice!"
"Bambi! Bambi! Go, go, I believe in you!"
"Destroy the Bucs! Hurry, destroy them!"
...
A cacophony of cheers surged from all directions. People were enthusiastically slapping the side of the bus. The banging sound began to shake the whole ship, like a real storm. Excited and cheerful faces filled every corner of their vision. A surge of passion, excitement, and enthusiasm was surging throughout Candlestick Park.
In the dense crowd, Lu Ke caught sight of a skinny figure. He held up a homemade sign high in the air, making his way through the crowd with difficulty. He followed the bus's rhythm, trying not to fall behind, and kept waving the simple sign. He was shouting something, and his entire face was glowing with happiness.
Suddenly, the sign was right in front of Lu Ke's eyes: "Lu Ke, my hero! Please continue to lead the team forward!"
A faint feeling of emotion surged in his chest, but the next second, the skinny boy disappeared into the red ocean, becoming a drop in the vast sea. Only the simple sign was still waving above the heads of the crowd, showing stubborn and firm support.
"We are! Warriors!"
"We are! Warriors!"
"We are! Warriors!"
From outside the window, a passionate roar came from far away, attracting the attention of all the players. The player tunnel was not far away, and a large group of fans had gathered there. Red and red intertwined, making it impossible to tell the exact number of people, but they could see a huge crowd.
They raised their hands, clenched their fists, and shouted hoarsely and intimidatingly, "We are! Warriors!"
The back and forth, one after the other, truly unleashed the passion of warriors. The powerful blast of air rolled toward them, truly showing an iron-blooded toughness. It created wave after wave of sound in their ears, echoing endlessly. It seemed that even the ordinary-looking Candlestick Park had now lit a roaring torch that was enough to light up the whole sky, making the afternoon sun look dim in comparison.
This was a true home field!
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