"Wow! After a loss, the San Francisco 49ers have a completely new look in today's game, and they successfully advanced 33 yards with a running play on the first down! Nice! In the past four games, the team has relied entirely on the passing game to move the ball forward, but today they have opened up the running game, which is truly eye-opening."
In the broadcast booth, Teddy didn't hide his amazement and praise. He then gave a further assessment from a neutral point of view. "In the first wave of defense, the Buccaneers weren't able to show enough toughness or apply enough pressure. If it weren't for the two safeties recovering in time, the consequences would have been even more terrible."
"This is indeed unexpected." Kirk also agreed. "But if you watch the replay, you can see that before the snap, Lu Ke, with his defensive reads, interpreted the opponent's intention to blitz from both sides. He then changed the play and, with a mismatch and a smart move, successfully opened up a channel in the middle, and Gore ran through it."
Finally, Kirk concluded, "This rookie quarterback is still showing good form today."
Just in the time it took to speak, another cheer came from the field. Kirk and Teddy were caught off guard and quickly switched to the live broadcast, but they missed the beginning and only saw the end.
Frank Gore had the ball again. At the 33-yard line, he was tackled by two players, stopped, and taken down.
After getting up, Gore imitated King Kong, constantly beating his chest with his fists and roaring wildly. The aggressive and powerful roar instantly ignited the passion of the crowd. The roaring cheers exploded, and the entire Candlestick Park was once again in a frenzy.
"What happened? What exactly happened on the field? The San Francisco 49ers chose to run the ball again, and Frank Gore ran for another 14 yards, not only successfully getting a first down but also leading the team's offense to the 33-yard line. The running game, which had been struggling for the past four weeks, has now had two big-yardage plays in a row since the start of the game. What in the world is going on?"
Amidst Teddy's exclamations, Fox immediately showed a replay.
In the video, after the snap, Lu Ke didn't choose to pass or hand off the ball immediately. Instead, he moved quickly to the right side with Gore's protection. The entire offensive line moved sideways like a shield, and the entire San Francisco 49ers offense swept forward like a fortress.
The sideways movement's mismatch prevented the defensive line's vertical blitz and completely disrupted all the defensive assignments in the short-pass area. At the same time, Lu Ke turned around and handed the ball to Gore.
After Gore hit the brakes and stopped, he quickly broke through to the left. After getting out of a tackle from an outside linebacker, he continued to push forward like a hot knife through butter. The Buccaneers' entire defensive formation was in shambles and couldn't keep up. In the end, the two safeties and a cornerback in the secondary had to close the encirclement to make the tackle.
With two consecutive running plays, the defensive line and linebackers, who were responsible for stopping the run, couldn't stop Gore's run. He broke for big yardage twice, truly getting into his rhythm. The powerful, bulldozer-like running plays ignited a tsunami of cheers in the stadium, and the entire crowd went wild.
"Once, twice, three times! The San Francisco 49ers' running back, Frank Gore, is on fire today! Once again, he broke three tackles and successfully advanced 13 yards!" While watching the replay, Teddy couldn't help but get excited. The powerful running and flexible footwork were the best examples of the combination of power and grace in football!
Gore, in "Beast Mode," ignited a heatwave in the stadium with his strong and fierce performance when everyone was still getting settled.
This version of the San Francisco 49ers was truly unfamiliar.
"Amazing, this is truly amazing!" Kirk's eyes widened in disbelief at what had just happened.
Kirk further analyzed, "In both plays, Lu Ke showed amazing maturity and intelligence. With an accurate defensive read, he completely disrupted the Buccaneers' play calls and rhythm, and he unexpectedly opened up the game with a running play. He didn't even use much effort, and they've already reached the red zone. This isn't the first time I've said this, and it won't be the last. Is Lu Ke really a rookie? This game has been exciting from the start!"
The cheers and shouts were endless. With two consecutive running plays that broke through the defense, all the fans exploded with excitement. The entire Candlestick Park was filled with a festive atmosphere, but Lu Ke, who had orchestrated the two running plays, was still calm and collected, with a fierce look in his eyes.
A touchdown, that was Lu Ke's goal.
"Hurry, hurry!" Lu Ke waved his hands quickly, motioning for his teammates to gather around him. His expression was focused and meticulous. "We need to snap the ball quickly, speed up the tempo, and use a multi-route formation. Pay attention to the vacuum between the short and medium passes. Any questions?"
Noticing Gore, who had returned to the huddle, Lu Ke patted his shoulder in encouragement. For a quarterback, if the running game can open up the field, the pressure to pass is greatly reduced. In the last two plays, the offensive line played a crucial role in clearing the way, and Gore proved his strength with his excellent performance.
Even Lu Ke was amazed at Gore's running.
Then, Lu Ke's focused gaze turned to his teammates. He clenched his fist tightly. "Let's speed up the tempo as much as possible. They can't keep up now. All we need to do is keep our own rhythm, push forward, and knock them all down for a touchdown!" Finally, Lu Ke held out his right hand and placed it in the center. "Listen to me. On the count of three, we all shout touchdown!"
"One! Two! Three!"
"Touchdown!"
Then, without any more unnecessary chatter, all the players scattered and returned to their positions.
The multi-route formation is mainly used for passing plays.
Generally, there are three receivers on one side and one on the other. The focus of the pass is shifted to the side with three receivers, and the players on the other side can often create an open space by running different routes. If that doesn't work, they can rely on the three players to block for each other, disrupt the opponent's defensive formation, and complete the pass.
In the past few games, Lu Ke had used this passing formation multiple times and had great success.
After lining up, Lu Ke carefully examined the Buccaneers' defensive formation. On the right side, where there were three receivers, they had three players on defense: a cornerback, an outside linebacker, and a defensive end. This was man-to-man coverage.
On the left side, where Michael Crabtree was alone, there was a cornerback, but there was a lot of space between the cornerback and Crabtree. It was not man-to-man coverage but a zone defense, trying to cover the routes Crabtree might run in the short and medium pass areas. As for the deep-pass area, it was left to the two safeties, who were about ten yards behind and ready to fill in at any time.
After two consecutive run-defense errors, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense made adjustments. While still covering the passing routes tightly, the entire defensive line and linebackers retreated slightly, focusing more on short passes and run defense, which weakened their blitzing power. The cornerback on the left in zone defense was also a run support player to prevent Gore from breaking for big yardage again.
Lu Ke's mind was calmer than ever. He wasn't arrogant because of the success of the two running plays, nor was he distracted by the cheers of the home fans. After making a split-second decision, he immediately called the snap. "Set, hut!"
Instantly, the four receivers shot out like arrows from a bow.
On the right side, Kyle Williams and Ted Ginn Jr. ran with their heads down, without any changes in their routes, just running in a straight line. The two players in man-to-man coverage followed closely, doing their best to stay with them.
Logan Newman, who was on the right side near the offensive line, and Michael Crabtree, who was on the left side, both started at the same time.
Newman ran a route from the right side to the left, running straight toward the cornerback on the left side, like a blender, stirring up all the players in the short and medium pass areas. Crabtree, on the other hand, ran a route from the left side to the right. With just a straight sprint, a large open area appeared in front of him.
All Crabtree had to do was adjust his steps, turn his body, and get ready to catch the ball. He even had time to see the moment Lu Ke threw the ball. Then, the next moment, the ball landed firmly between his hands. He caught it with a gentle motion, and the catch was completed. It was crisp, simple, and took almost no effort.
"The San Francisco 49ers' offense lined up quickly, leaving little room to breathe. They chose a multi-route formation, seemingly setting up for a pass, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to make a corresponding defensive adjustment, but... snap! Lu Ke has snapped the ball!"
Troy's eyes were wide with concentration, staring intently at all the changes on the field. He then delivered the play-by-play commentary nonstop.
"Two players chose to run a straight route, and two players chose a shallow crossing route, completing a crossover run in the short-pass area! Open! A gap has appeared in the Buccaneers' defense! The communication between the cornerback and the safety had a problem. There was a disconnect in their defense. There's not a single defender in the entire middle and left area! A huge gap has appeared in front of them, and both players who ran the shallow crossing route are wide open!"
Troy involuntarily raised his chin. "Lu Ke, pass, throw! Crabtree is standing in an open area and completes the catch with ease, without any interference! It's a pass of about seven yards to the right, but it's not over yet. The whole field is open, and Crabtree is now running with the ball!"
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