Standing behind the 29-yard line, Lu Ke lined up in a pistol formation. This time, Frank Gore was to his left, with only about three yards separating them.
The cheers and shouts from the crowd were temporarily tuned out. Lu Ke's gaze intentionally lingered on Michael Bennett for a moment, then he quickly waved and called Logan Newman back.
Newman, who was originally five yards to the left of Chilo Rachal, now immediately shortened the distance and stood next to Rachal. The offensive line went from five men to six. On the side opposite Bennett, there was now an extra man in Newman, a tight end, which meant the strong side had a stronger offensive presence.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were clearly wary of Lu Ke's passing routes. The four defensive linemen and three linebackers in the first line of defense were spaced at least three yards apart, tightly covering the short-passing area. At the same time, they were in man-to-man coverage in the short-passing area, while the medium and long-passing areas were left to the safeties to execute a zone defense.
After the slight change in tactics, Lu Ke's gaze was still on Bennett. He lined up as if he was going to pass, then called the snap, but he handed the ball to Gore immediately. This play was similar to the first drive of the game but was more complex, an advanced version.
After receiving the ball, Gore keenly caught a slight gap between Mike Iupati and Anthony Davis. He lowered his center of gravity slightly, charged forward fiercely, and successfully tore open a narrow path, advancing the ball again.
However, this time Bennett and his teammates were highly focused. They quickly covered back, formed an encirclement, and stopped Gore in time, only allowing a three-yard gain and not losing any further yardage.
It was second-and-seven. Although the pocket collapsed faster than expected, Lu Ke still managed to throw the ball in time, finding Michael Crabtree in the crowd for a six-yard pass. After a successful catch, Crabtree couldn't advance much further and only sprinted for two yards. After getting the first down, he was stopped by two defenders.
With just two plays, Lu Ke could clearly feel that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive intensity was increasing. From run defense to pass defense and even the defensive line's impact, they were putting more pressure on the 49ers' offensive line. Although the pocket still wasn't broken, the increase in intensity made the game's rhythm tense.
In an NFL game, no team will surrender. Even the weakest team can cause trouble, and no victory is easily won. Clearly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were waking up and showing the strength of a team that was temporarily ranked first in the NFC South. At the very least, they wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
The San Francisco 49ers' offense continued the drive. It was first-and-ten. Lu Ke connected with Ted Ginn Jr. for a three-yard gain, after which Ginn was caught in an encirclement of three players.
It was second-and-seven. Gore's run couldn't advance and he crashed into a human wall. Against the thick human wall, no matter how hard Gore tried, he couldn't advance the ball and unfortunately didn't gain any yards.
It was third-and-seven. The Buccaneers' defensive line created a storm, constantly charging at the 49ers' offensive line. In the rapidly collapsing pocket, Lu Ke found Logan Newman and completed a six-yard pass, but as soon as Newman caught the ball, he was held tightly by two defenders and couldn't move an inch.
After the referee watched the replay, it was confirmed that he was still one yard short.
After a discussion, the San Francisco 49ers' coaching staff decided to punt the ball. So, unexpectedly but logically, they had their first three-and-out of the game.
Not just Lu Ke, but the other offensive players also felt that they were suddenly hit head-on. The opponent's defensive rhythm had suddenly increased, and their preparation was slightly insufficient.
"Welcome to the NFL," Lu Ke said with a half-joking tone, clapping his hands to get his teammates' attention. This gradually eased the tense atmosphere, and the feelings of shock and panic quietly disappeared.
They realized that this was the normal rhythm of the game. The smooth sailing earlier was just an illusion. It was absolutely impossible to expect the Buccaneers to surrender. But at the same time, they didn't need to panic. The Buccaneers' performance was still within expectations, and there was nothing to be surprised about. They just had to pull themselves together and put in 100% effort to win.
After a chaotic and intense battle, the game finally returned to a more normal pace. But it was still not the pace the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had hoped for.
Josh Freeman, who led the offense back on the field, got a quick three-and-out. With one run for four yards and two incomplete passes, the Buccaneers had barely struggled before possession returned to the San Francisco 49ers.
However, Lu Ke, who was back on the field, also faced a difficult situation. He had one incomplete pass and one five-yard pass to Kyle Williams. Before the third-down play could even start, the first quarter ended. The San Francisco 49ers still had a 14-0 lead at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the second quarter, facing a third-and-five, Lu Ke immediately completed a 16-yard pass, accurately finding Crabtree. Using his positional advantage, Crabtree made a successful catch and continued to advance for a short distance. However, the San Francisco 49ers still couldn't score. After getting another first down, they were hit with a three-and-out in their own half and had to punt.
Throughout the defense, Michael Bennett, who had gotten into a rhythm, was absolutely the center of attention. Lu Ke's only incomplete pass so far was forced by Bennett breaking through the pocket, which made him throw a hurried pass that was slightly off the intended trajectory and flew out of Ginn's reach.
Bennett was making the most of his strength and blitzing ability.
From a statistical point of view, with no sacks, no tackles, only one hurried throw, and one run stop, his performance seemed lackluster. But in the actual game, Bennett was causing countless problems for Iupati and Rachal. Even when Bennett couldn't get through the offensive line, the pocket was still full of danger.
If not for Iupati's outstanding and heroic performance, Bennett's stats would definitely be higher than they were.
On the other hand, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense was also facing a difficult situation.
Josh Freeman had found some rhythm, but he still couldn't sustain it. Yellow flags flying all over the place at crucial moments interrupted the game again and again. At least twice, the Buccaneers got a first down, but a self-inflicted, unnecessary penalty from their offense ruined it. The atmosphere on the field gradually became tense.
Forward, backward. Forward again, backward again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offensive rhythm was completely drained in this back-and-forth struggle. In the end, they were hit with another three-and-out and still couldn't advance to field goal range, handing over possession to their opponents. The entire game had become a stage for the defenses to perform.
"Once again, Bennett has done a good job. He successfully tackled Frank Gore and pushed him behind the line of scrimmage, which caused the San Francisco 49ers to not only fail to gain any yards but also lose two yards. Now they are facing a difficult second-and-twelve," Kirk said, simply describing the situation on the field.
Then, Kirk concluded, "The Buccaneers are gradually finding their defensive rhythm. They are fully utilizing their blitzing strength and run-stopping ability, forcing Lu Ke to pass the ball. This has also caused the 49ers' smooth offense to be interrupted repeatedly. It's clear that the game is really starting to get good."
For neutral commentators, such a game was naturally the best, full of sparks and excitement. But for the offensive players on the field, they had to find a way to break the stalemate, continue the team's momentum, and keep scoring.
The game hadn't even reached halftime yet. Hoping to hold on to a victory by relying on the defense this early was not the attitude the offense should have.
"Guys, we're doing a great job. Trust me, what we need now is to be tough and stick to our rhythm." Lu Ke clenched his fists tightly. His gaze finally fell on Iupati and Rachal. In today's game, the blind side had only been breached once. The intensity of the two players' matchups was beyond imagination, and their performance was eye-opening. "Can you guys still hold up?"
Iupati was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. He didn't say a word, but he gave an "OK" gesture. Rachal, who was standing next to him, also nodded heavily. Even without words, his gaze remained sharp enough.
Without any more words, the play call was made according to the coach's plan. It was still a short passing play with four open targets. Crabtree and Newman had a positional advantage, while Ginn and Williams' speed could create open spaces. In addition, Gore was also a potential receiving target.
"Set, hut!"
It was still the familiar pistol formation. After receiving the football with both hands, Lu Ke took a quick step back and looked up to observe the different receiving targets, scanning from right to left. Gore, who was on his right, also ran out quickly. All the defenders were following the 49ers' receivers, and a large open space appeared in the short-passing area. Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Ke immediately saw an unguarded Gore.
However, before Lu Ke could raise his right hand, he noticed that the entire pocket was collapsing quickly, and the speed of the collapse was far beyond what he had imagined.
A blitz.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had truly started to blitz, maximizing the literal meaning of the tactic. They were as fast as lightning and as fierce as tigers!
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