Patrick Willis ran into defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the parking lot. Both of them looked surprised to see each other there. Fangio spoke first, "What are you doing here? Won't Julie be mad? It's a rare day off, and I'm sure she wants you to spend time with the kids."
Julie was Willis's wife. Willis shrugged and said helplessly, "I was just loafing around at home all day yesterday. Julie said my mood was bad and kicked me out. She thought I'd be a bad influence on the kids' studies if I stayed home."
As a veteran player in the league, he was used to losing. Hadn't the San Francisco 49ers lost enough games in the past few years? But this time, it felt a little different. He could feel the low morale within the team, a sense of unwillingness that lingered. Even at home, his mind kept replaying clips from that game. His wife noticed his distraction and "kicked" him out.
"What about you?" Willis asked in return. Fangio let out a long sigh. "I'm studying the game footage. It's not just the offense's problem. Our defense also had serious issues against Joe Flacco. Jim was here at the facility yesterday, and I came today to meet with him." The defense wasn't the 49ers' strong suit, but they were still crucial for winning games.
Clearly, this loss, or rather, these two consecutive losses, had a far greater impact on the team than they had imagined. In a way, this was a good thing because everyone was hungry for a win and couldn't stand the shock of a loss. Willis and Fangio exchanged a look, then walked toward the practice field one after the other.
From a distance, they saw several of their colleagues standing at the entrance to the practice field: offensive coordinator Craig Roman, quarterbacks coach Kip Crist, and offensive line coaches Mike Solari and Tim Drevno. The group was standing around, not going in, looking as if they were watching something exciting.
"What's going on?" Fangio walked up and asked, but he didn't need an answer. He looked out at the practice field and was stunned. He reflexively turned to Willis and asked, "Did you know about this?" Willis was confused and followed him, then saw what was happening on the field: There were more than twenty people scattered in different parts of the field. Some were slowly warming up, some were doing contact drills, and others were doing assisted training in pairs. The entire field was full of energy and life. The vibrant scene was even more beautiful than the weak winter sun in the morning.
Twenty-plus players was less than half of the team's 53-man roster, not including the practice squad members. The large practice field looked a little sparse, but every corner of his vision was filled. The vibrant atmosphere was palpable, even from outside the field. This was Saturday, a day off for the team. There was still a long time before the next game. For the coaching staff, their biggest worry was the players getting into trouble off the field. Forget about major incidents; even just casual drinking and partying, breaking the rules of the regular season, and affecting their performance in later games was enough to cause a headache. But who would have thought that the players wouldn't be indulging and relaxing? Instead, they had come to the training facility on their own, fully committed to training. The sight was surprising and heartwarming.
Willis's mouth was slightly agape. He tried to say something, but no words came out. He had been in the league for five seasons, but honestly, he had never seen a scene like this. He had never felt such focus, such dedication, such a hunger for victory, and such discipline for their careers. It was truly an eye-opener.
"I didn't know," Willis said, spreading his hands. As the captain of the defense, he had never heard about today's practice, and he could see many defensive players on the field: Colin Jones, Reggie Smith, NaVorro Bowman. It was truly unexpected. He shook his head again. "I... I don't know, really, I don't know."
Willis and Fangio's eyes turned back to the practice field. The team in front of them was so familiar, yet so unfamiliar. Offensive line coach Mike Solari said, "I just asked the security guard, and he said the first one to arrive at the training facility today was Lu Ke. He showed up around five o'clock."
"That's not surprising," Craig Roman said casually, already used to Lu Ke's diligence. "But... what's... what's all this about?" Lu Ke's presence was normal, but what about the other players? What was going on with them? No one could give an answer, not even Willis.
Two days ago, after losing the game, the atmosphere within the entire team was terrible. Not to mention Lu Ke's angry outburst in the locker room, the silent tension on the plane was suffocating. They were even avoiding each other's eyes, let alone talking. Everyone put on headphones, shutting out all distractions and immersing themselves in their own worlds. But two days later, a peaceful scene had reappeared at the training facility. What had happened?
"I'm not surprised," Kip suddenly said, and all eyes turned to him. "Have you heard a funny story? In the training camp before his senior year, Lu Ke and the backup quarterback on the team got into a physical altercation, which made the coach furious."
"It was because Lu Ke was like a madman. He treated simple, routine drills like the last offensive drive of the Super Bowl, giving it his all. In the eyes of the starters, Lu Ke was a lunatic, constantly showing off his diligence and dedication. This not only made the starters uncomfortable but also bothered the other practice squad players, because the coaches were always praising Lu Ke, which made the other practice players have to work harder."
Kip's words echoed softly. The coaches looked at the practice field again, their eyes on Lu Ke, who was focused on a contact drill. This wasn't a quarterback's routine training, but to avoid contact and better protect themselves from sacks, quarterbacks were also required to participate in some of these drills. The scene reminded them of the nine sacks in the last game. Everyone thought that the physically frail Lu Ke would definitely get injured, but he didn't. Without anyone realizing it, Lu Ke's physical fitness had slowly but effectively improved.
This was the undrafted rookie, the undrafted rookie who was criticized by countless people. He had grown up right under their noses, one step at a time. Looking back at the past few months of training, they knew that none of this had come out of nowhere. Kip didn't continue. He started and ended abruptly, but the answer seemed to have jumped out.
All along, Lu Ke had been working tirelessly and persistently, integrating himself into the team in his own way. When faced with doubt and provocation, his actions always spoke louder than his words. Training was always more important than conflict. When faced with failure and setbacks, he was always the one who refused to give up and refused to compromise, both in practice and in games.
Twelve weeks into the regular season, the locker room had undergone a major change, but it wasn't until after the Thursday night game that Lu Ke complained, criticized, got angry, and lost control for the first time. He had always led by example, proving himself with his actions and leading the team to victory one step at a time.
After losing a game with three interceptions, Lu Ke bravely took responsibility. In a press conference, he took all the blame, refused to criticize his teammates, and said that he had to continue to work hard and learn. After a painful loss with nine sacks, Lu Ke still didn't have a temper tantrum—at least not in front of the media. He sincerely said that no one likes to lose and that they had to study this loss carefully to get back up from where they fell.
After two consecutive losses, the person with the most pressure on the entire team wasn't Jim Harbaugh, it was Lu Ke. Because he was a Chinese player, because he was an undrafted rookie, and because his resume was so thin, he was like a natural scapegoat. All the blame could be easily pushed onto him. But the first person to stand up again, face the loss, and move forward was still Lu Ke. There was one word to describe a player like that: a leader. A true team leader leads the team out of the mud and back on track with his actions and his mental strength.
Willis suddenly smiled for no reason. He finally knew what his unease and anxiety were all about. Even after five years in the league, this loss still kept him up at night and made him restless. Now, he finally had a reason. The practice field in front of him was the answer. Without saying anything, Willis turned and started walking. Fangio noticed his movement and asked loudly, "Patrick? Where are you going?"
"Locker room. To train," Willis answered simply without turning back. Even the younger players had started practicing. As the captain of the defense, he had to hurry up, or he would fall behind. The next game was not for a three-game losing streak; victory was their only goal. The coaches standing there looked at each other, a mix of emotions stirring in their chests. The two offensive line coaches, in particular, had a somewhat bitter smile on their faces.
"Well, should we start working, too? Otherwise, I think I'll be lost for words in tomorrow's tactical meeting," Kip said with a smile. Solari was the first to respond, "What are we waiting for? Let's go! We have to step on the gas, too."
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