The San Francisco 49ers shut out the St. Louis Rams at home and returned to their winning ways. But this didn't deter Charles Davis. His arrogance was completely unaffected, and he continued to express his disdain and contempt in a strong and firm manner. This attitude made Spencer Larson, who was sitting across from him, not know whether to laugh or cry.
There are some people who always have this ability: they ignore victories and magnify failures. When their team wins, if it's a crushing victory, it's because the opponent was too weak. If it's a hard-fought victory against a strong opponent, it's due to luck. When their team loses, if it's a close loss, it's because their fundamental strength wasn't good enough, which led to a small error. If it's a complete collapse, it's a natural result.
In short, this team is garbage and just not good enough. In Charles's eyes, the San Francisco 49ers were just such a team. No matter what, he just didn't like them, and he was completely unreasonable and specious.
But Spencer didn't intend to let Charles continue his nonsense. He leaned forward slightly and said seriously, "Are you sure? Just addition and subtraction? And within 100? Do we need to review the San Francisco 49ers' offensive stats? And Lu Ke's stats?"
Currently, the San Francisco 49ers' offense is still ranked second in the league. Even after two losses, the offense's stats are still impressive, only trailing the Green Bay Packers. Their scoring ability, offensive efficiency, and other stats are second to none. Similarly, Lu Ke is still one of the most outstanding quarterbacks in the league. His stats, such as touchdowns and completion percentage, are only behind Aaron Rodgers. His passing yards and passing attempts are behind Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, which is very impressive. In other words, the San Francisco 49ers still have one of the top offenses in the league.
Facing Spencer's "provocation," Charles didn't panic. Instead, he fought back directly without showing any weakness. "Of course, no problem. Then, let's first look at the game against the Cardinals, and then the one against the Ravens, okay? If we're going to discuss stats, we have to discuss them comprehensively, don't we?"
His confident demeanor choked Spencer up, which made Charles very satisfied. All season long, Spencer had been at odds with him, and most of the time, Charles was at a disadvantage and couldn't get the upper hand. Now that he finally had a chance, he wasn't going to let it go easily. So, Charles gloated and continued to talk nonstop: "We don't need to argue about these meaningless things. Stats are dead; people are alive. Let's look at the actual situation."
Charles adopted a fair and just posture, as if to say, "Let's talk about the facts." But before the 49ers' two-game losing streak, he was never willing to "talk about the facts."
"Defeating the St. Louis Rams isn't a victory worth showing off. I don't have any complaints about the Rams personally, but this season, their performance has been terrible. The other nine teams have already completed the same task, and now the 49ers are just joining their ranks..."
"Jesus Christ!" Spencer grabbed his hair in disbelief. "Is that your excuse? They defeated the Lions, they defeated the Giants, and then they lost to the Ravens. There were three games where they played against strong opponents with similar records, but you're only focusing on the one loss and refusing to budge, trying to twist the facts?"
Spencer was so angry that he laughed. His face was filled with incredible astonishment and helplessness, and he chuckled. "And then you think these victories aren't enough to prove the 49ers' excellence and Lu Ke's talent? That's your opinion and that's your evidence? Then, based on your logic, the New England Patriots' undefeated season was meaningless because the opponents they defeated included the weak teams of that season, such as the Cincinnati Bengals, the Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills, and so on."
As he spoke, Spencer became more and more agitated, feeling that Charles was simply unreasonable. In sharp contrast, Charles was as calm as a mountain. "Calm down, Spencer, calm down."
Now, Charles was the one in control of the conversation. He was composed and at ease. The days of him being on the defensive were a thing of the past. "My point is that all strong teams are forged through tough battles. This young 49ers team still needs to prove themselves. And the Rams? That's definitely not the best opponent to prove themselves against."
Then, Charles raised his hands and slowly pushed them down, signaling for everyone to calm down. His sarcastic and disdainful eyes were in full force, attacking everyone indiscriminately, even making the other commentators not know whether to laugh or cry.
"So what opponent do they still need to defeat? According to you, they can only prove their excellence by winning the Super Bowl." Spencer directly cut off Charles's rambling and attacked him with equal force. Winning the Super Bowl in a rookie quarterback's rookie season was a fantasy. It had never happened in the history of the entire league. Ben Roethlisberger, Kurt Warner, and Tom Brady all failed to meet this condition.
Charles also felt the aggression in Spencer's words, but he didn't show any weakness. He straightened his back and said loudly, "For example, this week's opponent, the Arizona Cardinals. You have to get back up where you fell. And for example, next week's opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers. That's the real playoff intensity, that's the real challenge."
His confident words were powerful and resonant! This season, the San Francisco 49ers' schedule was indeed full of dangers. The opponents that seemed ordinary had all performed well this year, and the opponents who were already strong were still in excellent form. There were still four weeks left in the regular season. The 49ers' four opponents were the Arizona Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Seattle Seahawks, and the St. Louis Rams.
Aside from the Rams, whose overall strength was not a threat, the other three teams should not be taken lightly. The Cardinals had just pulled off an upset two weeks ago. Now, the 49ers would be traveling to their home stadium for a true revenge match. The Cardinals, who were fighting for a playoff spot, would definitely not hold back. They would try to defeat their divisional rival twice and step on their shoulders to get into the playoffs. The Steelers, needless to say, were still one of the strongest teams in the AFC this year, with a strength comparable to that of the Ravens. At the same time, this game would be on a Monday night, and its viewership would be second only to a Thursday night game broadcast nationally.
As for the Seahawks, their performance this season was only mediocre. But after their matchup in Week 1 of the regular season, even if they couldn't make the playoffs, the Seahawks would definitely not make it easy for the 49ers in their home stadium. That's right, in that game, the 49ers would be going to the infamous "Loudest Stadium in the World" to play. Even the Rams' nickname, "giant killers," wasn't just for show. Anything was possible in a divisional matchup.
This was a schedule full of endless dangers. Charles's thinking was well-founded. If the 49ers' performance were to waver even slightly, ending the season with a four-game losing streak was a high probability. In that case, whether they would make it to the playoffs would depend on the Cardinals, who were currently second in the division.
Charles took on a professional demeanor and began his analysis. "Based on the past few games, the San Francisco 49ers' offense does not have the ability to compete with strong opponents. Their versatile tactics have indeed caused a lot of trouble for many teams, but now, as the season progresses, their secrets are no longer secrets, and their weaknesses have been exposed."
"As long as the opponent's front line is strong enough and applies enough pressure, the 49ers' speed and agility will be completely suppressed, and they will lose all their space to operate. The offensive line's struggles are only one aspect of it. The most important thing is that Lu Ke's mobility, physical fitness, and passing time will be completely compressed, and he will get completely lost in the pocket."
"Throughout the season, Lu Ke seemed to be in control of the big picture, but his lack of talent has completely choked him. Before, other teams were unfamiliar with him, which made them hesitant. This allowed him to play to his strengths and successfully get a foothold on the field. But now that other teams have figured out his tactics, his weaknesses have been completely magnified."
Charles slammed his hands down, and his eyes lit up. "As I said before, Lu Ke is not an excellent quarterback, not even a qualified one. His talent destines him not to be suitable for this field. The Cardinals did it, and the Ravens did it. Now, he has been completely exposed under the league's microscope, and that 'Eastern Kung Fu' mystery is no longer working."
"The Rams lost the game because of their overall lack of strength. But the Cardinals and Steelers that are coming up next will not let Lu Ke and his offense off the hook so easily." Charles concluded, "In my opinion, choosing Alex Smith is still the safer decision. I don't know what the reason is for Jim Harbaugh not changing the quarterback and missing the Rams game, but now, against the Cardinals, this should be the perfect time..."
His words were long-winded and rambling. They sounded so harsh. He had been saying the same things all season, just with a slightly different tone, which made people want to roll their eyes. To sum it all up, Charles's meaning was very simple and clear: after two consecutive losses, the game against the Rams was not enough evidence that the 49ers were back on track. Lu Ke was still not the right choice for the team, and even if he had a brilliant season, it was not enough to prove his strength. Every upcoming game was crucial for a playoff spot, and the intensity of each game would be completely different. This was the real test. The next two games would reveal whether the San Francisco 49ers had real strength or were just a paper tiger.
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