With fifteen base points in hand, Lu Ke, who was no stranger to high stakes, knew he didn't have a game-changing amount, but it was enough to improve his skills once again. The most important and direct lesson from the two consecutive losses was that a game could be lost because of one person's mistake, but a loss was the responsibility of the entire team. Similarly, one person's effort wasn't enough to win a game. Football is a team sport, but the best way to pursue victory is to constantly improve your own skills.
So, before officially spending his points, Lu Ke didn't immediately take action. Instead, he carefully looked over his attribute panel and quickly started thinking. But then, Lu Ke noticed something a little unusual: why did the list of technical attributes seem longer? Was it his imagination? He looked back at the top of the attribute panel and checked again. He then confirmed his suspicion: there were three new technical sub-items on the panel.
The system had always been adding new sub-items, like pre-judgment, luck, and tactical area accuracy. Although this meant that there were more items to feed, it was a way to refine his skills, and in the long run, it was a good thing. However, before this, the sub-items had always appeared one by one. Today, three sub-items appeared at once. This was too sudden and too brutal, and it made Lu Ke gasp. Could it be because the two consecutive losses exposed more of his weaknesses? Did the system then bring out the corresponding sub-items?
After a brief moment of shock, Lu Ke calmed down again and looked at the three new technical sub-items.
The first sub-item was called Wrist Control. When he first saw it, his first thought was about passing control, which was closely related to passing accuracy. Lu Ke was a little puzzled as to why there would be another one, since there were already enough sub-items for passing accuracy. After reading the description, he finally understood. It was indeed related to passing control, but it wasn't about passing accuracy. It was about controlling the landing spot of the ball, which was closely related to interceptions and catches. This was an extremely, extremely fine-tuned skill.
During a connection between a quarterback and a receiver, distance, position, and trajectory were all things the quarterback had to control. Once the quarterback accurately delivered the football, the receiver had to do everything they could to make the catch. For an average quarterback, they might not even be able to do this much. Their passes were often off by a little or a lot, or they couldn't find an open window, which made the offense's passing game consistently unable to flow smoothly. So, they needed a top-tier receiver to save the day, make a play, and even make catches that were beyond their own ability.
For a good quarterback, they could always accurately deliver the football within a reasonable range and find their target in the defensive formation and along their running route, but the specific location might be slightly off. So, they needed a good receiver to make a difficult catch in an accurate passing position. For example, if the pass was too high, the receiver had to jump high to snatch the football before the defender could intercept it. If the pass was too low, the receiver had to lower their center of gravity to make the catch before the ball hit the ground and maintain control of it. But at the very least, the ball's landing spot was within a reasonable range.
For an elite quarterback, they could not only accurately break open a defensive formation and find a gap to deliver the football within a reasonable range, but they could also precisely control the specific location. This meant that an average receiver could easily make the catch. For example, a throw behind the shoulder would land in the shadow behind the receiver's shoulder, avoiding the possibility of the defender knocking the ball away and creating a more convenient space for the receiver to make the catch. Or a pass to the chest would not require a jump or a squat; the receiver only needed to maintain their balance to make the catch smoothly and then look for the opportunity to continue advancing. The difference was that an average quarterback needed a top-tier receiver, a good quarterback needed a good receiver, and an elite quarterback needed an average receiver. If a top-tier quarterback was paired with a top-tier receiver, they would be unstoppable.
Of course, these distinctions were just theoretical. A player's actual performance in a game was a different story. The difference between the four elite quarterbacks in the league and a large number of good quarterbacks was that the elite quarterbacks' skill level was consistent. Even when they were in a slump, their baseline was usually at a "good" level. The good quarterbacks could also perform at an "elite" level in crucial moments, but they couldn't do it consistently. Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, and Tony Romo were all like this.
From a purely technical perspective, the key difference between an average quarterback and a good quarterback was the Tactical Area Accuracy sub-item. The key to going from a good quarterback to an elite one was Wrist Control. In the instant the ball was released, the quarterback's judgment of the receiver's position and the pre-judgment of the defender were instantly translated into a soft and delicate control of the wrist to further control the landing spot of the football. This was to avoid interceptions, make it easier for the receiver to catch the ball, and make it easier for the receiver's next move after the catch, whether it was to shake off a tackle, continue advancing, or run out of bounds to control the clock.
This could be considered one of the talents for a good feel for passing. As mentioned before, this delicate touch was a rare talent for a quarterback, often an unconscious, split-second control that could determine the quarterback's ultimate potential. Generally, white quarterbacks have a better feel, while black quarterbacks are a bit rougher. As for Asian quarterbacks, there was no other template for Lu Ke to refer to, but it was clear that this was one of his natural talents. In an actual pass, it wasn't just about wrist control. It also had to be combined with a sense of timing, reading the defense, and pre-judging the defense to achieve a state of perfect harmony in the control of the pass.
The Tactical Area Accuracy sub-item had already appeared, and Lu Ke's score for it was currently 75. Now, the Wrist Control sub-item had also appeared. Lu Ke guessed it was related to the three interceptions in the game against the Cardinals. Lu Ke's starting score for Wrist Control was 81. As expected, a delicate feel for passing was one of Lu Ke's talents. When he first got the system, most of Lu Ke's technical sub-items were in the red, not to mention 80 points; there weren't even many items over 60. But now, when Wrist Control appeared, his initial score was 81, which was truly impressive.
The second and third sub-items were actually a pair: Left-Side Awareness and Right-Side Awareness. Left-Side Awareness was also known as Blind-Side Awareness. The function and technique of these two sub-items were relatively simple: pre-judging a sack. When standing in the pocket to make a pass, the quarterback is very busy. He has to judge the receiver's position and the defender's coverage. At the same time, he also has to keep an eye on the pocket, always wary of the threat of an opponent breaking through the offensive line to sack him.
For mobile quarterbacks, when a sack threat arrives, they use their legs to run out of the pocket. For pocket quarterbacks, they either make a hurried pass, protect the ball to avoid a fumble, or intentionally throw the ball away to avoid further losses. It's an incredibly difficult thing to do. In just two or three seconds, a quarterback has to think of a hundred things and control the entire situation. A single oversight can put them in a passive position. This is especially true for blind-side sacks. Since it's a quarterback's blind spot, they can't judge it with their peripheral vision. This means they can only rely on their primal instincts. If their instincts are even slightly delayed, they basically can't escape a blind-side sack. Sometimes, even if they notice it, it's incredibly difficult to escape with a quick, reflexive move.
Clearly, these two sub-items were a result of the nine sacks in the game against the Ravens. In that game, Lu Ke had used all of his skills, including Absolute Footwork twice and Iron Skin once, to avoid injury. But he still couldn't get a victory. Now, the appearance of Left-Side Awareness and Right-Side Awareness provided a platform for Lu Ke to further improve himself. Although this was a relatively obscure talent, mobile quarterbacks generally had more advantages than pocket quarterbacks. On one hand, it was because of their tactical skills; being able to observe the left and right sides was a prerequisite. On the other hand, it was simply because their physical fitness was superior.
So, when Lu Ke saw his scores for the two technical sub-items, he wasn't surprised at all: Left-Side Awareness (Blind-Side Awareness) was 45, and Right-Side Awareness was 60. This was not surprising. Whenever there was a sack from the blind side, Lu Ke was basically unable to escape and most of the time had no chance. And when there was a sack from the right side, he could occasionally avoid it, but sometimes he would just stand there and get sacked. Now, he finally found the reason. Sure enough, God is fair.
Wrist Control was as high as 81, but the scores for Left-Side Awareness and Right-Side Awareness were abysmal. This once again proved that Lu Ke was a traditional pocket quarterback. To become a versatile mobile quarterback, even with the system, it would probably take at least three to five years.
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