"Welcome, everyone, to the final week of the 2011 NFL regular season. I'm Teddy Williams, and sitting next to me is our guest analyst, Kirk Charleston."
"We are live-broadcasting the game between the St. Louis Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. The biggest suspense in this game is not about who wins or loses, but whether the San Francisco 49ers will play with their full starting lineup to secure the number two seed in the NFC playoffs."
"It seems like Jim Harbaugh is determined to get that number two seed."
The first question of Week 17 of the regular season has been answered:
The San Francisco 49ers are on the field with their full starting lineup, as are the New Orleans Saints. The two teams are battling on their respective fields for the number two seed. At the same time, the Saints will also be at home to witness Drew Brees break the all-time passing yards record.
After Teddy finished speaking, Kirk immediately added, "The San Francisco 49ers' performance at home and on the road this season has been consistent, showing that this vibrant young team is not afraid of playing on the road. However, getting a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs is crucial."
"After an eight-year absence from the playoffs, this team lacks experience. They need a better seed, and a first-round bye and home-field advantage can help them. So, for this game, Harbaugh has put out his full starting lineup, showing no signs of underestimating the opponent, which is not good news for the Rams."
While they were talking, the game had already begun.
For the opening coin toss, Rams' quarterback Sam Bradford called heads and won. Bradford chose to defer, giving the ball to the 49ers to start the game.
In other words, the Rams would get the ball to start the second half. While this doesn't always determine the outcome, it's a strong signal from the home team: no matter the score at halftime, they have no intention of surrendering and will fight until the end.
And so, Lu Ke led the offense onto the field.
In their first drive, Lu Ke showed his excellent form and a decisive attitude, with his sights firmly set on winning this game.
First and ten.
From a shotgun formation, Lu Ke quickly dropped back and found Michael Crabtree. As everyone's attention was on Ted Ginn, Vernon Davis, and Logan Newmann, Crabtree made a quick horizontal cut and completed a thirteen-yard catch in the middle of the field. He then gained another five yards, for a total of eighteen yards.
First and ten again.
From a pistol formation, Lu Ke faked a handoff to Marcus Lynch but, at the last moment, made a quick change in his footwork, leaving the pocket to find Vernon Davis. The activated Vernon, who had a crisscross with Logan, gained a matchup advantage and completed an eight-yard short pass on the outside. He then muscled his way forward for a few more yards, successfully getting a first down.
Still first and ten.
From another pistol formation, Lu Ke used a screen pass to quickly find Logan. Vernon immediately made a block, and after Logan completed a five-yard catch, he found a seam and quickly advanced. He then got another first down with a little help from Crabtree's blocking.
Still first and ten.
From another shotgun formation, after the snap, Lu Ke stepped forward and handed the ball off to Marcus, who was to his right. The two-tight-end formation with Vernon and Logan was also on the same side. At the same time, the offensive line shifted horizontally, and the right tackle, Joe Staley, took a step forward and cleared the way. Vernon and Logan then completed their blocks.
This was a deliberate running play, a running play disguised as a passing play.
It was an unstoppable charge! Truly unstoppable!
With three teammates clearing a path, a wide-open lane appeared. There were no defenders to make a play in the short-pass area, and Marcus took off. After ten yards, he was already at full speed. He broke an outside linebacker's tackle, and the powerful run was completely unleashed.
After successfully dodging a safety's tackle, Marcus was all alone. He ran fifty-one yards from the 49ers' forty-nine-yard line into the end zone, scoring the first touchdown for the San Francisco 49ers.
Touchdown!
In just seventy-five seconds, the San Francisco 49ers had scored a touchdown!
According to league statistics, the San Francisco 49ers have the most opening drives that result in a score this season. Their strong starts are one of the most important aspects of their powerful offense. Today, they continued that trend, but the way they scored was even more significant than the touchdown itself.
They made three passes and one run.
It was a hundred-percent success rate, but more importantly, their playcalling was completely different. A middle pass, a left-side short pass, and a right-side short pass. The three passes went to three different receivers. The Rams were completely caught off guard by the dazzling play variety.
The defense didn't even have time to get set before they could only watch helplessly as Marcus ran from the shotgun formation, leaving them standing there, breathless and powerless.
This was a typical atypical Lu Ke.
From the rookie training camp to the first half of the regular season, people's biggest impression of Lu Ke was his passing accuracy. His balanced performance in short, intermediate, and long passes was truly impressive. More importantly, his beautiful long throws and strong will always saved the day in key moments, astonishing many.
But as the season progressed, people began to realize that Lu Ke's most powerful weapon wasn't his arm, but his mind. His playcalling, defensive reads, execution, and game management truly demonstrated the power of a perfect Wonderlic test score, showing the irreplaceable importance of a quarterback on the field.
The debate over the benefits of the Wonderlic test has been constant in the league, as a high score doesn't always translate into a great quarterback. Likewise, a low score doesn't mean it's the end of the world. But now, because of Lu Ke's emergence, people are forced to re-examine the powerful information that this test reveals.
It's considered atypical because Lu Ke's play-calling is giving more space and opportunities to the run game. This was true in the last game and it's true in this one. It's considered typical because his play-calling still shows his intelligence and sharp mind, as he instantly finds the opponent's defensive weaknesses and attacks.
For any defense, this is a quarterback who is an absolute nightmare.
The rest of the first half proved this point.
Shortly after, Lu Ke took the field for the second time and showed a truly balanced run-pass offense. With his passing and running game both on fire, it was impossible to predict his next move. In a critical third-and-seven situation, he unexpectedly chose a deep pass, finding Logan with a twenty-one-yard throw, completely changing the momentum. His unpredictable passing game was gradually gaining the upper hand.
On the next drive, on first-and-ten, Lu Ke chose a play-action pass, handing the ball off to the rotational running back, Anthony Dixon. It was supposed to be a simple first-down run, but the Rams' defense made a fatal mistake. An outside linebacker missed the tackle, allowing Dixon to break free and get into the end zone after breaking through the initial defense.
It was a twelve-yard rushing touchdown.
After that, Lu Ke took the field for the third time. After an incomplete pass, he daringly threw a thirty-four-yard rainbow pass. Ted Ginn, sensing an opportunity, turned on the jets, outran his one-on-one safety, and completed the catch after breaking through the coverage.
This was immediately followed by a run, also from Anthony Dixon, who gained a good six yards. Even though he didn't get a first down, his running efficiency was excellent, and the first quarter ended. The score was "0-14." The St. Louis Rams still hadn't found a way to score.
Everything feels so familiar. Are the Rams destined to follow the Seahawks' fate?
As the second quarter began, the 49ers' offense continued its excellent form, repeatedly attacking the defensive line and linebackers with running plays. Under the cover of their strong passing game, the Rams' run defense was a bit overwhelmed. Then, without warning, Lu Ke chose a short pass.
He found Vernon, who was running alongside Crabtree on the left side. It was a seven-yard short pass. After making the catch, Vernon made a nimble turn, delivered a fierce blow, and evaded two defenders before charging forward and smoothly gaining nineteen yards and entering the end zone for a touchdown.
"My God, it sounds absurd to say this, but this is Lu Ke's first passing touchdown of the game."
In the broadcast booth, Kirk and Teddy both showed a look of relief. But they then realized that everything that had happened was completely expected, and they both chuckled softly.
"With this, Lu Ke has set a new record. In his sixteen regular-season games this year, he has thrown a touchdown in fifteen of them. The only exception was the home game against the Arizona Cardinals. This is a new record for a rookie quarterback."
"Even though this is a great record, to be honest, anyone who watched this season knows that this was bound to happen."
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