The first half of the game was quite dull. The home crowd seemed lethargic and unmotivated, and even the 49ers fans watching from home seemed disinterested.
It wasn't because the game was boring, with both teams repeatedly going three-and-out, punting, and kicking off. It was because the game was too predictable. Everything was going as expected, without a single surprise, from the flow of the game to the final result.
The St. Louis Rams, playing at home, were trying their best. The offense and defense were both giving it their all to find a way to make some headway, but the gap in talent made their efforts futile.
Throughout the entire first half, the offense couldn't even cross midfield, not even once. They didn't even get a single chance at a field goal, just punt after punt. Such a game was truly despairing. Even the Seahawks' offense had shown some bursts of energy, but Sam Bradford, who had set many rookie quarterback records last year, was still in a slump.
While the Rams' offense was a mess this season—scoring under ten points in seven games—their complete inability to fight back against the 49ers' defense seemed unbelievable.
When the halftime whistle blew, their score was still "00," zero points.
A bad feeling arose. Was history about to repeat itself?
Would the Rams not only suffer a season sweep by the 49ers but also be embarrassingly shut out in both games?
Just imagining it was enough to send shivers down one's spine.
On one side, the offense was hopeless. On the other, the defense was in constant retreat.
Throughout the entire first half, the defense was doing its best. Whether it was putting pressure on the front line or a zone defense in the secondary, they were trying, but the results were far below expectations. Lu Ke always seemed to find a hole in the defense and casually tear it open with a single pass, leaving the defense exhausted.
Of course, the Rams' defense was also terrible this year, but it was slightly better than the offense. They gave up an average of 25.2 points per game, and their two wins and two near-wins were thanks to the defense. At the very least, they didn't completely collapse.
But today, against the top-tier 49ers, their entire line was exposed and in disarray.
They gave up two rushing touchdowns in the first quarter and a passing touchdown and another rushing touchdown in the second.
At the beginning of the second quarter, after Lu Ke connected with Vernon for a touchdown, Marcus scored another one-yard rushing touchdown just before the end of the first half.
In the entire first half, the 49ers only faced four third-down situations, and they converted all of them. With a hundred percent conversion rate and a hundred percent success rate on their drives, their dominant performance completely suffocated their opponent. It was even more effortless than their game against the Seahawks.
As the players headed to the locker rooms, the scoreboard above the field read, "0-28." The score was blinding, stinging the eyes of the home fans.
They were even too exhausted to be angry. All that was left was a restless murmur, not of cheers or curses, but more like a buzzing swarm of frustrated bees. The buzzing grew more and more annoying, making them want to get up and leave, yet they couldn't find the motivation. They couldn't help but start wondering:
Could they really make a comeback in the second half?
A tiny glimmer of hope deep inside, the bond of the last game of the season, and Bradford's determination at the start of the game made the home fans reluctantly stay, avoiding the embarrassment of a mass exodus.
It was a good start. But still, the outlook was bleak.
Looking back at the first half, the Rams' offense, defense, and special teams were all lackluster. Their strategies and matchups were completely outmatched. The 49ers, on the other hand, dominated the game with one passing touchdown and three rushing touchdowns. Running backs Marcus Lynch and Anthony Dixon successfully tore through the opponent's defensive line.
Lu Ke's performance, in particular, was eye-opening.
"Twenty-one attempts, seventeen completions, with a completion rate of 80.95%. He has thrown for 229 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions."
"A series of new career highs for Lu Ke. This is his first game with a completion rate over 80% and his first game with over 200 passing yards in the first half. More importantly, he only attempted twenty-one passes, and his average yards per pass was 13.47 yards, which is also a new season high."
"At halftime, Lu Ke's quarterback rating is 130.85. His PFF rating will be available after the game, but it's at least a 1.5, which shows how great he's playing! As for the MVP candidate, I'm willing to give Lu Ke my vote. At the very least, he's earned the right to be a candidate."
"The most important thing is that Lu Ke's command of the game has improved even further. He's finding more and more breathing room for the running game, and that's the most direct evidence. While Marcus Lynch and Anthony Dixon are good running backs, the difference in their performance between the first and second halves of the season shows that the running game's success is directly related to the strength of the passing game."
"On a side note, the 49ers' offense gained 385 yards in the first half, 156 of which were rushing yards, a new team season high. Their rushing yards in the first half alone exceeded one hundred, with Marcus accounting for ninety-six of them. He's only four yards away from his second career hundred-yard game."
"In other words, you can clearly see Lu Ke's growth in this game."
"For a rookie quarterback, a great season is a good start. But what's most commendable about Lu Ke is that his progress and improvement throughout the season have been so noticeable. You can clearly feel how fast he's growing. This is a stark contrast to Sam Bradford on the other side of the field."
"Of course, that's not fair."
"Last year's number one overall pick, Bradford, has been plagued by injuries this season, and his performance has declined dramatically, which is disappointing. But objectively, Lu Ke's progress throughout the season is a perfect example of another saying: a full glass of water is good, but it means there's no room for growth. Half a glass of water is not so good, but it means there is a lot of room for improvement."
"In the first half, Lu Ke's timing and balance of his passing and running game have become much better. He is always able to anticipate defensive weaknesses, and this ability to anticipate is remarkable. Now that the playoffs are about to begin, every defense in the playoffs should be having a headache, wondering how they are going to defend this rookie quarterback."
During halftime, Teddy and Kirk quickly gave a full analysis and started giving advice to the Rams on how to turn the game around in the second half, keep the suspense alive, and avoid an early entrance into garbage time. Otherwise, it would be bad for the broadcast's viewership.
When the players came back onto the field, Teddy noticed a change in the 49ers. "I'm not entirely sure, but I can see Lu Ke on the sideline wearing a down jacket. Alex Smith and Scott Tolzien are warming up on the sideline. Is this a sign?"
St. Louis is located in the center of the United States. Since there are no large mountain ranges or bodies of water nearby, the temperature difference between winter and summer is huge. In the winter, temperatures can drop to thirty degrees below zero.
Today, St. Louis wasn't suffering from snowfall, and the temperature wasn't too bad. Although it was three degrees below zero, it was calm with no wind, so it didn't feel as cold.
However, to maintain body temperature and muscle warmth, especially to prevent fatigue from the hot and cold after sweating, the players would all put on their jackets, hats, and gloves during breaks to maintain a relatively stable body temperature.
Because of this, Teddy noticed the change on the sideline but couldn't be too sure.
The Fox camera immediately captured the scene. Alex and Scott were indeed warming up actively, and Lu Ke was not idle. He was standing with offensive coordinator Craig Roman and quarterbacks coach Kip Christ, discussing the playbook.
Moreover, the other members of the offense weren't acting strangely. They were all doing what they usually do during breaks. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, and it was impossible to tell what was going on.
All the speculation remained just that, speculation. No one dared to jump to conclusions. In this atmosphere of suspense, the St. Louis Rams took the field to start the second half.
Unfortunately, Bradford's arm was still cold. He only managed to get one first down before going three-and-out again and leaving the field in disappointment. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the 49ers' offense took the field again.
"...Alex Smith! The backup quarterback, number eleven, Alex Smith has officially entered the game! Lu Ke gave Alex a round of applause and stood on the sideline to cheer for his teammate! It seems like there are no issues whatsoever. This means the San Francisco 49ers have started preparing for the playoffs!"
"For the second half of the game, Jim Harbaugh has entrusted the offense to Alex Smith. Lu Ke, who has been suffering from a cold for the past two weeks, will get some much-needed rest."
"This...is this unexpected? Strictly speaking, this is to be expected. Wow, maybe the second half will be worth watching after all."
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