Chapter 715: Shaking Fingertips
"Go! You Packers! Go!"
The ferocious roars of support in Lambeau Field faded into the distance, echoing like a distant canyon's echo on the eardrums but never disappearing.
Lu Ke realized that he was a bit distracted.
He took a deep breath to adjust, and his emotions slowly settled down, but the sound of his heart pounding against his chest began to get louder. That sticky and tense feeling clung to the surface of his skin, like the humid wetland environment of the American South in the middle of summer. It was damp and sticky and would not go away.
To be precise, Lu Ke realized he was a bit nervous.
He wasn't sure of the exact reason.
Perhaps it was because of the opening game of his second year. He no longer had the reckless momentum of a rookie with nothing to lose, but instead, he felt the heavy pressure brought by the attention and expectations of the entire league. Maybe it was because this was his first appearance at Lambeau Field. After all, this was still a place of pilgrimage deep in Lu Ke's heart, and his first visit in his professional career was still special.
Or maybe it was for other reasons. The new season seemed to be special after all.
But Lu Ke was indeed feeling a sense of restlessness, anxiety, and a mix of hope and fear.
This was incredibly foreign to him. He had never felt that kind of on-field panic and helplessness since he was a child. All the nervousness and anxiety were left before the game. After he got on the field, those emotions would all completely disappear, and he would be completely focused and single-minded. But today, he seemed a bit flustered, looking like a spider on roller skates, just like Ron Weasley's fantasy in "Harry Potter."
Lu Ke gave up the idea of starting the offense immediately.
Originally, Lu Ke had already set up the play and was ready to snap the ball, but now, Lu Ke stood up straight again, pretending to read the defense. In reality, he was slowly exhaling. This wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the second. What he needed was not fear and dread, but to open his arms and give them a warm welcome.
Nervousness was not a negative emotion, but a positive manifestation of a desire to win, fight, and battle. All he needed to do was to turn this nervousness into focus and motivation. Just like any other game.
"Welcome to the 2012 season."
Lu Ke lowered his voice and said softly to himself. Then he pulled himself together and began to read the defense, starting from the beginning.
The Green Bay Packers were a typical team with a strong offense and a weak defense.
The offense was star-studded and brilliant, with Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Josh Sitton, Jeff Saturday, Greg Jennings, Ryan Grant, and others, all of whom were Pro Bowl-level players. And, of course, there was Aaron Rodgers.
But in contrast, the defense seemed dim.
On the defensive line, the most notable player was the nose tackle B.J. Raji, who joined the Packers in 2009 as the ninth overall pick in the first round. He was just selected for the Pro Bowl last year. His most outstanding specialty was batting down passes, surprising opposing quarterbacks like a block in basketball.
At the linebacker position, they had the most brilliant star on the entire team, Clay Matthews III. After joining the Packers in 2009 as the 26th overall pick in the first round, he was selected for the Pro Bowl for three consecutive seasons. He had become one of the top outside linebackers in the entire league, excelling in sacks, passes defended, pressures, and interceptions.
By the way, Matthews came from another traditional football family in the NFL, from Los Angeles. His grandfather, his father, his uncle, his biological brother, and his three cousins were all football players, and not unknown ones. At the very least, they made a name for themselves in the NCAA.
Among the cornerbacks, the undrafted player from 2006, Tramon Williams, was the team's absolute starter. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in 2010, but his stats declined across the board last year. His dominance and coverage had a clear drop-off, and his form this year was also a concern.
At the safety position, Charles Woodson was the biggest star.
Looking back at history, when people mention the 1998 draft, all the attention is on the two quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, but few people mention Charles Woodson, the fourth overall pick in the first round that year. This defensive player, who started as a cornerback and later became a safety, defeated Manning and Leaf to win the Heisman Trophy in 1997.
As a classmate of Manning, Woodson wrote his own miracles with the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers. He was selected for the Pro Bowl eight times, four consecutive times after 2008. He was named to the All-Pro First Team four times and the All-Pro Second Team four times. He was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, the Defensive Player of the Year in 2009, and led the league in interceptions twice in 2009 and 2011.
As a cornerback and safety, Woodson achieved countless glories in his career.
If Matthews was a representative of the new generation of rising stars, then Woodson was a representative of a veteran who was still going strong. These two star players, plus a group of down-to-earth blue-collar players, connected the Green Bay Packers' entire defense. But unfortunately, football is a team sport, and it's difficult for just two top players to carry the entire team forward.
Over the years, the defense has always been the Green Bay Packers' weakness.
In their 2010 championship season, they rose for one season, ranking second in the league's defense, second only to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But last year, they plummeted to 19th place. The main reason for this was their pass defense in the secondary. The defense of the cornerbacks and linebackers relied solely on Woodson, and one person couldn't support the whole team.
In this game, the Green Bay Packers' secondary defense was under immense pressure, facing the San Francisco 49ers, who had the most elite passing offense in the league last season.
As he re-read the defense, Lu Ke's focus gradually became sharper.
The Packers' defense was a typical 3-4 formation, with three defensive linemen and four linebackers. To be more specific, one nose tackle paired with two defensive ends, and two inside linebackers paired with two outside linebackers.
Overall, the Packers' middle area was used to defend against the run, with layers of barriers, and the effect was really good. Their run defense stats in the past two seasons were both in the upper ranks. The two wings were used for blitzing. They were typically stronger on the offensive side of the ball, with more manpower invested in pressuring the quarterback, which relatively weakened the short-pass defense.
Once the offensive line could hold off the first wave of impact, or the quarterback could use his footwork to escape the sack, the Packers' defense would immediately be put on the back foot.
Of course, this was all theoretical analysis, and the commentary on the offense and defense of every team was similar. In the end, the outcome was still determined by the players' on-field performance and tactical arrangements.
Lu Ke's eyes slightly darted to his left, catching sight of Clay Matthews, also known as the "White Devil," because he was white and because he was a devil. If anyone thought his playing style was not tough enough because of his long hair, he would make them understand what hell was with one sack after another.
Matthews was itching to move. His feet were like a motor, constantly pushing off the ground. His sharp eyes, projected through his helmet, released a bloodthirsty ferocity, showing his firm determination to sack the quarterback.
So, should he face the challenge head-on? Or should he avoid his sharp edge?
Slowly, Lu Ke bent down. He looked away to the other side, as if he was looking for a breakthrough on the right, giving up the idea of passing to the left. Then, his voice bloomed on the tip of his tongue like a spring thunder, "Hut!" Everything became natural and smooth.
With the football in his hand, standing in the shotgun formation, Lu Ke took a step back, creating a cross-run with Marcus Lynch, who was on his right.
Then Lu Ke took another two steps back, his eyes still on the right, looking for a target to pass to.
At the same time, Matthews rushed out like a wild horse. He used a hand swipe to push away Joe Staley, who was protecting the outer blind side, but Matthews obviously underestimated Staley's strength. He couldn't push him away the first time, and then he saw Staley cling to him relentlessly.
Matthews stopped and turned, trying to get rid of Staley's block.
But that little bit of a pause was enough for Lu Ke.
Without any warning, Lu Ke turned around to face the left. He took two quick, short steps to adjust his body's direction and threw the football with a swift motion. He didn't throw it with full force but used his wrist to throw a small arc, which passed over Matthews's head, completing the pass with delicate control.
But the moment he let go, Lu Ke gritted his teeth.
His arm and fingers were still too tense, and the entire pass was not soft or fluid enough. The control had a huge deviation. The nervousness that he thought had disappeared was still at the bottom of his heart. "Damn it," Lu Ke couldn't help but curse.
The football glided lightly through the air. It was still a standard spiral, but the rotation speed was a half-beat slower. Michael Crabtree, who was on the left, was running a straight line very quickly.
He suddenly looked back and found that the pass was shorter than he expected. Crabtree didn't have time to feel confused. His first instinct was to slam on the brakes, shaking off the cornerback who was following him closely. He adjusted his steps and slid inward, like a hot butter knife.
Swoosh.
He sliced into the butter, extended his hands forward, and caught the football. The reception was successful!
But because he had to change direction at the last minute, Crabtree lost his original position advantage. Matthews immediately gave up on sacking the quarterback and sprinted back to cover. He held Crabtree's waist tightly, like a wrestler, and slammed him down with a pile driver motion.
The catch was successful. But, the tackle was also successful.
This was a 6-yard short pass to the right.
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