Chapter 716: Running Back Rotation
A 6-yard short pass.
This was a planned play that had a few deviations. It couldn't continue the drive, but at least Michael Crabtree successfully completed the catch, which was a positive start for the new season.
Lu Ke slowly let out a breath, carefully hiding his nervousness and putting on a poker face.
Because he knew that even if he was really nervous, he couldn't show it. Otherwise, it might affect the progress of the game. Not only would it become a breakthrough for the opponent, and Clay Matthews might sniff out the anomaly and not let go easily, but it would also affect the focus of his offensive teammates. This offensive line was still in the adjustment period.
Lu Ke walked a small step forward and patted Joe Staley's shoulder, encouraging him.
In the last play, if Staley hadn't blocked Matthews for a moment, the situation would have been completely different.
Staley, who was playing as a left tackle for the first time in an official game, was also clearly a little nervous. The starting method, the attack angle, the blocking formation, and so on were all completely different. Especially on this side, he had to face the star player Matthews, which was even more stressful. Staley also quietly relaxed his posture to relieve the tense muscles.
At this moment, feeling the encouragement and affirmation from Lu Ke, Staley's lips twitched in a forced smile, but he felt a little more positive.
In the short 40-second countdown, Marcus Lynch came off the field, and Frank Gore came on.
It wasn't because Marcus was replaced due to poor performance, but because the running back position was very special.
Running back is one of the positions in the league that has the fastest burnout rate. It's a career that is entirely dependent on one's youth. On top of that, injuries are common. A peak season that can last two to three years is already well above average.
Because running backs need to do the dirty and hard work, they need to make contact head-on. They can't avoid it or dodge it. They also have to actively break through. Almost every time they advance, they will inevitably face tackles, collisions, and double teams. To put it vividly, they are constantly in a "forging" state, and they are the horseshoes that are forged a thousand times.
Even the Seattle Seahawks' "Beast Mode" Marshawn Lynch couldn't run with all his might for the entire game.
Because of this, every team needs to have at least three running backs, or even more. Also, the chances of a rookie running back playing immediately in their first season are also quite high. Compared to a playbook, physical talent and the ability to break through are still more important.
Multiple running backs continuously rotate between drives. In addition to maintaining physical strength and avoiding injuries, they can also change the rhythm of the run and collide with the opponent's defensive line with different running styles.
Last year, Marcus Lynch took over the starting running back position, but the underperforming Anthony Dixon and rookie Kendall Hunter still took turns on the field to relieve the pressure on him. Even if the running effect was average, they still had to go in with their heads held high.
This year, the San Francisco 49ers had a full four running backs on the team. Undrafted rookie Jules Hampton mostly stayed on special teams, while the other three running backs had to take turns playing.
This year's second-round pick, LaMichael James, who had just joined the team, was a quick-footed running back. He had the same height as Marcus but was lighter. His running was agile, and he was excellent at finding holes and gaps. His college stats were decent.
The recovered Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore had a similar style to Marcus. He was an all-around running back who could both run and catch the ball. His height and weight were also quite similar to Marcus's, but their running styles were slightly different.
Marcus was more aggressive and could unleash a "Beast Mode" bulldozer-like momentum at crucial moments. Gore, on the other hand, was more cunning. His footwork was his bread and butter. He was good at getting out of tackles, making quick stops and turns, and changing direction. He was trained under the unique and unconventional head coach Chip Kelly in college, and his entire running style was more fluid.
In the league's tactical system, the way running backs are used is also different depending on the down and situation.
Some running backs are "third-down backs." Their style is more suitable for third-down plays, where they use brute force to make a short-distance breakthrough and complete the third-down conversion. Some running backs are "receiving backs," who unexpectedly break the tactical framework. Darren Sproles of the New Orleans Saints and the San Francisco 49ers' two starting running backs are like this. Some running backs are "power backs," like bulldozers.
In the first drive, Marcus used a running route to confuse Matthews and the defensive line.
Now, on the second down, they would use Gore to change the pace of the play. Of course, this was also a process for Gore, who was recovering from an injury, to adapt to the rhythm of the game.
The San Francisco 49ers' offense quickly lined up.
"Hut!"
Lu Ke's snap count was very fast. He was consciously trying to increase the pace of the game, forcing himself to forget his nervousness and the outside distractions, and quickly getting into the zone.
In sports, many players are slow starters and need a period of warm-up and adaptation after the start of the game to slowly find their rhythm. But last season, the offense led by Lu Ke did not have this problem. They were the team in the entire league with the highest scoring rate on the first drive.
Now, Lu Ke needed to get back into that rhythm.
Standing in the shotgun formation, after Lu Ke completed the snap, he held the football with both hands and quickly stepped back, but he didn't create too much distance. He just took two big steps and then turned 60 degrees to the left, raised his chin, quickly scanned the running routes of the receivers, and at the same time, changed from holding the ball with two hands to one hand, and slightly raised his right hand.
The whole motion was clean, simple, and fast, showing a posture of a quick snap and a quick pass.
Just when everyone thought he was about to make a pass, his right hand stopped at his side without any further movement. Then, with a crossover, the football left Lu Ke's right hand and landed in Gore's arms. In the middle of their footwork, the offensive control had already been exchanged.
This was a play-action fake!
In fact, the hand-off motion was not very discreet and was openly exposed to the eyes of the defensive line. This was still not Lu Ke's strong suit, but the footwork and observation before the hand-off were excellent, almost fooling the defensive line and linebackers' first move.
Gore held the football tightly, stopped for a moment, and took a wrong step, rushing out to the left, in the opposite direction of Lu Ke. He went around the heavily tangled area of the offensive and defensive lines, trying to break through the gap between the outside linebacker and the cornerback.
It was clear that Gore's footwork was nimble and light. His slightly swaying shoulders and low center of gravity kept him agile, ready to break through and dodge at any moment. But the problem was that on the right side of the offensive line, Anthony Davis and Alex Boone had already blocked the opponents' impact, creating an opening, but Gore gave up on this opening and chose to break through on the outside, which...?
Not only were Davis and Boone a little surprised, but Logan Newman and Ted Ginn, who were standing on the right side, were also a little surprised, to the point that they couldn't block for Gore immediately.
Three yards.
Gore only ran for three yards, and then he was tackled by the outside linebacker and the cornerback, who worked together to bring him down. He was just one yard away from a first down.
This run could not be called a failure, but it could not be called a success either. The offense led by Lu Ke had already shifted the defense's center of gravity and created an opening, but Gore chose a more difficult breakthrough on the outside, indirectly increasing the difficulty of the run. In the end, it was a shame that they missed the first down.
After getting up, Gore returned to Lu Ke's side. He gave an awkward smile, spread his hands to show his helplessness, and didn't give any more explanations, but his grimace had already said it all. After recovering from his injury, his observation and timing were still a bit rusty and needed some time to get back in sync.
Lu Ke let out a soft laugh.
He nodded at Gore, didn't say anything, and quickly gathered all the offensive players together, gave them the coaching staff's tactical instructions, and then prepared to continue the drive.
Third down and one.
Lu Ke still methodically read the defense. It was clear that the opponent had significantly strengthened their run defense.
In a third-down and one situation, the simplest and most effective way to advance is for the running back to use his own power to aggressively push past the one-yard line.
So, the three defensive linemen's positions were slightly closer to the middle, the four linebackers' positions were also compressed, and even Matthews, who had the strongest intention to attack, moved half a step inward. This made the Green Bay Packers' entire front line look a little bloated, while the secondary defense consciously pulled back to create more space, setting up a defense against a long-pass sneak attack.
After repeatedly confirming the defensive formation, Lu Ke announced the snap.
This was a deceptive "I" formation. Lu Ke set up a power run, and after receiving the snap with both hands, he made a motion to hand off the ball to Gore. But after Lu Ke and Gore switched positions, the football was still in Lu Ke's hands. This time, it was a fake run and a real pass.
Lu Ke's feet didn't stop. He ran straight back. After three big steps, he quickly turned, scanned the receivers from right to left, and instantly saw all the receivers' positions. He made a quick judgment, raised his right hand, and whipped it like a whip, pushing the football out with force.
In his line of sight, the football drew a high arc and quickly dropped at a spot 15 yards away. But there was no receiver on the route. Lu Ke was completely dumbfounded. What was going on?
🗒️NOTE:
Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 30 chapters in advance!