Chapter 732: A Back and Forth
"Lynch! It's Lynch! The San Francisco 49ers lined up for a strong passing play, but while moving, Lu Ke handed the ball to Lynch! There was no hesitation. This was a trick play, completely unexpected! The Green Bay Packers' defense was caught off guard!"
The corner of Marcus's eye was constantly judging the surrounding defensive layout.
The Green Bay Packers lined up for a powerful quarterback blitz and were executing it, but their feet, which were following Lu Ke's movement, hadn't had time to break through the offensive line's block. They could already clearly see that Lu Ke and Marcus had completed the handoff, which meant that their strategy was off. They had to readjust now.
It wasn't easy to make a temporary change when their focus and minds were already fully committed.
The most typical example was Clay Matthews.
Matthews had already gotten around Joe Staley. In the horizontal defensive mismatch, he broke through the offensive line immediately, but his vertical movement still needed a bit of time to adjust his tempo. With just a quarter-beat of a difference, when Matthews entered the pocket, Marcus had already crossed the offensive line with the ball.
This forced Matthews to once again make a difficult adjustment to his center of gravity. He went back to back with Staley, desperately reaching out his hands to try and intercept Marcus, but it was too late. Matthews's foot slipped, and he lost his balance and overexerted himself, falling awkwardly to the ground.
It wasn't just Matthews. The entire defensive line and linebacker group were the same.
So, after Marcus ran out, he only saw one A.J. Hawk! But Hawk's feet and center of gravity were already unstable. Marcus lowered his center of gravity and charged forward, instantly bumping Hawk backward. But that wasn't all. The corner of his eye had already caught sight of Charles Woodson rushing over like a horse!
Marcus avoided Woodson's rushing direction, making a slight step adjustment and advancing quickly to the left.
In his left peripheral vision, he could see Ginn and Crabtree, one inside and one outside, one in front and one behind, spaced out. They maintained a similar running speed, running side by side to form a protective net, escorting Marcus and blocking the routes and tempo of other defenders on the left who were trying to cover.
With the football in his hand, Marcus's feet moved faster and faster.
Speed wasn't Marcus's strength. Ginn had already run ahead of him, actively rushing toward Woodson. Even if he couldn't make a block, he could at least cause a distraction and hindrance, disrupting Woodson's defensive tempo. But at this moment, Marcus was using his speed to the fullest, holding nothing back, and continuing to advance toward the end zone!
Inside the 20-yard line.
Inside the 15-yard line.
The end zone was within reach. Marcus quickly looked back and saw that Crabtree was tangled with two defenders, but he was struggling against two opponents. The cornerback Sam Shields, who had been completely suppressed in the first half, was finally showing his advantage—flexibility, speed, and agility. With a shake and a forward burst, Shields had broken free from Crabtree's control and was sprinting toward Marcus.
The distance was closing fast. Marcus's absolute speed was still a little bit lacking.
Inside the 10-yard line.
Marcus's feet began to form an "S" curve, avoiding Shields's first attempt at a tackle. Then he avoided the flailing Woodson three steps away. He weaved his way forward. The end zone was within reach, and his steps grew bigger and bigger. He felt Shields's fingertips behind him, causing a huge wave of panic, but Marcus no longer cared.
Inside the 5-yard line.
Into the end zone.
Like rushing past a finish line, Marcus held up his chest and charged forward, but his feet didn't stop. He rushed through the entire end zone and toward the padded walls around the field, like a child playing in an amusement park. He purposely crashed into them and finally lay on the ground, laughing freely.
"One tackle! Two tackles! Beautiful! Lynch's running footwork is really beautiful. Light when it needs to be, and powerful when it needs to be. His route selection and defensive anticipation show the qualities and abilities of an excellent running back. He's still advancing! Lynch! Lynch!"
"It's a touchdown! Touchdown! No doubt about it! The San Francisco 49ers have scored their fourth touchdown of the game, and their first rushing touchdown, from second-year running back Marcus Lynch!"
"After their passing game, the 49ers' running game has also successfully opened things up! This means that the Green Bay Packers' offense will definitely be under more pressure. Aaron Rodgers must score a touchdown! This shootout is so exciting and so spectacular! My God, I really love football!"
Three minutes and thirteen seconds later, just before the end of the third quarter.
"Aaron Rodgers! Aaron Rodgers is looking for a passing route! The Packers' pocket protection is still terrible, but this time, the speed of the breakdown isn't as fast, which gives Rodgers a little bit of time to pass!"
"Rodgers! Left side, the target is Greg Jennings! Jennings! Wait, no, not Jennings. Rodgers takes a step back and adjusts. It's a fake, and it successfully deceives the 49ers' defense. Rodgers is now moving horizontally, he's left the pocket!"
"Rodgers raises his arm to pass!"
"Jermichael Finley! No, not Finley, it's Jordy Nelson! It's Nelson again!"
"The Packers' number 87 wide receiver shakes off Chris Culliver's coverage and successfully makes the catch! Spectacular! It's an 18-yard connection, a pass over the shoulder. Nelson successfully used his nimble running to create an open space and completed the catch! It's truly spectacular! But this isn't the end!"
"Nelson is speeding up! His vertical attack ability is truly too powerful. Culliver has been left behind, but Culliver still hasn't given up. He's trying to catch up, but he's facing Nelson! He's already at a disadvantage in terms of speed!"
"Nelson! Nelson! Fifteen yards, twenty yards, twenty-five yards! Nelson! Nelson breaks through the tackle of safety Dashon Goldson, number 31! Wow, that hit was truly beautiful! Nelson has gained more yards. Nelson! Nelson! No one can stop him! Culliver can't catch up anymore!"
"Touchdown! It's a touchdown! Nelson successfully rushes into the end zone! Unbelievable! When the Packers needed a touchdown, they got a touchdown! This is the second touchdown connection between Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson in this game! My God!"
"Wait, the Packers are going for a two-point conversion! A two-point conversion! Mike McCarthy is signaling that the Green Bay Packers will attempt a two-point conversion!"
This was not an unexpected result.
After the 49ers' last touchdown, Akers completed the extra point kick, bringing the score to 20-28, an eight-point difference. This meant that it would take one touchdown and one two-point conversion to tie the game.
So, the Packers chose the two-point conversion. All the fans in the stadium held their breath.
Standing behind the offensive line, Rodgers didn't rush the snap. It was as if this wasn't a two-point conversion but a red-zone touchdown drive. He focused completely on reading the defense. At the last moment, with the clock about to run out on the third quarter, he signaled the snap.
"Hut!"
Instantly, all of the Packers' receivers sprinted out. Randall Cobb, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and Jermichael Finley. Four different running routes entered the end zone like a kaleidoscope.
But the 49ers' defense was not careless at all. After giving up on the quarterback blitz, all eight players besides the defensive line spread out into the narrow area of the end zone, cutting off all potential passing routes.
Rodgers chose to hand the ball to running back Alex Green.
"Three defensive linemen versus five offensive linemen!"
Green now had to find a gap in this standoff to complete the two-point conversion, but... before he could even take a step, the defensive end partnership of Justin Smith and Ray McDonald came charging in like a tank, like a dark cloud covering the sky.
The powerful defense even pushed the offensive linemen back. Then, with a delayed hit, they slammed into Green. Justin Smith then went a step further, crossing the shattered offensive line, tackling Green, who was trying to shift his weight, and making a fatal hit, taking him down on the spot!
The two-point conversion failed.
A collective groan of regret went up from Lambeau Field. They were so close to tying the score, but in the end, they regrettably missed it. A two-point conversion is worth two points because the difficulty is so high. Reward and risk exist together.
"26-28."
The score was temporarily set at this. The referee blew the whistle for the end of the third quarter. Although the final two-point conversion failed, the Green Bay Packers still scored a spectacular touchdown and closed the gap to a point where a field goal could give them the lead.
All the suspense was left for the final quarter!
Aaron Rodgers was indeed Aaron Rodgers. He was extraordinary.
The energy he showed in a desperate situation should never be underestimated. Even with his offensive line's performance being consistently unsatisfactory, he almost single-handedly carried the entire offense, holding on to the game tightly and refusing to surrender against the 49ers' storm-like offense and defense!
He not only didn't surrender but also sounded the horn for a counterattack.
This also meant that Rodgers had passed the test and had once again put the pressure back on Lu Ke. Any slight laxity could be the turning point that would change the outcome of the game.
So, what kind of answer would Lu Ke give?
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