Chapter 742: Taking a Step Forward
"Hey, Randy."
Of course, Randy Moss heard him. He wasn't deaf. He even heard the gasps from the onlookers in the locker room. He just didn't want to respond, and he was too lazy to.
But apparently, Moss had underestimated the young quarterback's patience and character.
Lu Ke not only didn't get angry or impatient, but he also quickly calmed down and sincerely apologized.
It's worth noting that his tone was sincere and earnest, but not submissive. He put both of them on equal footing, calmly faced his own mistakes and faults, and honestly confronted the known issues and conflicts. He also showed a genuine willingness to actively solve the problem.
This was truly rare!
For any young player, and for any starting quarterback, this was a very valuable and rare quality.
What's more, this quarterback had set countless historical records in his rookie season and had just defeated a powerful opponent in the first game of the new season. It would have been difficult enough for him not to be overconfident and arrogant, but he was able to calmly face the problem?
Moss had been in the league for 13 years. He had encountered countless quarterbacks, and he had worked with the top quarterback, Tom Brady, for three and a half years. He knew how special the quarterback position was.
They enjoyed endless glory and carried immense pressure. More importantly, most of them were privileged darlings and arrogant.
They could accept the glory of victory but found it hard to bear the pain of defeat. They could be the heroes of victory but couldn't be the culprits of a loss. Maybe they could do so in front of the media and the public, bravely taking on the responsibility of a leader, but it was often difficult for them to truly humble themselves in front of their teammates. Admitting a mistake was never easy.
Moss couldn't help but recall the entire process and many details from today's game. He admitted that this quarterback had once again brought a pleasant surprise. He was an interesting guy. But... he still didn't like him. At most, he could say he didn't dislike him.
He was 35 years old. For a wide receiver, he was almost a "grandfather-level" player. When he chose to come back after a year of retirement, it was definitely not to make new friends. He had no interest, no time, and no energy.
"Randy, I'm sorry. In the first quarter of the game today, my behavior was irrational and wrong. I owe you an apology."
The air was silent for a moment. Moss threw his helmet to the ground and finally stood up, turning to face Lu Ke. His dark face still had an untamed look as he looked straight at Lu Ke.
Their height and body type were almost identical: tall, lean, and well-proportioned.
"We're both playing for the win." Moss didn't apologize because he didn't think he had done anything wrong. He wouldn't apologize and refused to. This was his personality, and it had been this way his whole life. It hadn't changed and wouldn't change. But he still responded indirectly, showing that he accepted Lu Ke's friendly gesture.
He paused for a moment, looking into Lu Ke's clear, honest eyes, which calmly met Moss's gaze.
After a brief hesitation, Moss finally spoke. "Don't confine my routes. I don't like it." This was the first time since he joined the 49ers that Moss had officially communicated with Lu Ke.
As Lu Ke said, the conflict and contradiction in today's game became a window to open a bridge of communication. Ultimately, they were both fighting for victory. If it wasn't to compete for a Super Bowl, Moss wouldn't have come out of retirement and wouldn't have chosen the 49ers. Regardless of their differences, their goals were the same.
"Strictly speaking, I don't have routes. I understand what the playbook is about, but don't confine my running with those rigid routes. I need inspiration. I need intuition to complete my runs. The key to breaking zone defense is not the playbook but running with inspiration."
Moss further elaborated on his demands. "You have two choices. First, choose to trust me. When you see that I'm open, throw the ball to me. Second, tell me the target area, and then throw the ball at your pace, and I'll be in position in time. That's all there is to it."
Lu Ke nodded slightly and listened carefully, but he didn't say anything in agreement.
For both Moss and Lu Ke, they were trying to play in their own way.
So far, the 49ers' offense has gradually been stamped with Lu Ke's style. Based on the resources he has, Lu Ke is forming his own playing style. Moss's addition seemed out of place and at a loss. Today's game process and results proved this.
But Lu Ke also had to admit that Moss's words were partly correct. His talent and ability were undoubtedly a sharp sword for tearing apart zone defense. If Lu Ke wanted to fully unleash Moss's power, he had to understand the right way to use it. In this partnership, they still needed to find a way to work together.
"It seems like we should work on our chemistry more in the next training sessions," Lu Ke simply stated a fact, neither confirming nor denying.
In the past few months, on one hand, Moss had just joined the team and was adapting to Harbaugh's tactical system. On the other hand, the intensity of normal training was limited. It was more about practicing the playbook. This meant that Lu Ke and Moss had never truly worked together in a real-game scenario. They were always in a stage of mutual exploration.
The problems that had been exposed in the preseason were completely laid bare in the special atmosphere of today's game, which led to the argument between Lu Ke and Moss.
Now, as Lu Ke said, they had a lot of work to do in the upcoming training sessions.
Moss nodded and didn't say anything else. He turned back around, sat down, and started to get busy, leaving Lu Ke behind.
Lu Ke didn't mind. He also turned around and saw Brooks looking at him in confusion. Brooks spread his hands, as if asking, "How did it go? What's going on now? Why don't I understand?"
Brooks's actions were very exaggerated, and his constant winking made for a comical scene, which made Lu Ke's lips curve up. He shrugged, indicating that he also didn't quite understand the situation, and walked over calmly. He then patted Brooks on the shoulder and continued on his way without stopping.
Then, Lu Ke could see the other teammates in the locker room, all of whom gave him a thumbs-up, showing deep respect and admiration. Including Vernon Davis, no one on the team had been able to break through Moss's icy wall. Although Lu Ke didn't break it today either, he had at least taken the first step.
Lu Ke wasn't shy. He held up both thumbs and deliberately made a smug expression, pointing his thumbs at himself, as if to say, "I'm the king!"
The pantomime-like communication created an even more hilarious atmosphere in the silent locker room. Everyone was biting their lips, trying their best not to burst out laughing.
Vaguely, Moss felt a strange feeling. He instinctively turned his head quickly and caught a glimpse of the pantomime. The comical sight was truly speechless. The corners of his mouth twitched a little.
Brooks was a half-beat slow and caught up, putting his hand on Lu Ke's shoulder, ready to ask what was going on in detail—
A loud "bang" erupted. The locker room door was roughly pushed open. Aldon Smith and Michael Crabtree were dancing and singing as they entered the locker room, wiggling their butts and raising their hands. The noisy commotion and exaggerated movements instantly broke the silence and quietness of the room, and the slowly decreasing temperature began to boil again.
All the players looked at Moss, but they only saw his back as he stood up and headed to the showers. So, everyone instantly lifted the seal and became lively again.
Lu Ke turned to look at Brooks. "Hey, Ahmad, I think I should start watching the New England Patriots' game tapes."
"What? Now?" Brooks didn't understand. The game against the New England Patriots was still a long way off.
Lu Ke chuckled. "Not for the matchup, but for Randy Moss. I think I should watch the 2007 Patriots' game tapes to see how he broke through, and how Brady and Belichick used this point of attack. Although it's a little embarrassing to say... this is only my second season."
The last sentence was clearly self-deprecating, and Brooks couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The lack of experience had once again become Lu Ke's weakness.
He didn't know how to work with receivers of different styles and types. He mostly followed the playbook. Of course, another way to say it was that Lu Ke now knew how to work with role players but didn't know how to work with talented players.
As for talented players like Crabtree and Vernon, they were already part of Harbaugh's tactical system from the beginning. This was also the first system Lu Ke encountered in the league, and starting from scratch was always simpler.
Learn and practice; practice and learn. This was what Lu Ke needed to do now.
Although he didn't say much, Brooks immediately understood. Lu Ke and Moss had clearly reached a consensus, which was a good thing for the team. Not only did a conflict not break out, but they were one step closer to solving the problem. "My God, are you sure this is only your second season? I thought this was your twelfth season."
Lu Ke spread his hands and said with a calm expression, "Who knows? Maybe you're right."
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