Chapter 837: The Pressure Arrives
"A few times?"
"What?"
Faced with Crabtree's incessant and aggressive complaints and accusations, Lu Ke's temper flared up. It was clear that Crabtree had already made up his mind, blaming all the faults on factionalism. This was too big of a burden to bear, and Lu Ke was not willing to take the blame so easily.
Since Crabtree wanted to settle scores, Lu Ke was more than happy to do so.
Every time a pass was incomplete in a game, Lu Ke was also frustrated, depressed, and helpless. He couldn't help but feel angry and resentful. If he could shift all the responsibility to others, he would feel a lot better.
But Lu Ke always told himself that a quarterback and a wide receiver are interdependent and should help each other. Sometimes, his pass might be off, and he would need the wide receiver to use his ability to make the catch. Conversely, when the wide receiver is in a slump and fails to make a catch, it requires him to have more precise defensive reads and pass control. These things are unavoidable.
So, Lu Ke had always avoided simply pushing the blame onto the wide receivers. It was an unfair thing to do.
In the past two games, although Crabtree's performance had not been at its best, Lu Ke didn't want to seem too aggressive, so he didn't talk to him immediately. Instead, he gave him enough time to adjust and recover, hoping that Crabtree could get back into shape as soon as possible.
Now, Crabtree was actually trying to pick a fight with him and was also trying to wash his hands of any responsibility. So Lu Ke didn't mind being frank. "A few times? How many times did you drop the ball?"
Crabtree's face turned red, and his eyes widened. "Twice! Just twice! What's the big deal? It was just a fluke, a fluke!"
"Four times," Lu Ke's expression also turned serious. "Excluding the times when a defensive player put pressure on you, there were four drops due to butterfingers. Michael, even if the team chooses you as a scapegoat, it's not because I have a good relationship with Logan. It's because you're not at your best."
"Aha! You admitted it!" Crabtree's focus was completely different. "You're choosing me as a scapegoat? You're planning to replace me as the starter, aren't you! Aren't you! I caught you!"
"Then whose fault is it, mine or yours?" Lu Ke didn't argue back and forth anymore. Instead, he continued the conversation.
Then he saw Crabtree open his mouth, as if he was about to argue, but Lu Ke didn't give him a chance. "Michael, if you want to be a starter, you have to fight for it with your own efforts. Your performance right now doesn't deserve a starting position, nor does it deserve a win."
"If you have grievances and anger, I am the last person you should vent on," all traces of a smile disappeared from Lu Ke's face. The ferocity and assertiveness of "Bloody Bambi" instantly erupted. "Although I'm the starting quarterback now, I'm always working hard, just like a duck paddling on the water. On the surface, I look calm, but under the water, I'm constantly kicking. Because I'm worried, what if Colin surpasses me? What if my performance isn't good enough to be a starter? I need to work harder to prove myself. I've never relaxed."
"What about you? You're here complaining to me that we're not giving you enough attention. But where's your effort?" Lu Ke's counterattack was quick and fierce, leaving Crabtree speechless. "While Mario, Chad, and A.J. are studying the playbook and working hard in practice, what are you doing? You're complaining."
"Get lost!" Crabtree became angry out of embarrassment. He pushed Lu Ke's chest again with both hands and said, one word at a time, "Don't you dare compare me with those guys! I! Am! Not! A! Fucking! Rookie!"
"Then get your act together quickly!" Lu Ke took a step back, then stepped forward forcefully and squared off with Crabtree. He pushed back with a tough stance. "Whether it's participating in practice, studying plays, or other methods, if you need help, the practice field is here, and we're all here. No one is keeping you out. As long as you can improve, the starting position is yours!"
"Fight for it! Don't complain about it!" Lu Ke said through gritted teeth. His hands were clenched into fists. After trying to hold it in, he finally controlled his emotions, ignored Crabtree, turned around, and left with large strides.
Lu Ke didn't like Crabtree's attitude today. He really didn't. It was easy to just dump all the blame on others, and things would seem much simpler. But he was just wallowing in self-pity, refusing to work hard and refusing to compromise. This was very bad for a team sport.
But Lu Ke didn't forget his identity and mission. He was the offense's captain, and he was working hard to become a competent leader. This was true when he participated in the second-team practice, and it was also true when he faced Crabtree. So, he suppressed all his anger and frustration and turned to leave.
Crabtree stood in place, his mind still unable to process what just happened. "Get out! All of you, get out! What else can you do besides giving high-and-mighty speeches? Coward! You're a coward!" After a string of profanities, Crabtree kicked the wall fiercely, venting all his anger.
The thunderous sound echoed in the empty space, and everyone who walked by could hear it clearly.
A group of people had gathered at the locker room entrance. Logan and Marcus were standing at the front. Logan walked up and looked at Lu Ke with concern. "Bambi, are you okay?"
Then, everyone's eyes were on him.
Lu Ke gave a relaxed smile. "What? Are you going to join me for extra practice? Welcome, a warm welcome."
The solemn and serious atmosphere instantly dissipated. Everyone scattered like birds and beasts, scrambling to get into the locker room. The scene was truly spectacular.
Lu Ke himself couldn't help but laugh. "This is like an exorcism. The effect is too good."
Only a few familiar teammates stayed behind: Logan, Marcus, Lupati, and Aldon. They were all very familiar with Lu Ke's actions and were not surprised. The corners of their mouths curled up slightly, but they quickly returned to their worried expressions and looked at Lu Ke. It was clear that their attention had not been diverted.
Lu Ke shook his head helplessly. "I'm fine. Michael just needs some time to cool down." But his friends looked at him with disbelief, so he could only spread his hands. "I also want to help, but Jim probably won't listen to me. It's not 'Home Alone' time yet."
"Kevin," and "Home Alone" were a reference to the famous 1990 comedy movie "Home Alone," in which eight-year-old Kevin was accidentally left home alone on Christmas and encountered two burglars. Since there were no adults at home, Kevin became the boss of the house, and he had to drive the two burglars away to protect his home.
Now, Lu Ke's point was that Jim Harbaugh was the one who controlled the starting roster, and it wasn't his place to interfere.
A small joke, but it explained the situation in the simplest way possible.
Logan and the others immediately understood, but they were powerless to help. Marcus could only comfort him regretfully. "Michael is just a bit impatient. We can all understand. You don't have to worry too much."
Logan, however, complained indignantly. "All he does is complain, complain, complain. Now he's taking his anger out on you. It's ridiculous. If he had performed better in the games, it wouldn't be like this now. When we were practicing today, why didn't I see him being proactive? Everyone was working hard together, and he was the only one who was an outcast, as if the whole world owed him something."
"Logan," Marcus said, trying to persuade him.
But Logan didn't care. "I'm serious. Vernon and I are not in a good state either. We're both trying to adjust. We're actively adapting to the situation. This season is new for all of us, so why is he the only one who's special? Why does the whole team have to revolve around him? Even if the team revolves around one person, it should be Bambi, not him."
"Logan!" Lu Ke had to stop him as he was getting more and more out of line.
Logan finally calmed down a bit and mumbled a few words, but he didn't continue.
Lu Ke could feel the worried looks from Lupati and Marcus, the complaining look from Aldon, and the disgruntled look from Logan. It seemed that everyone was more agitated and excited than he was. A warm feeling slid through his heart, which made the smile on Lu Ke's face return. He said with a serious face, "Don't think that tonight's tactical meeting will be less of a task."
Logan knew Lu Ke best and immediately acted like a funny guy, covering his head and complaining. "No way! Don't do this. We have such a long break this time. We don't have to be in a hurry, right? We can take our time, we can take our time."
The serious atmosphere relaxed once again.
But for the first time, Lu Ke truly felt the pressure of a winning streak.
Last season, the longest winning streak was only five games, and the so-called pressure didn't seem to be very clear.
But this season, they had already reached seven consecutive wins. Injuries, performance fluctuations, and changes in mentality. All kinds of factors were starting to surface. In a long season, the problems they had to face were getting more and more. At the same time, the games every week wouldn't stop, and the pressure was accumulating little by little.
Would the young and ambitious San Francisco 49ers fall apart under pressure, or would they break through and soar to new heights?
No one knew. They could only move forward one step at a time, and the road game against the Arizona Cardinals was the first step.
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