Chapter 335 333: The Last Line of Defense

After an unbelievable running play, Lu Ke once again keenly sensed the subtle shift in the atmosphere on the field. His hunter's intuition told him this was his chance. And so, the San Francisco 49ers' offense began to pick up the pace—

With limited time left before the end of the first half, the play-calling became rushed and condensed. Jim Hubble simply handed over on-field command to his quarterback. Under Lu Ke's leadership, the 49ers initiated a no-huddle offense, casting aside complicated tactical arrangements. For a moment, it was like they were back on a college field.

"The ball is snapped! The offense line holds back the defense line's rush once again. Lu Ke scrambles out of the pocket, drawing the attention of the linebackers and cornerbacks, then quickly releases the ball for a seven-yard completion! He finds Kyle Williams, who was cutting in from the right. It's a mismatch! Williams uses his speed advantage, forcing an error from the covering cornerback and rapidly advancing the ball."

"Williams shows some nimble footwork, pushing forward, then forward again before the reinforcing safety shoves him out of bounds! There are thirty-six seconds left in the first half, but the San Francisco 49ers are already in the red zone, standing on the sixteen-yard line. They're aiming for a touchdown again! This fluid attack hasn't given the Buccaneers' defense a single moment to breathe."

Amidst the torrential offensive onslaught, Troy's commentary was tight and rapid. It was as if he didn't even need to breathe, the unending stream of words pouring out like a waterfall.

"Snap! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are only sending a four-man rush, blanketing the short and intermediate zones with tight coverage. Lu Ke holds his ground, adjusting his stance in the pocket before raising his arm and releasing the pass. The target is… Ted Ginn Jr.! Lu Ke finds the wide receiver, Ginn, with a nine-yard pass to the left."

"Ginn! Ted Ginn Jr., on a quick inside cut, shakes off the cornerback and makes the catch! The Buccaneers' number 23 cornerback is coming in for the tackle! He breaks it! Ginn breaks the tackle! Number 23 is trying to hold him back! There's a flag on the play, a flag on the play! But Ginn is still going, he's sprinting! After shaking off number 23, two of the Buccaneers' safeties converge on him, trying to shut the door!"

A straight sprint and an inside cut—it was only a short eight or nine-yard route. But before he could even exhale, Ginn had pushed his speed to its limit, carving out a small opening. Amidst the dense red zone defense, it was a window that lasted only the blink of an eye, but Ginn knew it was more than enough for Lu Ke.

Sure enough.

Swift and decisive. A beautiful, short bullet pass flew toward him. After making the catch, Ginn hadn't even fully secured the football when he felt the force of a tackle from behind. He stopped short, spun around, and then his legs began to churn like bicycle pedals. With a powerful surge, he quickly broke the opponent's tackle and kept moving forward.

But after taking just two steps, he caught two players closing in from either side in his peripheral vision. He accelerated, then accelerated again, pushing his speed to the absolute limit. However, with only five yards of space, there wasn't enough room to get a running start and reach his top speed before the safety on his left was already on him.

In that critical split second, every muscle in Ginn's body tensed. He slammed on the brakes, pulling all his momentum inward and stopping dead in his tracks with a WHOOSH. He watched as the safety, now just inches away, overshot him, swerving past by a hair's breadth.

The frustrated safety reached out, trying to grab a piece of Ginn. But Ginn wasn't about to be caught. He dipped his shoulder, took a large stride, and slipped past the safety.

At the same time, the safety from the right dove onto Ginn's back. But Ginn ignored him, dragging the defender on his shoulders like a koala. He powerfully lifted his legs, his churning feet now pounding like waterwheel paddles. The THUD THUD THUD of his steps sounded like a steam train as he roared past.

In just two more huge strides, Ginn was in the end zone.

"Touchdown! Touchdown! It is a touchdown!" Troy threw his arms up, cheering. "Folks, that is a touchdown! On that play, the San Francisco 49ers' number nineteen wide receiver, Ted Ginn Jr., broke one tackle, then another, and finally powered his way into the end zone while being dragged down by a defender to score! Just before the end of the first half, the San Francisco 49ers have scored another touchdown!"

In the end zone, the referee raised both arms high, confirming the score. The yellow flag from earlier was for a penalty on the defense. Since the offense scored, the penalty is declined, and the touchdown stands.

The stadium erupted. The entirety of Candlestick Park was boiling over. Everyone was cheering, everyone was jumping. That vast ocean of red churned with Fierce Waves, and a frenzied roar echoed under the sky. The brilliant crimson burned brightly, seeming to set the whole sky ablaze as a sea of red spread out as far as the eye could see.

Unimaginable. Absolutely unimaginable. In just the first half, Lu Ke had completed four touchdowns—four passing touchdowns. Such an achievement, such a performance... even the word "unbelievable" wasn't enough to convey the sheer shock and astonishment. Even his five-touchdown performance in the first week of the regular season couldn't compare to throwing for four touchdowns in a single half today.

Almost single-handedly, Lu Ke had shattered every last bit of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense's confidence.

Michael Bennett stood frozen in place, his anger slowly giving way to a blank confusion. It was as if he'd lost his bearings, his purpose. He didn't understand how this was happening. He'd given his all, the team had given their all, but they were completely unable to stop the San Francisco 49ers' offense. Its momentum was like a sweeping cavalry charge, effortlessly crushing all their defensive efforts.

'Just a moment ago, what should have been a surefire sack turned into a twenty-one-yard scramble by Lu Ke. In a mere ninety-four seconds, they had once again watched helplessly as their opponent reached the end zone. Missed tackles, one after another. They'd have a player right in their grasp, only to watch him slip away. All they could do was stare at his back as he left them in the dust...'

'The frustration, the oppressive weight of it all… it was suffocating.'

'It felt as if their final line of defense had fallen. Other than laying down their arms and surrendering, there seemed to be no other way out.'

Lifting his head, Bennett saw the endless ocean of red. The sight stung his eyes. The sheer power of the home crowd's support made him feel incredibly small, smaller than ever before. A profound sense of powerlessness weighed on his shoulders, dragging him down.

Standing in the surging sea of people, Noah Parker seemed to notice the visiting team's low morale and dejection. He realized this was the perfect opportunity to crush them completely. The San Francisco 49ers were already dominating on the scoreboard; now, they needed to utterly demolish their opponents' morale and courage.

So, Noah began to move quickly, tapping his friends on the shoulder and shouting in their ears. One by one, the same words began to spread by word of mouth through that section of the stands.

Jeff Locke was the first to start the chant, "We are! Warriors!"

Slowly, more fans joined in—first a small section, then an entire stand, and finally the whole stadium. All seventy thousand spectators recreated the magnificent chant from the start of the game, "We are! Warriors! We are! Warriors!" Amidst the surging red ocean, their fierce faces radiated a powerful fighting spirit, a presence that seemed to pour down from the heavens and explode across the vast stadium.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers players stood on the field, looking utterly lost.

After David Akens once again kicked the extra point, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half. The score stood at 28–0, with the San Francisco 49ers holding a commanding lead thanks to four touchdowns.

"Judging by the score alone, this doesn't look like a matchup between two division leaders. It looks more like a one-sided blowout," Teddy offered his opinion. "But the truth is, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played very tenaciously in the first half. It's just that their issue with missed tackles at critical moments has been devastating, and it's completely turned the game around. Kirk, what are your thoughts?"

"Personally, I think the 49ers came in better prepared, while the Buccaneers seem to be struggling to keep pace. Strategically, the 49ers' rookie quarterback, Lu Ke, has been incredible. He's dissected the Buccaneers' defensive scheme like a scalpel. One mistake led to another, and by the time the Buccaneers reacted, they were already hopelessly behind."

Kirk had a slightly different take. "If you just watch the flow of the game, it's been a very intense, back-and-forth battle. It looks close. But ultimately, the scoreboard tells the story: the 49ers have four touchdowns, and the Buccaneers haven't even put points on the board. That means the 49ers have a commanding lead in every aspect. The question now is, is this a matter of poor preparation, or is it a true disparity in skill? The second half will give us the answer."

Both teams were currently first in their respective divisions, yet the San Francisco 49ers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were demonstrating completely different levels of play. Compared to their performances over the last four weeks, this was incredibly abnormal. But in the context of a long season, it was perfectly normal.

As Charles Davis, an analyst for "Inside the Alliance," had said, at the beginning of the season, there are always plenty of teams that are healthy, in top form, and have excellent records. But as the season wears on, true strength begins to reveal itself, and some teams inevitably start to fall behind.

Therefore, the second half would be the ultimate litmus test for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Could they mount a comeback from the brink?