Chapter 346 343: Isolated and Helpless

In week five of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams were temporarily at the top of their respective divisions, and what was expected to be a tough clash turned into a completely one-sided affair. The 49:3 scoreline marked an undisputed blowout victory, allowing the San Francisco 49ers to further solidify their lead in the National League West division.

In this game, the 49ers' rookie quarterback, Lu Ke, was undoubtedly the biggest highlight of the day!

Of course, as a rookie, Lu Ke still had an incredibly long road ahead of him in his professional career. Just like Tony Romo, and just like Josh Freeman today, he would need to prove himself again and again in every game, every season. A single disastrous loss could easily put him in the crosshairs of public criticism.

But undeniably, Lu Ke's performance over the past five games was plain for all to see.

This was especially true of today's game.

The game was far from as easy as the score suggested. True professionals could tell that the first half was the main point of contention. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers actually had their chances. Even though their offense was lackluster, their Defense Team still went toe-to-toe with the San Francisco 49ers.

But the 49ers' offense, under Lu Ke's leadership, truly showed their championship mettle. They accurately and sharply dismantled their opponent, ultimately securing a massive win.

In the future, Lu Ke would still need to face more tests. But for now, he was being swept up in a storm of praise.

"Inside the Alliance" was the source of this storm—praise, praise, and more praise. For the first time, Lu Ke had won unanimous approval. This was competitive sports, where absolute skill indisputably holds the ultimate say.

In fact, this game was crucial, both for the San Francisco 49ers and for Lu Ke.

After the disappointing loss last week, the coaching staff, led by Jim Hubble, chose to continue trusting Lu Ke, letting the undrafted rookie start. Every one of them was shouldering risk and pressure. In the end, Lu Ke repaid the coaching staff's faith with a spectacular performance.

32 of 43 passes completed for 414 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions, no sacks, a quarterback rating of 142.9, and a PFF grade of 1.8.

This was the first time in his professional career that Lu Ke had thrown for over 400 yards in a single game. At the same time, it was also his highest quarterback rating since week one of the regular season. With only five weeks of the season passed, he had already notched his second game with a rating over 140, putting him on par with the brilliant Aaron Rodgers. Even the outstanding Drew Brees was slightly behind.

In fact, Brees had also been on fire for the past five weeks, with a current regular-season record of four wins and one loss. His only defeat was in the first game against a red-hot Green Bay Packers.

On the individual stats leaderboards, Brees led in both passing yards and completion percentage, not just in the National League but in the entire Alliance. Beyond that, his number of passing touchdowns was only behind Lu Ke and Rodgers, placing him temporarily at third in the National League.

Alliance commentators and analysts were all saying that this was the best season of Aaron Rodgers' career and the second-best of Drew Brees' career. And between these two elite quarterbacks, Lu Ke had burst onto the scene, carving out a path for himself. He was currently third on the leaderboards for passing yards and completion percentage, behind only Brees and Rodgers, while leading the entire Alliance on the passing touchdown leaderboard.

Astounding. It was simply astounding. In terms of average quarterback rating over the five games, Lu Ke had already surpassed Rodgers, temporarily taking the top spot to lead the entire Alliance.

A performance like this easily ignited all discussions. Even the most nitpicky and harsh commentators and analysts couldn't find fault!

If one really had to nitpick, it would be Lu Ke's lack of seniority and experience. With only five complete games in his entire professional career, no one could predict if he would suddenly collapse at some point in the future. But setting that aside, his performance in these five games was truly impeccable.

Five games, four wins, one loss—this was just the record on paper. As the commentators on "Inside the Alliance" said, in this game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, what was more valuable than the victory itself was the commanding presence and ability the San Francisco 49ers showed to seize the advantage in a tough confrontation.

Was Lu Ke perfect? Of course not. He still had a long way to go before becoming a perfect quarterback. But for the San Francisco 49ers, Lu Ke was the perfect starting quarterback.

And so, during the recording of "Inside the Alliance" today, in an unprecedented moment, all the commentators offered their praise.

Even the perpetually critical Matt Lawrence candidly admitted this week, "Lu Ke has shown the potential of an outstanding quarterback. While some of his passing choices are still debatable, his competitive spirit is truly refreshing. This quarterback is never afraid of confrontation, nor does he fear competition. His clutch performance in crucial moments undoubtedly decided the course of the game."

In past weeks, Matt had always been the staunchest representative of the opposition, but today he offered sincere praise. "Under the immense pressure from the home crowd, he demonstrated an outstanding competitive form. Personally, although his quarterback rating was better in the first week, I much prefer his strategic command in this game. You can clearly see his growth."

These remarks earned the approval of the other commentators on the show. Everyone began pointing out the highlight moments from the game, re-examining Lu Ke's performance and this victory in detail.

Well, maybe not *everyone*. There was one sole exception on the show: Charles Davis.

Amidst the bustling discussion, Charles was exceptionally quiet today, silent even. It was as if he were an invisible man who hadn't even shown up for the recording. He didn't say a single word from beginning to end, just sat quietly to the side, listening. But those words of praise were so grating they made him squirm in his seat.

He knew. He knew it all.

From an objective standpoint, Lu Ke's performance in this game was indeed excellent, not just in terms of stats, but also the game's progression. From almost the very first second, the San Francisco 49ers had gained the upper hand and relentlessly suppressed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, giving their opponent no chance whatsoever and powering through to the finish line. The blowout victory was a natural outcome.

But he just didn't like Lu Ke.

He didn't like how this quarterback came from behind to beat the Dallas Cowboys. He didn't like how this quarterback had become a media darling. He didn't like how this quarterback was smugly acting like he was the second coming of Kurt Warner. He didn't like this quarterback's style of play. He didn't like this quarterback's attitude in interviews. He even hated the way this quarterback had burst onto the scene.

And he didn't like this quarterback's "uniqueness," as if he were an anomaly on the field.

To be precise, he hated Lu Ke. He hated everything associated with him.

Although as a commentator, he needed to remain objective and authoritative, and not just spout nonsense. But before being a commentator, he was an ordinary fan. He had the right to like a certain player and the right to hate another. He wouldn't like Lu Ke. He hadn't before, he didn't now, and he wouldn't in the future.

He was lying in wait. He was waiting for the day this rookie would stumble and fall. When that time came, all would be revealed—whether he was a diamond or just dust.

Looking up, everyone in his line of sight was gushing with praise and support. For Charles, this was torture—a torture even more terrible than death by a thousand cuts. How he wanted to scream, 'He's just a rookie! Don't talk like he just won the Super Bowl! For God's sake!'

"Charles, you're being especially quiet today. What are your thoughts on this game?"

Without warning, a voice boomed like a thunderclap on a clear day. In an instant, the entire studio fell silent. All eyes turned in unison toward Charles. The curious, expectant, teasing, and appraising gazes were like a volley of arrows, all striking him at once.

In an instant, Charles became a porcupine.

More than ever before, Charles felt a sense of loneliness, the taste of being utterly isolated, as if the whole world had turned against him. The feeling gnawed at his heart. 'It's as if... as if I'm Lu Ke.' The thought had barely surfaced before Charles decisively snuffed it out. He knew this was a conspiracy, a petty trick by Spencer Larson.

The one who had just spoken was, of course, Spencer.

Ever since the big home victory against the Seattle Seahawks in week one, Spencer had become a supporter of Lu Ke—a steadfast supporter. Now, that support was finally paying off. He had been the one who was isolated on the show, but now their positions were reversed.

Charles straightened his back, trying to remain calm as he said, "It was a win. That's all."

"What do you mean, 'that's all'? What about Lu Ke? What are your thoughts on his performance?" Spencer pressed aggressively.

Charles's eyes widened, rage beginning to burn deep within his pupils. "He's a rookie. It's only been five games. Forget the distant future; he still has eleven games to finish this season alone. He wins a few games, and you're all tripping over yourselves to praise him? What happens if he loses the next eleven straight? What then?"

"I know, we all know." In stark contrast to Charles's agitation, Spencer remained unhurried and confident, the difference between them immediately apparent. "As for the future, we will all continue to watch and wait. We're all well aware of that. But the question right now is, in this game—just this one game against the Buccaneers—how was Lu Ke's performance?"

With that one question, Charles was completely choked up, left dumbfounded and at a loss for words.