Chapter 369 366: Five Steps Away

"Third and six. Lu Ke takes a quick drop back, looking for a target, but the pocket collapses. Under pressure, number fourteen for the San Francisco 49ers is forced to scramble out of the pocket. He's trying to reset his feet to buy more time for the pass. Two defenders are closing in fast, but before he can be sacked, the rookie quarterback decisively gets the ball away.

It's a Rainbow Pass!

A deep ball! Lu Ke once again unleashes his signature deep pass. It's a long bomb aimed straight for the red zone, but this one seems a little off-target, the placement inaccurate. Delmas, number twenty-six for the Detroit Lions, Louis Delmas, is already waiting in position, ready for the interception.

Wait, Ted Ginn Jr.! Gene appears at the catch point, leaping high! Reaching high!

Oh, my God! My God! Ted Ginn Jr.! Ted Ginn Jr.! How in the world did you make that catch? Oh my God, the number nineteen Wide Receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, Ted Ginn Jr., just made an absolutely spectacular catch out of the air!

Folks, folks, this is absolutely incredible! What a magnificent catch! A devastating reception on a forty-one-yard pass, getting them into the opponent's red zone in one fell swoop. Now the San Francisco 49ers aren't just looking for a field goal, they're looking for a Touchdown—a Touchdown to kill the game!"

The visiting fans' section at Ford Field erupted. Everyone leaped to their feet, roaring and screaming with abandon. The adrenaline of the crucial moment surged through them all, without exception. The tsunami of cheers thundered through the entire stadium, echoing long and loud.

It wasn't just the fans; even Ted and Kirk in the broadcast booth were gasping in amazement.

They were repeatedly replaying the video of the catch, switching between camera angles to watch Gene's incredible, clutch reception from every possible perspective. It was a display of raw athleticism pushed to its absolute limit, especially the way he seemed to get a second burst of energy while hanging in the air, reminiscent of "His Airness," Michael Jordan.

"Incredible. Truly incredible. How on earth did Ted Ginn Jr. do that? Unbelievable!" Teddy gushed after watching the replay several times. "Who would have thought? After entering the Alliance as the ninth overall pick, he was buried on special teams, practically an unknown. But in this 2011 season, he's having a complete breakout, fully showcasing his ability as a deep vertical threat and his knack for making catches in extreme situations!"

"In fact, speed has always been Ted's strength." Kirk's voice had grown raspy after all the hoarse shouting, but he paid it no mind, jumping excitedly into the discussion.

"During the Rookie Training Camp, Ted's forty-yard dash time was 4.37 seconds; that was his strongest showing. Now, with Lu Ke throwing to him, his speed advantage and receiving talent are finally being utilized, and he's been completely revitalized. Without a doubt, Ted has now become the team's number two receiving target, and his performance has been spectacular."

After his brief summary, Kirk couldn't help but exclaim again, "That catch was like a miracle. And it's not just us; the players on the field felt the same way."

...

On the gridiron, the scene was chaotic.

After making the catch, Ted Ginn Jr. scrambled to his feet, clenched his fists, and let out a roar to the heavens. "AH! AHHHHH!" It was a pure, primal scream of release.

It was such an impossibly difficult catch; he wasn't even sure he could ever replicate it. But on that play, he had done it. A feeling of pure exhilaration surged through his veins, too powerful to contain, so he let it all out.

Logan, who was closest, was the first to rush over and join the celebration. Then came Crabtree and Vernon, followed by their teammates from the Offense Line. They all swarmed together, slapping Gene's shoulders and cheering wildly, as if they had already won the game.

Even Lu Ke was no exception, watching dumbfounded as Gene pushed his athletic gifts to their absolute peak, wrenching the impossible into the realm of possibility and creating a miracle.

Without a doubt, Gene deserved all the credit for that play.

Not far away, a stunned and dejected Delmas stood frozen in place, hands on his hips with a helpless, lost expression. Two of his teammates from the Lions Team's Defense Team walked over and patted Delmas's shoulder, consoling him and letting him know it wasn't his fault.

Faced with such a superhuman play, there was very little they could do, much like when opponents had to face Calvin Johnson. It wasn't a defensive error; they were simply powerless against it. Gene's play just now was the same—divinely inspired.

But the drive wasn't over. The San Francisco 49ers were in the red zone, just five short yards from the End Zone. Until a Touchdown was scored, anything was possible—for the Lions Team as well as for the 49ers.

The best-case scenario was a Touchdown; the worst, an interception. The most moderate outcome would be the 49ers failing to score a Touchdown and settling for a field goal, which would then put the game in Matthew Stafford's hands to see if he could mount a clutch comeback. So, nothing was set in stone yet.

After a brief celebration, both teams lined up again. Just five yards from the End Zone, the tense atmosphere returned, so thick you could feel sparks crackling on your skin.

The San Francisco 49ers came out in a basic formation: two receivers to the left, two to the right, with Lu Ke in the Pistol Formation and a running back to his right.

It was a simple, no-frills formation, but the use of a two-Tight End set made it distinctive. Logan and Crabtree lined up on the left, with Gene and Vernon on the right. The alignment itself was perfectly balanced. The formation looked plain, but it held countless possibilities, making the potential plays varied and difficult to defend against.

The Detroit Lions responded to the ambiguity with a standard defense. Four players on the Defense Line were up front, with three linebackers taking two steps back to stand on the goal line, the white line at the front of the End Zone. Behind them, a cornerback and safety were positioned on the left, with another pair on the right, providing tight coverage over the short and intermediate passing zones—

They were in the red zone; the longest possible pass was about fifteen yards before it would go out of the back of the End Zone. Therefore, the Defense Team only needed to cover short and intermediate routes, which allowed their defensive scheme to be much more concentrated.

First and goal from the five-yard line.

After the snap, Lu Ke fired a quick, short pass to Logan, who was pushing forward powerfully. But the route was read, and just before the catch, a cornerback batted the ball away, forcing an incompletion. Fortunately, it wasn't an interception, but it still sent a cold sweat through the visiting fans.

The Detroit Lions' Defense Team once again showed their tenacity, seemingly unfazed by the previous big play.

Second and five.

After the snap, Lu Ke took a quick drop back. He didn't rush the throw, instead scanning the field and taking in the formation.

To the right, Gene and Vernon both exploded off the line, instantly accelerating into the End Zone, looking for an opening in the tight coverage to make a catch.

Marcus, trailing a half-step behind, also ran a route to the right. He stopped in the five-yard space between the line of scrimmage and the End Zone, turned, and prepared for the catch, but two linebackers simultaneously cut off the passing lane between him and Lu Ke.

To the left, both Crabtree and Logan flared out toward the sideline. Crabtree ran the inside route, Logan the outside, moving like two parallel lines extending straight ahead. They didn't hit top speed; instead, they turned to face Lu Ke, adjusting their footwork and getting their hands ready for a pass.

The Lions' defenders had them bracketed. The left cornerback and safety were closing in fast for tight, man-to-man coverage, while a linebacker cut across to block the passing lane.

The field was congested. In the narrow space, both the left and right sides were jammed with players. The only exception was the middle, where a wide-open area had appeared. The only thing was, there were no defenders there... but no offensive players either. It was a vacuum.

'A vacuum?'

In a flash, an idea streaked through Lu Ke's mind. In the next instant, he used his peripheral vision to scan the entangled Offense and Defense Lines just in front of him. They were still locked in combat, their feet having shifted slightly to the right. This time, the four-man rush from the Forward Players hadn't been very effective; the pocket was solid as a rock.

'A vacuum.'

The second time, the thought rang a bell in his mind. As a traditional pocket quarterback, a Ball-Carrying Run was strictly a Passive Skill, a last resort for emergencies. His body's instincts couldn't quite keep up with the speed of his thoughts, which was why he was a beat slow. It was only when the inspiration struck a second time that Lu Ke finally realized what that vacuum truly meant.

And so, Lu Ke audaciously tucked the football, took a few quick steps to his left, and then... started running.

"He's moving! Lu Ke is scrambling out of the pocket by choice, his eyes on Logan Newman and Michael Crabtree to the left, looking for a passing window. But the Lions Team's coverage is incredibly tight; there are almost no openings.

Wait, what... what is this? Lu Ke is keeping it himself! The San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback is taking off with the football, pushing quickly into the open space on the left! It's a complete vacuum there, not a single defender in sight! Lu Ke has chosen to run it in himself! Oh my God, my God, what are we witnessing!

The defenders are trying to recover, but it's too late! It's way too late! It's only five short yards! Lu Ke's running form might be clumsy, but over a short five-yard dash, he strolls into the End Zone without taking a single hit, without meeting any challenge at all! Touchdown! A successful Touchdown!"