Chapter 391: Revenge Showdown

Chapter 391: Chapter 388: Revenge Showdown

The untold stories between the Washington Redskins and Lu Ke.

In fact, reporters had already kicked up a fuss early in the regular season. At the time, however, the Redskins had an impressive record. They had achieved an excellent 3-1 record in their first four games, putting them neck and neck with the San Francisco 49ers. That record included a season-opening victory over their division rival, the New York Giants, and the entire team was brimming with confidence.

So, Head Coach Mike Shanahan maintained a calm and composed demeanor, offering simple praise: “His performance has indeed been good.” But he then quickly shifted his tone, giving more credit to his team’s quarterback, Rex Grossman. Shanahan stated that the nine-year league veteran had now truly found his rhythm and was in the prime of his career.

If the matchup between Lu Ke and the Washington Redskins had happened in Week 5 of the regular season, with two 3-1 teams facing off, the media would have undoubtedly hyped it up as Lu Ke’s game to prove himself. They would have looked forward to Lu Ke defeating the Redskins with his performance, proving that the Redskins’ front office had made a mistake during the Draft.

But that would have been a fairly standard storyline, unlikely to cause much of a stir.

Now, however, it wasn’t Week 5 of the regular season, but Week 9. And the world had been turned upside down, presenting a completely different picture.

In Week 5, the Washington Redskins had their bye week. After returning, the entire team seemed to have lost its touch and fell into disarray, suffering a dreadful three-game losing streak with consecutive losses to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Carolina Panthers, and the Buffalo Bills.

The most humiliating of these was the loss to the Panthers, which handed them only their second win of the season. Throughout the game, quarterback Rex Grossman was ice-cold, his performance abysmal. He was thoroughly outplayed by this year’s number one draft pick, Cam Newton, and faced a storm of criticism from the home media afterward.

Going from 3-1 to three straight losses, with the bye week as the turning point, the Washington Redskins’ decline was so rapid it was like they’d fallen off a cliff. Grossman’s performance was a nightmare. Last week, in their away game against the Buffalo Bills, they were shut out, losing by a dreadful score of 0-23.

Even worse than the Cleveland Browns’ performance.

The showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins was about to take place against this backdrop. Compared to a Week 5 matchup, the drama and newsworthiness had been ratcheted up several notches. It was as if fate had brought these two teams together again. How could the media not be excited?

Immediately after the victory over the Cleveland Browns, reporters threw this very question at Lu Ke during the interviews.

However, Lu Ke showed the poise of a seasoned leader, replying calmly and wisely, “No, I don’t see this as a revenge game.”

He then elaborated, “I’ve been playing well so far this season, but everyone should see that our offense has come together as a unit. At the same time, the coaching staff’s strategies are well-suited to my strengths. It’s because of the San Francisco 49ers that I’m able to stand here for this interview. If I were on a different team, things might be different.”

Finally, Lu Ke concluded with a polite remark, “I’m sure the Washington Redskins had their reasons for not picking me. And playing for San Francisco at Candlestick Park, that’s my destiny. So, I think everything is fine as it is. Of course, we will definitely fight for the win and give it our all.”

‘A fox. He’s a sly little fox.’

Faced with Lu Ke’s watertight answer, the reporters knew instantly that they would be returning empty-handed this time. Lu Ke definitely wasn’t going to give them the soundbites they wanted; their plan to ignite a controversy was already half-ruined. But thankfully, there was still the hot-tempered and loose-lipped Mike Shanahan. This other half of their plan couldn’t possibly fail.

As it turned out, the other half didn’t fail.

“No, I don’t regret it. What is there to regret?”

Faced with the reporters’ aggressive questioning, the hot-tempered, stubborn, and blunt Shanahan, still irritable after a painful loss, gave his answer with a wave of his hand, as if dismissively swatting away a fly.

“He’s just a rookie quarterback. He plays a few good games in the first half of the season, and suddenly everyone is fawning all over him. ‘Genius,’ ‘savior,’ ‘elite quarterback’—they just start piling on one title after another. Does it ever end? Has the game changed that much? He’s not Aaron Rodgers, and he’s not Peyton Manning. Let’s talk about this after he’s played a full season.”

With the reporters fanning the flames, the disdain and contempt in his words were barely concealed. He launched a full-blown verbal assault on Lu Ke, blurting out explosive comments without thinking.

Clearly, Shanahan was in a terrible mood and had no patience for the reporters.

But the reporters weren’t about to let such a golden opportunity slip away. “Isn’t that the whole point of the draft? To pick rookie players with potential and build for the team’s future? As it stands, the facts have proven Lu Ke’s potential—you could even say his future is limitless. The Washington Redskins were once so close to getting this rookie but regrettably missed out. What are your thoughts on that?”

“I just said, let’s discuss this after a full season is over. There’s still a long way to go.” Shanahan shot back without hesitation. His impatient tone was like hitting a brick wall, and though his words were simple, the subtext was loaded.

The reporters on site immediately picked up on his meaning and grew excited. “Coach, are you saying you’re not optimistic about Lu Ke’s future prospects?”

“I’m not his father, and I’m not his coach. I have no interest in his future.” Shanahan bluntly cut off the question, refusing to walk into the trap.

But it was too late. The reporters relentlessly hounded him for his thoughts on next week’s game. To this, Shanahan gruffly stated, “We will win.” Without further explanation, he pushed past the reporters and quickly walked away.

Regardless, the reporters had achieved their desired effect. All eyes were now on this matchup, and the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins was branded a “revenge game.”

In the media’s narrative, both Lu Ke and Shanahan were desperate for this win.

For Lu Ke, he needed a victory to prove his unquestionable talent and to show that the Washington Redskins had made the wrong decision. For Shanahan, he also needed a win, not only to prove his judgment had been sound and that the team didn’t need Lu Ke, but also to stop the momentum of their three-game losing streak. Otherwise, forget the playoffs—the entire season would be a wash.

Beyond that, this game was special for Rex Grossman too. He needed to prove himself, especially to the fans. Otherwise, they might turn their anger on him, believing the team’s decision to choose Grossman over Lu Ke was a complete mistake.

Even setting Lu Ke aside, Grossman had his back against the wall for this week’s game and had to pull himself together.

And so, in Week 9 of the regular season, what should have been an ordinary game between two teams with no real grudge or history between them became a hot-button topic, all thanks to media hype.

Amid this uproar, the Washington Redskins’ fanbase split into three camps.

One camp continued to support Shanahan, believing that Grossman still had talent and that the team could bounce back from rock bottom; there was no need to dwell on the past. Another camp chose to criticize Shanahan, arguing that the team absolutely should have picked Lu Ke in the Draft. Regardless of Grossman’s performance, the veteran was already thirty-one years old, and they should have been thinking about the future.

The third camp remained rational. Whether they regretted it or not, missing out on Lu Ke was a done deal. Rather than arguing over a pointless topic, it was better to unite and cheer for the team, hoping they could end their three-game losing streak and get back on the winning track.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, a new week of the regular season kicked off at FedEx Field.

The start of the game was somewhat unexpected—or perhaps, completely expected. But whichever way you put it, it was good news for the Washington Redskins fans.

Because Lu Ke had just thrown an interception.

“Unexpected! Truly unexpected! On the San Francisco 49ers’ first offensive drive of the game, after advancing to their own 37-yard line, Lu Ke throws an interception! This is only his second interception of the entire season. Clearly, this ‘revenge game’ has affected him to some degree. The mental wavering impacted his passing control. Let’s take a look at the replay.”

“The Washington Redskins were on offense first and went three-and-out, after which the San Francisco 49ers’ offense took the field. Lu Ke completed an eleven-yard pass, successfully connecting with Michael Crabtree. They then gained another six yards, bringing them to the 37-yard line. But on the very next pass, Lu Ke’s throw was off the mark.”

“The San Francisco 49ers’ offensive pocket came under some pressure but wasn’t collapsing. Lu Ke had a relatively stable space to throw from. He tried to find Kyle Williams in a crowd, but the eight-yard pass drifted half a step to the right. Williams only managed to get a hand on the football, altering its trajectory but failing to make the catch.”

“In the end, cornerback Josh Wilson, waiting just three yards away, didn’t have to move an inch. The football landed right in his arms for a successful interception. If Marcus Lynch hadn’t quickly tackled Wilson out of bounds and prevented a possible return, the situation would have been even worse.”

“Although Lu Ke appeared perfectly calm in the pre-game interviews, it’s clear now that this revenge game has had an impact on him.”