Chapter 421: Not to be Underestimated

Jiang Youning was the first to notice something was wrong with Lu Ke. It was like a sixth sense; even though Lu Ke was just a palm-sized figure in her line of sight, his movements almost impossible to make out, she could just sense that something was wrong. Then she noticed the team doctor entering the field, and Jiang Youning’s heart clenched violently. Her fingertips curled into tight fists.

Lu Zhengze noticed his wife’s tension. Puzzled, he turned his head and then saw Lu Ke talking with the team doctor. His own throat tightened slightly, but he still tried to comfort his wife. “They’re just talking right now, it shouldn’t be anything serious. You know, Ke might have felt something was off, like a muscle pull or something. They just need to check it out to prevent injury. It’ll be okay.”

Jiang Youning nodded to show she understood, but her gaze remained firmly fixed on Lu Ke, unblinking and unmoving. She knew all the rational explanations, but she couldn’t help but worry. Even if she couldn’t do anything, she wanted to stand by her son.

…

“Lu Ke, who just came off the field, seems to be having some physical issues. The San Francisco 49ers’ team doctor has come onto the field and is talking with him now.”

In the broadcast booth, Kirk was a beat slow to react, but he too noticed the subtle shift in the atmosphere on the 49ers’ sideline. He cast his gaze over, his voice tinged with concern. It was well known that Lu Ke was still on the slender side and didn’t have an advantage when it came to withstanding contact. As the regular season progressed, a weakness like that would only be magnified.

“Right now, all we can do is hope the player isn’t struggling with an injury that could impact the excitement of this game.” Kirk made his comment from as neutral a standpoint as possible, then turned his attention back to the New York Giants’ offense. The game was still on, the Giants’ drive was still moving, and that remained the main focus on the field.

…

Walter Hudson, the San Francisco 49ers’ official team doctor, hurried over to Lu Ke’s side. He didn’t begin his diagnosis right away, instead asking about the situation first. “When did it start?” he followed up.

“After the long pass in the first half, my muscle felt a little tight, but it didn’t affect my throwing motion at all, and there was no pain,” Lu Ke said honestly. A sixty-one-yard bomb was a challenge to any quarterback’s arm strength.

In fact, through consistent strength training and the gradual increase of his base points, Lu Ke’s strength had improved by leaps and bounds—not just compared to the start of the season, but especially compared to when he first received the system last year. Logically, completing a long pass should have been easier for him now, both on paper and in terms of pure physics.

But in a real-game situation, there were far more factors to consider.

It was now Week 10 of the regular season, and the combined toll on his stamina and focus was constantly piling on the pressure. The San Francisco 49ers had built their 7-1 record primarily on their passing offense, and all of this subjected Lu Ke’s arm to ever-increasing challenges.

After the sixty-one-yard pass, there was a slight tightness, but it wasn’t obvious. After the most recent pass, however, he’d lost some control over his power, and now the nerves running through the muscle had started twitching incessantly.

It was like a circus tightrope act: the wire looks taut and calm, but with every leap, it trembles for a moment. His arm felt just like that now. The sensation wasn’t intense, but it was definitely affecting his passing control—a major problem for a quarterback like Lu Ke, who was known for his precision.

Walter mulled it over for a moment, then stood up and started to give Lu Ke’s arm a light muscle massage. “It’s likely just some improper throwing mechanics causing discomfort. It’s nothing serious.”

This sort of thing was quite common for quarterbacks. Their throwing arm was their money-maker, and after a period of overuse, some issues were more or less bound to pop up.

“Feel any pain when I massage it like this?” Walter asked as he worked. He was in a race against the game clock; no one knew when the New York Giants’ offense would end their current drive.

After concentrating on the sensation for a moment, Lu Ke answered honestly, “A little sore, but not painful.”

“Okay. Extra practice is fine, but you have to remember to massage and ice it after every session. That fatigue builds up bit by bit, so you need to pay more attention to it. During the regular season, recovery time is already limited. Even after a normal practice, recovery and maintenance are essential.” Relieved, Walter looked up and nodded at Kip to signal that everything was okay.

In that instant, everyone let out a long sigh of relief. You could clearly see the expressions on the other offensive players lighten. Only then did they turn away, the tension slowly leaving their bodies.

Unaware of what was happening, Lu Ke only vaguely noticed that the ambient noise seemed to have increased. But when he turned his head, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, leaving him completely puzzled.

“Did you hear what I just told you?” Walter asked, deliberately putting on a stern face as he looked at the distracted Lu Ke.

Lu Ke quickly nodded several times, putting on the expression of a well-behaved child to show that he understood.

…

Back on the field, the New York Giants sustained a drive for four minutes and forty-three seconds. Despite two yellow flags and an offside call against the defense, they ultimately failed to get into field goal range and had no choice but to punt. Little Manning seemed to be warming up, yet at the same time, he still couldn’t seem to find his groove, making it impossible to get a read on his performance.

When the San Francisco 49ers took the field, Lu Ke’s passing touch was still clearly affected.

A short pass went inexplicably wide, off by a good two strides and landing in no man’s land—an error that was exceedingly rare for him in previous games.

Two other short passes also showed a lack of control over power and angle. On one, Logan barely managed to make a precarious body catch. The other bounced in Logan’s hands like a hot potato before he ultimately dropped it.

In total, the drive lasted seven plays and gained two first downs before they unfortunately had to punt.

The entire third quarter was a sloppy, disjointed affair. Both teams seemed to be stuck in a mire of errors and penalties, with yellow flags flying all over the field. In the end, neither the New York Giants nor the San Francisco 49ers managed to score, and the game sluggishly entered the fourth quarter.

A clash of titans was always one of two things: either an explosive, brilliant spectacle, or a mutual slump that felt like a total snooze. This was mainly because the teams were so evenly matched that the rhythm of their strategies and adjustments often mirrored each other. And so, at the start of the final quarter, the score remained “21:6”.

But the fans at Candlestick Park were gradually realizing something was wrong. It wasn’t because their offense was bogged down in a slump, but because every time the offense came off the field, the team doctor was there massaging Lu Ke’s arm. Combined with Lu Ke’s wavering accuracy, the conclusion was obvious.

That shared anxiety and worry cast a repressive pall over the home-field atmosphere.

…

“Victor Cruz! The New York Giants’ number eighty Wide Receiver! Cruz makes an incredible catch! Triple-teamed by three players, he forcefully rips the ball out of the air to complete the reception! Facing a tough third-and-seven, he helps his team get the conversion! A beautiful play!”

“Ahmed Bradshaw on the run! He breaks one tackle, then another! The San Francisco 49ers defense completely misread the play and missed a series of tackles! Bradshaw gashes them for a twenty-three-yard gain, getting the New York Giants into the red zone! If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time the Giants have been in the red zone all game!”

“Touchdown! Touchdown! The New York Giants have scored a touchdown! Here in the fourth quarter, the Giants finally get their first touchdown of the game! Good heavens, it’s been a long, long wait!”

“Just as the pocket was collapsing, Eli Manning got the ball out at the last possible second, finding Tight End Jack Ballard! It’s Ballard’s first reception of the game, and it’s a touchdown! Touchdown! That’s a touchdown! The game is finally getting a bit more exciting now—the suspense is back!”

…

“Oh my God, my God, my God! It’s Victor Cruz again! A fifty-six-yard bomb! Eli Manning, standing in a solid pocket without any pressure, finds Cruz with pinpoint accuracy right at the edge of the end zone to complete this absolutely spectacular long ball!”

“Just moments ago, the San Francisco 49ers were forced to punt after picking up only one first down. Who would have thought that would be the spark for the New York Giants’ resurgence? If the Giants can score a touchdown here, this game will be right back in the balance.”

“They advance again. A short pass connects for eight yards.”

“A six-yard completion.”

“After a series of short passes, Eli Manning suddenly unleashes a twenty-four-yarder downfield! The target is… Cruz! It’s the number eighty Wide Receiver, Cruz, again! It’s incredible—this undrafted rookie from last year is having an absolutely brilliant breakout season! He’s on the move, and he’s still going! The twenty-five, the twenty, the fifteen…”

“The 49ers’ number twenty-seven, safety C.J. Speelman, is trying to get over to make the stop, but—he gets past him! Cruz hits a sudden burst of speed and evades the tackle! Beautiful, just an absolutely beautiful move! The end zone is right in front of him! Touchdown! That’s another touchdown!”

“With 7:22 left in the fourth quarter, the New York Giants have scored another touchdown, bringing the score to ’21:20.’ It’s now just a one-point game. Wow, this is getting good! This is getting really good!”

“Everyone always says to never underestimate Eli Manning’s ability to come alive in the clutch, and he has proved it once again today. After being quiet for most of the game, Eli Manning has once again shown his knack for turning the tide. This game has now truly entered the final stretch!”