Chapter 424 421: Unyielding Mode

In this tense moment, Ted Ginn Jr.'s mind remained completely calm. There wasn't the slightest hint of doubt. Even though Lu Ke's performance had been mediocre in the second half, his confidence remained unshaken.

His outstanding performance this season was a stark contrast to the first few years of his career, and Ginn knew deep down that it was all built upon Lu Ke. Therefore, even if all the fans, all the commentators, and all the coaches were doubting Lu Ke, his own faith would not waver in the slightest—not even one iota!

Head down, launch, control, turn, catch.

The entire sequence was fluid and flawless. Just like any other pass in any other game this season, Ginn connected with Lu Ke at a critical moment. It was all so familiar that Ginn felt no surge of emotion; he didn't even hear the roar erupting from Candlestick Park, completely focused on the advance.

The advance wasn't over yet!

Although time was incredibly precious, and stepping out of bounds immediately after the catch was the best way to manage the clock, there was still some time before the two-minute warning. That was essentially a free timeout from the league, so he could still push forward. This down wasn't over yet.

After securing the catch, Ginn planted his feet, came to a sudden stop to control his body, and then felt a storm brewing behind him—

The cornerback who had just overran the play used his natural athletic talent to slam on the brakes, quickly readjust his center of gravity, and lunge back toward him. In less than the space of a breath, he had recovered and was back on defense.

Ginn could clearly feel the heavy force on his shoulder, but with just one forward stride and a left turn, he used the opponent's momentum against him, shrugging off the tackle attempt. The cornerback stumbled out of bounds, spun around in a small circle, and after a full one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, prepared to charge again.

Directly ahead, the linebacker who had been covering Marcus Lynch had started sprinting over to provide support the instant Lu Ke released the ball.

His pupils reflected the figure charging forward like an unstoppable force. Ginn's center of gravity and footing were not yet stable, and it looked like he wouldn't be able to adjust in time.

'Calm. Stay calm.'

Ginn cleared his mind of all distractions. Instead of rushing to take off, he planted his feet, adjusted his balance, and calmly waited for the linebacker to lunge at him.

It sounds like it took a long time to describe, but in reality, it all happened in the blink of an eye. In an instant, the linebacker was already crashing into him like a demon. At the critical moment, Ginn didn't retreat. Instead, he lowered his shoulder and charged forward to meet him. BANG! The two collided head-on with a massive, dull thud, as if their helmets had slammed together.

The linebacker lost his balance and was sent flying to the outside. Ginn, however, used the momentum to adjust his footing and continued stumbling forward to the right.

The cornerback who had run out of bounds and back in, the defensive end who had failed to blitz the quarterback, and the safety from the other side in man-to-man coverage—all of them abandoned the players they were supposed to be marking and swarmed toward Ginn. But Ginn remained incredibly calm, his eyes locked straight ahead, searching for any potential gap to break through.

"The catch! Ted Ginn Jr.'s route running completely deceived the player in tight coverage, creating an open space to make the catch smoothly! A spin move, and he avoids what should have been a surefire tackle! A collision—oh, that head-on collision was absolutely vicious! He powerfully broke through the linebacker's coverage, and he's still advancing!"

"He's surrounded! Ginn is trapped in a circle of defenders! A lateral juke, and he shakes off the tackles of two defensive players! Crabtree makes a block, knocking a pursuing defender away! That allows Ginn to keep moving laterally, right into the path of another Giant Team cornerback's tackle, but—missed tackle! He missed the tackle! Ginn twists his body and breaks free! Oh my God!"

"Unstoppable! He's unstoppable! Ginn changes direction and pushes forward! Will Blackmon, number thirty-six, the cornerback Will Blackmon makes the crucial tackle! All the defenders are piling on—one, two, three of them! Ginn is forced to the ground, and his advance is finally stopped."

"My God, one tackle, two tackles, three, four, a total of five attempted tackles! Ginn broke five tackles and ultimately gained fifteen yards! Beautiful! That was absolutely beautiful! At a critical moment, Ted Ginn Jr. bravely stepped up and reignited the team's struggling offense!"

Troy's passionate commentary was back in full force. After the dull third quarter and the sluggish start to the fourth, Troy, the undisputed home-team commentator for the San Francisco 49ers, had finally found his rhythm again, repeatedly slapping the table to express his joy and excitement.

In the heavily defended midfield, Ginn had officially entered beast mode, showcasing the resilience and strength that had allowed the San Francisco 49ers to establish themselves in the Alliance this season. No matter how great the difficulty, they would never surrender without a fight!

"It's worth mentioning that Blackmon was the cornerback assigned to cover Ginn. From getting out of position at the start to missing a tackle, Blackmon never gave up, relentlessly pursuing Ginn and finally making the tackle at the last moment. It was a form of redemption for himself."

"Clearly, the New York Giants' Defense Team is still in top form. They aren't going to let the San Francisco 49ers' offense advance comfortably, that's for sure. The game is getting exciting again. The question now is, has Lu Ke gotten his touch back?"

Troy wasn't the only one wondering. Amidst the cheers and shouts of the home crowd, his teammates on the offense were concerned about the same thing. But Lu Ke ignored their worried glances, with no intention of answering. He waved his hands like an otter and led the offense to the thirty-yard line, preparing for the next play.

In his state of total concentration, Lu Ke had completely forgotten the discomfort in his right arm. The soreness, the stabbing pain—it had all vanished. The only thing that mattered to Lu Ke now was to advance, advance, and advance again. Winning this game was the only thought in his mind.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Let's go, let's go!"

Lu Ke rapidly urged his teammates on, trying to snap the ball and run another play before the official two-minute warning. He wanted to gain an extra play and didn't even plan to huddle. He immediately stepped up to the thirty-yard line, calling for his teammates to line up.

But he was half a beat too slow.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling the official two-minute warning. The San Francisco 49ers could not run another play. Frustrated, Lu Ke could only toss the ball to the referee and leave the field with his offensive teammates. They gathered on the sideline around Hubble and the coaching staff to strategize for the next series of plays.

"Pick up the pace, Bambi, we need to pick up the pace," Hubble shouted. At this point, all the fans in Candlestick Park were on their feet, cheering loudly—not just noise, but encouragement, injecting energy directly into their players. "Faster! Even faster! Bambi, keep the huddle time as short as possible. We have to increase our tempo! This is what you're good at, and it's what they can't handle!"

In the final moments of the game, Hubble still boldly chose to trust Lu Ke, whose performance had been noticeably inconsistent today. He firmly believed that Lu Ke was the key to their victory.

Hubble didn't say much more, just glanced at Lu Ke. "Understand?"

Lu Ke clenched his fists tightly. He didn't say anything more; that was enough. Hubble then quickly began to lay out the play call for after the timeout.

The referee announced the resumption of the game, and both teams lined up. The San Francisco 49ers once again came out in a multi-receiver set. This time, however, three receivers were lined up on the left, leaving only Logan Newman on the right. The New York Giants, in turn, once again set up in a man-to-man defensive formation.

It was all a familiar sight, something that had appeared many times in games before today.

After the snap, Lu Ke quickly began to adjust his feet, watching the receivers who all started their routes at the same time. Only Ginn ran a deep route, while the other three receivers charged into the intermediate passing zone, flooding the middle of the field. This was a long pass play, aiming for a deep throw of about forty yards, hoping Ginn could make another catch for a big gain.

To help sell this play, they were in a Pistol Formation, not a Shotgun Formation, with Marcus Lynch standing beside Lu Ke to provide protection.

But Lu Ke had just started to set his feet in the pocket when Joe Stanley on the right side missed his block. Jason Pierre had already broken through the Offense Line and was charging ferociously. A thought flashed through his mind: 'Use Absolute Step, or just throw the ball?'

In an instant, Lu Ke spotted a small opening and decisively chose to pass, lofting the football in a small arc. The ball had just left his hand when Jason Pierre completed the tackle on him. The two of them crashed to the ground, but Lu Ke's eyes were glued to the football, watching for Ginn's catch.

"He's open! Ted Ginn Jr. found an opening between the two safeties! They can't get over in time to cover him! The pass! Ah, what a shame! Thrown in a hurry, the pass was just a couple of yards short. The football slipped through Ginn's fingertips and hit the ground. The arc was just too low. Ginn tried to scoop it up, but he was just a hair off."

"This time, the Giant Team once again put immense pressure on the 49ers' Offense Line, and Lu Ke's release was just too rushed, his power control not quite precise. Although the pass was incomplete, the 49ers are showing signs of life. The only question is, do they have enough time? Is there still time for them to turn this game around?"