Chapter 427: One Surprise After Another

Quick snap, quick start.

Lu Ke tried to pick up the pace, but the San Francisco 49ers still hadn’t attempted a no-huddle offense. Head Coach Hubble was still the one calling the plays; after all, Lu Ke was just a rookie quarterback. Even Peyton Manning hadn’t been given that kind of authority in his rookie season.

Therefore, the play-calling could not be skipped, which prevented the offensive tempo from reaching its absolute limit. The players on offense still needed time to process the plays.

This created a problem. The Offense Line didn’t fully grasp the play, causing the pocket to collapse quickly. Although it didn’t break down completely, it put immense pressure on Lu Ke and hindered his throw.

Lu Ke was constantly adjusting his footwork, even considering using Absolute Step. But under pressure from both the clock and the collapsing pocket, he instantly found a passing window and opted for a quick release, finding Kyle Williams with a short, three-yard pass to the flat.

Williams was near the sideline with some open space. Lu Ke hoped he could advance the ball, but even if that wasn’t possible, getting out of bounds quickly would also work. It would at least stop the clock and give them some breathing room.

But the New York Giants Defense Team, seeing their chance, struck ruthlessly. They immediately swarmed Williams behind the line of scrimmage for a vicious tackle, not only preventing any gain but actually causing a loss of yardage, all while letting the clock continue to run.

At the critical moment, Jim Hubble decisively used a timeout, stopping the game clock at one minute and eight seconds.

Second and twelve. There was no time for frustration or regret. Lu Ke immediately gathered the offensive players and used the timeout to quickly lay out the next play.

Now in the final stretch, tempo was more important than yards gained for the San Francisco 49ers. As long as they could pick up the offensive pace, they had a chance. Rather than going for a knockout blow, stringing together a combination of plays was the true beauty of their current strategy, and it could be the key to victory.

“HERE WE GO! A short pass! Lu Ke unexpectedly opts for a short pass and connects with Michael Crabtree! It’s a five-yard gain, and Crabtree quickly gets out of bounds to stop the clock! That release was incredibly fast, taking only 1.63 seconds, giving the Defense Team no time to set up an effective defense.”

“And again! Lu Ke with another quick snap and quick release! This time, Kyle Williams makes the catch. It’s another short pass, this one for about six yards. Williams doesn’t hesitate and immediately dashes out of bounds, stopping the clock once again. Beautiful! Let’s check the release time… Wow, 1.70 seconds! An absolutely lightning-fast release! He made that decision in an instant, almost without thinking!”

“The San Francisco 49ers’ offense is now in full swing! After two successful short passes, they’re now on the opposing thirty-one-yard line with forty-six seconds left on the clock.”

“Now they’re facing a fourth-and-one, but the number fourteen rookie quarterback has found his rhythm and looks unstoppable. A fourth-and-one should be no problem for him at this point. Their whole offense has picked up speed and is marching steadily down the field. The Giant Team is in danger!”

In the broadcast booth, Kirk could clearly sense the San Francisco 49ers picking up their offensive tempo. The time between plays was getting shorter and shorter, the passes were quick and decisive, and even the pace of their gains reflected this high speed. It seemed they weren’t leaving any breathing room, and the New York Giants’ Defense Team was clearly struggling to keep up.

In the span of just twenty seconds of game time, they had managed to complete two plays, almost like a no-huddle offense. Of course, with a quick snap, a quick catch, and a quick dash out of bounds, they were using the stoppage to regroup and call the next play, making the most of the game’s rules. The actual real-world time elapsed was, of course, more than twenty seconds.

Everyone knows a long pass can be a knockout blow, but sometimes, a short passing game is like death by a thousand cuts—it gets the job done just as well. The key lies in how the quarterback utilizes it.

Teddy wholeheartedly agreed, “Lu Ke’s got his touch back. Those last two passes put his style on full display again—precision! From his timing to his control of the ball’s trajectory and even his read of the receivers’ routes, it was just beautiful. A Lu Ke like this is truly terrifying. He has the air of someone who’d slay a god if it stood in his way.”

It wasn’t just the commentators. Standing on the sideline, New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin also sensed the danger and decisively called a timeout.

The New York Giants still had all three of their second-half timeouts remaining. This was purely a tactical move.

The game clock had already stopped because Williams went out of bounds, so they had plenty of time to catch their breath and strategize. But Coughlin knew the 49ers were accelerating their tempo, so he intentionally called a timeout to break their offensive rhythm, slow the game down, and give his Defense Team more space to breathe. The coaching staff could also make adjustments accordingly.

Fourth and one. This was a tricky situation for any team. It looked deceptively simple but was actually fraught with danger. The slightest oversight could mean completely blowing the opportunity.

For the San Francisco 49ers, if they failed to convert on this fourth down, the game would be over. There was no room for error.

At such a critical juncture, Tom Coughlin boldly called a timeout, attempting to disrupt the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive rhythm. And sure enough, when the players returned to the field after the timeout, the effect was immediate.

“False start! Jesus Christ! That’s a false start on the offense!”

The entire stadium erupted. For the players on the field, it was heaven for one side and hell for the other. Even the commentary booth was in utter disbelief.

No one could have predicted that Coughlin’s timeout would be so incredibly effective. Because of this unexpected turn, the game was now headed into uncharted territory.

“Under immense pressure, Michael Crabtree commits an unexpected false start penalty by jumping early. This is bad for the San Francisco 49ers. Absolutely terrible.”

“What was fourth-and-one is now fourth-and-six. Meanwhile, the clock has run down to forty-one seconds. All eyes in the stadium are now on the shoulders of the rookie quarterback, Lu Ke.”

All or nothing. This was a true do-or-die moment.

If they were standing on the edge of a cliff before, now one foot had slipped over the edge. The situation was growing more and more perilous. Even if they managed to get the first down, there wouldn’t be much time left. And if they failed to convert… well, there would be no ‘after.’

It was make or break. The entire outcome of the game now hinged on this single fourth-and-six play. The value and brilliance of Coughlin’s earlier timeout were now on full display.

Danger, danger, danger. Warning signs were flashing everywhere. The roar of the crowd could no longer be contained, and a palpable tension and anxiety were spreading like wildfire, growing more intense by the second. You could almost smell the gunpowder in the air.

“Quick! Quick!” Lu Ke waved urgently at Crabtree and the others, signaling them to gather for a quick word on the play before lining up fast—

The play clock was ticking down, now at twenty-five seconds. They needed to pick up the tempo, to move faster. There was no time for consolation or encouragement. No time to feel nervous or even think about the fact that the game was on the line. There was only one direction: forward.

At this critical moment, Lu Ke remained incredibly calm. He was completely focused, as cool as an assassin, not wavering in the slightest. After quickly calling the play, he once again lined up in the Shotgun Formation, making his intention to pass clear from the start.

The San Francisco 49ers once again came out in a variation of their two-by-two spread formation. This time, however, it was slightly different: it was three receivers to the left and two to the right. Moreover, the three players on the left were lined up in a straight line, not a bunch formation.

To the left, Crabtree, Gene, and Vernon were arrayed in a line, just half a step behind the line of scrimmage. To the right, Logan and Marcus stood parallel to each other, on the same line as the trio on the left. This was a double Tight End set, with Williams subbed out of the game. Furthermore, Vernon’s positioning was slightly more advanced than the others.

It was a wrinkle in their formation.

However, the New York Giants remained unfazed, sticking with a man-to-man defense. They brought nine men up to the line—four defensive linemen to match the Offense Line and five defenders to cover the eligible receivers. The remaining two defenders stayed back about ten yards deep, guarding against any potential deep-ball surprise.

Regardless of how the 49ers’ formation shifted, the Giant Team had given up trying to read it. No adjustments, nothing new. Now, it would come down to a battle of individual talent in man-to-man coverage. Or perhaps—

Lu Ke would once again outsmart his opponent with his play-calling.

“Hike!”

No hesitation, no frills. Lu Ke immediately set the offense in motion. All five receivers shot forward in a straight line. There were no tricks this time; every player simply exploded off the line with all their might. A great red wave surged forward, powerful and majestic, its momentum amplified by the roar of the crowd in Candlestick Park.

Every single one of them.

Naturally, all the New York Giants defenders began to quickly backpedal. Whether it was the corners in man-coverage or the safeties in the secondary, all of them accelerated their retreat. Like a receding tide, the space between the defensive line and the secondary opened up, revealing a huge gap in the middle of the field.

But without a receiver, even a gap that large is useless.

Wait, who are those two players in the center of the field?

It’s number eighty-five, Tight End Vernon Davis, who was sprinting straight downfield, and number ninety-nine, Defensive Tackle Chris Kanti! But why are they in the middle of the field? What on earth is going on?

A surprise, and then another.