Chapter 455: Hard to Clap with One Hand

What just happened?

Lu Ke collapsed onto the grass, his hands resting on his knees. His muscles ached all over, a heavy feeling weighing on his chest. He gazed blankly around, watching the opponents wildly celebrating their victory, watching the visiting fans cheering ecstatically in the stands, watching the glaring score on the massive stadium screen—

“16-10,” home team listed first, away team second.

The Baltimore Ravens had won this clash of titans, while the San Francisco 49ers, regrettably, had to face their second consecutive loss of the season.

Sure, in competitive sports, there are wins and losses. Victory and defeat are just part of the game. And sure, the matchup between the 49ers and the Ravens was always a toss-up, so any result would have been normal. And yes, in the NFL, the difference between victory and defeat often comes down to a razor-thin margin.

But no one likes to lose.

On the final drive, the Baltimore Ravens Defense Team didn’t let up for a second. They first successfully made a third-down stop. Then, facing the San Francisco 49ers who chose to go for it on fourth-and-three, they delivered a clean, decisive sack, completely extinguishing the 49ers’ comeback attempt and locking the victory firmly in their grasp.

The one who made the game-ending sack was, once again, the heart and soul of the Raven Team’s defense, Ray Lewis.

Looking at the game as a whole, this was Lewis’s fourth personal sack and the Defense Team’s ninth.

A full nine sacks!

The Baltimore Ravens’ Defense Team had basically thrown the San Francisco 49ers’ entire Offense Line into a blender, violently tearing it to shreds. They did as they pleased, coming and going as they wished, racking up four sacks in the first half and five in the second. And that wasn’t all.

Beyond that, they forced Lu Ke into three hurried throws—either spiking the ball or throwing it out of bounds to avoid a sack and a loss of yards, as well as to prevent an interception from a rushed pass. They generated pressure five times, forcing Lu Ke to complete passes in a hurry. They also delivered two effective hits that disrupted Lu Ke’s throwing motion.

And that was just the pressure they applied to Lu Ke alone.

Against the 49ers’ offense as a whole, the Raven Team’s defensive front also contributed fourteen effective tackles, completely shutting down the running back’s advance. The moment a receiver made a catch, they were tackled on the spot, preventing any big gains. A performance like this was comparable to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers in their prime; they had won the game relying entirely on their Defense Team.

After being sacked, Lu Ke remained sitting on the grass, not getting up for a long time.

‘He had tried to escape, had tried to find an opening, but the Offense Line was torn apart far too quickly. Almost as soon as the ball was snapped, a gap opened on his blind side, leaving him with virtually no space or time. Worse, his Special Skills were all used up—two uses of Absolute Step and one of Copper Skin Iron Bones. He had completely exhausted all his options.’

‘Thinking back, it seemed he had no choice but to let himself be taken down.’

The thought left him feeling lost, angry, and even humiliated.

…

“This wasn’t the San Francisco 49ers’ game.”

As he gave his post-game summary, Teddy shared his thoughts with the simplest and most powerless of statements, a wry smile on his face. “If the losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Arizona Cardinals had an element of luck to them, with victory decided by a hair’s breadth, then in this game, the San Francisco 49ers were on the back foot the entire time, with almost no opportunities.”

Kirk nodded in agreement. “You can tell the Baltimore Ravens were extremely well-prepared for this game. John Hubble completely neutralized Jim Hubble’s offensive tactics. The powerful rush from their front line was not only ferocious but also efficient, completely suppressing the 49ers’ versatility and agility in the head-to-head confrontation.”

Brute force overcomes skill.

“Statistically, the Raven Team racked up nine sacks, the most in a single game this season. As for whether it’s an Alliance all-time record, we’d have to check the history books.”

“But personally, I think the number of sacks is just a number. More importantly, the Ravens’ front-seven defensive strategy was undoubtedly a success. With heavy pressure, a powerful pass rush, and aggressive tackling, they pushed their entire defensive front upfield to compress the 49ers’ offensive space as much as possible. Even when they weren’t getting sacks, they had the upper hand on defense.”

“From a purely tactical standpoint, there’s no secret to it. The Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Detroit Lions have all used similar defensive schemes before. But the reason the Raven Team succeeded is that their players have the ability to execute it to perfection.”

“Ray Lewis, Harold Engata, and Terrell Suggs—these three Pro Bowl-level players—turned their defensive coach’s strategy into reality. From the first minute of the game to the last, they completely clamped down on their opponents. Unfortunately, this time, Lu Ke wasn’t able to turn the tide.”

After analyzing the reasons for the Baltimore Ravens’ success, Kirk turned his attention to the San Francisco 49ers.

“In the past few games, the San Francisco 49ers have successfully mounted several crucial comebacks. The reason wasn’t just Lu Ke’s boldness and composure as a quarterback, nor his ability to make the right choices under pressure.”

“It was also because the team gave him enough support. Logan Newman and Ted Ginn Jr. were outstanding as primary receivers, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis made spectacular catches, and Marcus Lynch was an X-factor.”

“But in this game, Lu Ke was dragging the entire team forward all by himself.”

“It’s clear the Thursday night game had a big impact on the young San Francisco 49ers. The players were far too impatient. They were desperate to prove themselves and make a statement, but that just led to inconsistent performances, and they were never able to provide effective support for their quarterback.”

“We don’t even need to talk about the Offense Line’s terrible performance; besides center Jonathan Goodwin, the other players were a total mess. And the receivers’ performance was far from stellar, either. Dropped passes, poor positioning, bad route-running—the list was endless. They tried to pick it up in the second half, but their emotions were still too volatile.”

“Let’s look at some stats. The 49ers had thirteen penalties for a loss of 125 yards. The Raven Team, on the other hand, had only five penalties for a loss of just forty-five yards.”

“Additionally, the 49ers’ receiving corps had five dropped passes, squandering great opportunities. On top of that, there were at least four verbal altercations on the field during today’s game. Players from both sides were really going at it.”

“The young and impetuous 49ers offense paid the price for its youth. From the Offense Line to the receivers to the running backs, no one could provide effective support. But even in a situation like that, Lu Ke still delivered an impressive passing performance: 27 of 41 for 193 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions.”

“Compared to his last game, Lu Ke rediscovered his form and fought until the very end. But unfortunately, he couldn’t get support from his teammates. A team can’t win relying on the quarterback alone. The final score was 16-10. The San Francisco 49ers were only two field goals behind. It was a very, very close game, but unfortunately, it wasn’t the 49ers who had the last laugh this time.”

You can’t clap with one hand.

All of Kirk’s commentary could be summed up by that one simple phrase. Perhaps it was a bit unfair to say, because a team is a single unit. A victory is everyone’s achievement, and a loss is a responsibility everyone must share. But it was undeniable that the San Francisco 49ers offense today had failed to deliver a convincing performance.

The Alliance had discussed it before: night games are undoubtedly special. They’re a massive stage where it’s easy for players to lose their way. It’s highly likely for players to underperform; only a select few can rise to the occasion and play exceptionally well. The young San Francisco 49ers had paid that price.

Fresh off a loss, the young offense, eager to prove themselves, only grew more impatient and agitated. They understood the root of the problem and realized the gravity of the situation, but they couldn’t find the right solution. All they could do was charge ahead recklessly, and in the end, they were left battered and bruised, having lost the game.

Growth always comes at a price.

But for Lu Ke, this feeling was truly hard to accept.

‘Last game, they lost because of my mistake. It wasn’t just the first time I’d lost the chance for a comeback; it was the first time I had personally thrown that chance away. I have to shoulder that responsibility, fulfill my duty as captain. But this game… this was even more suffocating. I kept trying, but it felt like I was trapped in a cocoon, struggling left and right but never finding a way out.’

‘We never even saw a glimmer of hope for victory. We were trailing the entire game, on the back foot the entire game, and then we just… lost. Cleanly and decisively.’

Anger. Uncontainable anger. After the initial daze and shock of the loss, a rage began to burn fiercely inside him. He remained seated, not because of injury or pain, but because he was trying to suppress his own fury, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep it down.

But, in the end, he had to get up. He walked to the midfield line, shook hands with Joe Flacco and John Hubble, maintained his composure, and offered his congratulations before finally turning and heading for the locker room.

As he walked, his anger began to bubble to the surface. In his peripheral vision, he saw Mike Rupati hurrying after him, a guilty look on his face, as if ready to apologize. A sudden surge of rage shot through him. Lu Ke finally lost control. His churning emotions erupted like a volcano. He viciously slapped Rupati’s hand away. “Fuck! Get away from me!”

This was the first time Lu Ke had ever blown up like this, and Rupati was so startled he froze on the spot, unsure what to do. But Lu Ke was in no mood to care what others thought; that surging rage had to be released. He stopped dead, drew himself up menacingly, and roared at Rupati, “Get lost!”

Fuming, he stalked toward the locker room.