"What a sha, it was too long, just a little too long!" Kirk exclaid in disappointnt as he watched the football slip through Ted Ginn's fingertips and fall to the ground. "We're always marveling at how Lu Ke shows a veteran's poise, not a rookie's. In just his first season, he's playing like a ten-year veteran, mature, calm, and decisive with accurate passes at crucial monts. But this one pass still shows a lack of experience, reminding us that he is still a rookie."
On the field, the referee was judging whether there was a foul on the defensive play. In the broadcast booth, Kirk and Teddy were watching the replay and giving a detailed breakdown of the play.
"It was third and seven. Lu Ke chose to move laterally and make a quick, 12-yard pass to the speedy Ted Ginn, hoping to complete the play with a fast throw and catch.
In fact, Michael Crabtree and Marcus Lynch were more open. But before the throw, Lu Ke's read was a bit hasty. He must have decided on his target before the throw, shortening the ti it took to release the ball and the ti the defenders had to react. This is a common habit-based mistake for all rookie quarterbacks."
On the screen, a video of Lu Ke moving laterally and making a quick throw played on a loop, making Kirk's comntary more vivid and clear.
"We can't be too harsh. In the past few gas, Lu Ke has rarely shown this kind of habitual thinking. It only happens a few tis, which is incredibly rare for a rookie. They need more ga experience," Teddy offered a different perspective. "To be honest, Lu Ke's growth has already exceeded my expectations."
Kirk nodded in agreent and chuckled. "Forgive for being a perfectionist."
He was undoubtedly one of Lu Ke's biggest supporters and hoped this undrafted rookie quarterback could make a na for himself. In the NFL, there is very little room for rookies to breathe.
Then, Kirk added, "In addition, at the mont of the throw, Lu Ke's power and trajectory were a bit too aggressive. For one, the accuracy of his short-to-dium passes isn't consistent enough. And two, his pass choices in crucial monts lean toward risk. It's a double-edged sword. If it works, the reward is great. If it fails, the cost is high."
"We can't be sure what the result of this incomplete pass will be. But for rookie players, this is the tuition they must pay to grow," Teddy agreed with Kirk. In today's ga, Lu Ke had taken at least three aggressive chances in crucial monts. He was successful once and failed twice. The rookie's instability was inevitably exposed.
Of course, even veterans have monts of inconsistency. That's competitive sports. No one can perform at a high level all the ti.
On the field, after the dispute, Ted Ginn didn't get a yellow flag. The referee determined that Tom Nelson's defense was clean. So, it was an incomplete pass on third and seven, which ant the San Francisco 49ers failed to convert and it was now fourth down.
At this point, even though the San Francisco 49ers' offense had crossed midfield, they still needed to advance another 12 to 15 yards to get into field goal range. With a fourth and seven, trying to go for it would have been a senseless risk. So, Jim Harbaugh took the offense off the field and sent in the special teams to punt.
This was the second ti in the ga that they had co so close to a field goal, only to fall short.
Lu Ke stood there, carefully replaying the entire drive in his mind. He shook his fist in frustration, then put all other thoughts out of his mind. He called his teammates off the field. Instead of sitting down, he stood with offensive coordinator Craig Roman and quarterback coach Kip Crichton, discussing the play they had just run and the opponent's defensive formation, confirming what he had seen on the field.
As a quarterback, he had to remain calm and objective.
It wasn't easy, especially after a last-minute failure. Anger and frustration were inevitable, and his mind was still racing with thoughts that he couldn't just turn off. He felt a bit irritable. But he had to do it. If he let his emotions cloud his judgnt, the quarterback's next performance would be a complete disaster.
After imrsing himself in tactical analysis, Lu Ke gradually cald down. He analyzed his mistakes and the opponent's adjustnts. His mind worked quickly, and the opponent's defensive formation beca clearer.
"Wait, give a minute." The amount of information was so large and complex that Lu Ke needed a mont to process it all. After slowly sorting through it, he shared his thoughts and asked the coaches for confirmation. Pretending to know sothing he didn't was a huge mistake for a quarterback. "So, what you're saying is..."
"Roar! Roar roar!"
Suddenly, the stadium erupted in cheers, washing over Lu Ke and the two coaches, interrupting their conversation. They all looked up and saw the Philadelphia Eagles' team celebrating on the field.
Another touchdown?
Lu Ke took a closer look at the field and sighed in relief. It wasn't a touchdown, but a field goal. Lu Ke didn't even know when the special teams had co on. He had been so engrossed in the conversation that he hadn't noticed the ti passing or the changes around him. But luckily, it was only a field goal, not a touchdown.
The score was now 27-21, still within one touchdown of taking the lead. But if it had been a touchdown, it would have been 31-21, which would have required at least two more drives to catch up. That would not have been good news for the San Francisco 49ers.
Even so, Michael Vick, using his formidable skills, had kicked the field goal, pushing the 49ers to the edge of a cliff, hanging by a thread.
Lu Ke looked up at the scoreboard high above the field. It read: Two minutes and nine seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Next, the Philadelphia Eagles would kick off, and the San Francisco 49ers would return the kickoff to determine the starting position of their offense. After the return, the ga would go into a two-minute warning tiout, which ant Lu Ke would lead the offense back on the field after the tiout.
The San Francisco 49ers' offense had two minutes, 120 seconds, left in the ga.
He couldn't help but feel relieved that the score was 27-21, not 31-21. Otherwise, the situation would have been even more urgent, even hopeless. But even so, the ga was still at its most tense, and they could not afford to make any mistakes.
Before taking the field again, Lu Ke stood on the sidelines and gathered all his offensive teammates. Without his helt on, he looked each of them in the eye. "We have only one goal: a touchdown! Whether it's on first down or fourth down, that's our only option! I still believe we can win this ga! Yes, I believe we can! So, I need everyone to focus, forget the ti, forget the score, forget all distractions. Advance, that is our only goal!"
"I'm ready for a touchdown. Who's with ?" Lu Ke raised his right hand high, his fist clenched like a torch pointing to the center. His fiery gaze showed an unwavering belief, and then Lu Ke saw his teammates, one by one, slowly raise their clenched fists and hit them all together. Like sticks of firewood, they ca together to form a bonfire!
Lu Ke nodded heavily. "Good! Now tell all the fans and everyone watching that we are!"
"Warriors!"
"We are!"
"Warriors!"
With a roar, all the players' fists hit each other hard, a satisfying thud that released all the passion in their chests. With imnse pride, Lu Ke let out a primal roar. "Ah!" His fierce face and wild cry awakened the passion in every player. Everyone followed suit, yelling and roaring.
"Ah! Ahhh!" The beast within them was awakening, and their souls were filled with passion. In that mont, the San Francisco 49ers' offense was truly a single unit!
The suffocating tension was spreading through "Joe's Bar." It felt like even their heartbeats had stopped. But when the live cara focused on the offense on the sidelines, all the fans started to shout, "Bambi! Go! Bambi!"
Jeff Locke jumped up, his fists pumping. "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!" It was a replay of the scene from the Rose Bowl night. In a desperate situation, all their hopes rested on Lu Ke's shoulders. He had successfully co back against the Wisconsin Badgers and the Dallas Cowboys. Now, could they co back against the Philadelphia Eagles?
Danny and Nate imdiately understood Jeff's intention and joined in the shouting. The synchronized cheers gradually built up a powerful montum that made their blood pump.
Chris and Jonathan exchanged a look. All the previous misunderstandings and animosity instantly vanished. They both smiled and joined in the shouting. "Bambi! Bambi! Bambi!" Finally, the entire bar beca one, shouting in unison.
They knew they were in San Francisco, and the television screen was on the other side of North Arica. Their shouts would never reach the players. But they didn't care. They all stood shoulder to shoulder, shouting the sa na, "Bambi!" It was as if their heartbeats were all synchronized to the sa rhythm.
"Ahhh!" The unified shouting turned into cheers as Lu Ke led the offense onto the field. Everyone in the bar raised their hands and clapped, even Anthony Dinunzio, all cheering for the San Francisco 49ers.
This was the San Francisco 49ers' last chance. No touchdown, and the ga was over. A touchdown, and they would co back and win. It was simple and clear!
On the previous kickoff return, the San Francisco 49ers had successfully gained nine yards. So, the offense would start their drive at their own 29-yard line. Their goal: the opponent's end zone!
✨ Announcent: Tier Benefits and New Series Launch
I'll be updating the number of exclusive chapters available for each tier!
For The King of the Bay Area, the early-access chapters will increase as follows:
Epic Tier: 5 days advance access — 15 exclusive chapters
Legendary Tier: 10 days advance access — 30 exclusive chapters
The exclusive chapters for Naruto: Reborn of the Great White Serpent will remain the sa.
Also, get ready — a brand-new series, DC: The Making of a God, is coming soon! It will update with 2 chapters per day, and you can expect a sudden drop of 20 chapters at launch on Patreon!
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NOTE:
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