Alex Smith didn't say anything else, he just sat quietly to the side, giving Lu Ke a little time to think for himself.

For a quarterback, the ability to think independently is a must-have skill. They need different perspectives to open up their entire field of vision, but after their vision is broadened, they must still do the thinking themselves.

As a fellow quarterback with a lot of game experience, Alex was accurately on Lu Ke's wavelength and gradually helped Lu Ke regain his composure.

The execution of the plays in the second half was not a problem. The San Francisco 49ers still maintained the characteristics and style of the first half, and the effect of their drives was far from terrible.

So, it was pointless to overthink the tactical aspect and try to adjust the offensive rhythm by making changes. It was not something he could figure out in a short time. What was more important was to stay focused, re-establish the rhythm, and find the key to winning the game through every read and interpretation.

"Every play is different."

This was a phrase that coaches would habitually say from the very first day of learning football, and it continued all the way through high school, college, and even the NFL.

In the past, Lu Ke had never truly understood the meaning of this phrase, but today, he finally got a vague idea of its meaning.

In a football game, with the same play, the same players, and the same opponent, every play has to deal with different changing factors. There are twenty-two players on the field from both teams, and there are also the coaching staff and the film room on the sidelines to provide real-time support. A single play can have countless variations.

Plays are static, but players are dynamic. A team's tactical system is relatively fixed and has its own unique style. So, instead of finding faults in the tactical aspect, it's better to focus on the opportunities in every play. Even the simplest and most basic play can turn something ordinary into something extraordinary.

It sounds incredibly simple, but it's incredibly difficult to execute.

In the previous five weeks, Lu Ke would habitually sit on the sidelines and study the playbooks. But now, he had to put the playbook aside for a moment, clear all the distracting thoughts from his mind, and fully immerse himself in the game. He had to capture every subtle change on the field and move toward victory.

The air in Ford Field was filled with a suffocating tension. It seemed that a single spark could ignite the entire stadium. However, this feeling of being on the verge of eruption made Lu Ke feel a sense of excitement. The bigger the stage, the more crucial the moment, and the more life-and-death the situation, the clearer and calmer Lu Ke's mind became.

Returning to the field, Lu Ke and the offensive players were at their own twenty-five-yard line. The previous kick return had gained five yards, so the San Francisco 49ers would start their drive from here.

Lu Ke let out a long breath. His jumbled emotions calmed down, and he stared intently at the defensive players on the other side. The faces matched the tactical formations in his mind, and all the homework he had done before the game was awakened. He read the opponent's defensive formation and positioning.

Three minutes and twenty-six seconds. The urgency left a faint metallic taste of blood on his tongue, and his adrenaline started to surge.

Slowly, Lu Ke bent down and got into position to take the snap. He listened to the surging cheers and shouts in the stadium. As his concentration increased, the sounds faded away and eventually disappeared completely, becoming perfectly quiet. Then, Lu Ke's voice broke free from the constraints of his throat and exploded on the green field:

"Set!"

Standing in the shotgun formation, after Lu Ke firmly grabbed the football, he made only a small adjustment with his feet and slightly raised his chin to take in the semicircle in front of him. Without any hesitation, he decisively raised his right hand. Instead of a powerful throw, he gave it a light toss, and the football floated out in an arc.

It was a five-yard short pass, aimed at the central area of the field. It flew over the offensive and defensive lines and quickly descended into the area defended by the linebackers.

Vernon Davis, who was positioned on the inner right side, and Logan Newman, who was on the left side, both cut inward. With a short, explosive six-yard sprint, they crossed paths in the middle of the field. Vernon, who was running the outside route, disrupted the linebackers' line of sight and blocked their forward momentum. In that split second, Logan completed the catch.

One pick, one catch. The two-tight-end formation was once again effective.

Leaping slightly to catch the football like plucking a star from the sky, Logan's running steps didn't stop. He lowered his shoulder and slammed into the oncoming outside linebacker. At the same time, the dual coverage of Crabtree and Ginn blocked the return of two defensive players, creating a narrow space for Logan to advance.

First, he ran horizontally from left to right, then made a sudden stop and a ninety-degree turn, advancing straight forward. After avoiding a tackle, he continued to advance along a small thirty-degree diagonal to the left. In the end, Logan ran a total of thirteen yards before being tackled by two players, forced out of bounds, and ending the drive.

It was a similar offensive play and a similar defensive formation, but this time, Lu Ke captured a small gap between the offensive line and the linebacker formation. He fully utilized the two-tight-end formation and got the first down, laying the foundation for the final push. This was a good start.

However, Lu Ke didn't celebrate wildly. The opponent's defense was still red-hot, and any carelessness could ruin the situation. So, Lu Ke gestured to his teammates to quickly advance to the thirty-six-yard line, set up the play, line up again, and then calm down and focus on the defense opposite him.

Read the defense, read the defense, read the defense.

Vaguely, Lu Ke caught a subtle difference.

In fact, the Lions' defensive formation hadn't changed much. It was almost the same as the previous defensive lineup. There was still a gap of about four yards between the defensive line and the linebackers, which seemed to be luring Lu Ke to repeat the previous offensive route and complete another pass.

But Lu Ke noticed that the outside linebacker on his left side, Justin Durant, had his center of gravity on his right leg and right hand, whereas before, he was standing with his upper body slightly straighter and his center of gravity relatively in the middle.

It was such a subtle change, but Lu Ke wasn't entirely sure if it was a trap by the opponent or if he had simply calmed down and caught the change through keen observation. He needed to verify this uncertainty.

Without hesitation, Lu Ke's gaze drifted to the outside linebacker on the other side. DeAndre Levy had moved a little to Lu Ke's right, just half a step.

On the surface, this looked like man-to-man coverage, with Levy aiming for Vernon, who was positioned on the right side.

But, whether by coincidence or accident, Levy's center of gravity was shifted to his left side, as if he was ready to exert force at any moment. Did this mean that this was a quarterback blitz formation, with two outside linebackers circling around from both sides, trying to sack the quarterback?

There was no time for thinking or guessing. Lu Ke decided to trust his instincts. He straightened up, changed the play, and shouted the play call loudly, three times to the left, three times to the right. Finally, he shouted it again while facing the defense. The change in the play didn't cause any commotion on the San Francisco 49ers' offense. All the players' positions remained the same.

Lu Ke stood close behind the center, and Marcus Lynch was seven yards behind and aligned with Lu Ke. They lined up in a power running formation. But the 49ers' offensive formation was always full of tricks and very deceptive. You couldn't be sure, even a shotgun formation could end with a run.

"Set!"

Like a commander leading an army, Lu Ke gave the command to start the play. After taking the ball from Jonathan Goodwin's hands, he quickly turned and took a quick step. Without any hesitation, he extended his right hand and held the football in the air. Then, he saw Marcus, like a high-speed train, rushing over. He firmly held the football with both hands, and at the same time, Lu Ke let go of his right hand.

It was a running play.

After the exchange of the football was complete, Lu Ke's footsteps didn't stop. He pulled back his right hand and placed it on his chest, pretending the football was still in his hands. He quickly took a step back, turned around, and began to look for a passing target. Then, he saw the changes on the field—

Sure enough! It was a blitz!

The two outside linebackers took big steps and went around both ends of the offensive line, rushing toward Lu Ke without a care. But Durant and Levy had only just crossed the line of scrimmage and hadn't even gotten close to Lu Ke yet. They then saw Marcus Lynch, who had increased his speed to the maximum, "whooshing" through the layers of people from the offensive and defensive lines, like a swift cheetah, and sprinting forward.

"The play starts again. The entire San Francisco 49ers' offensive line quickly moves horizontally to the left. The pocket has opened up, but the Detroit Lions' defense seems to have not anticipated this horizontal movement. They can't keep up. The two outside linebackers tried to go around the outside to make a sack, but... it's a running play!

With the horizontal movement, Mike Iupati and Jonathan Goodwin easily pushed away their assigned defensive linemen, creating a wide and straight path. Even the linebackers responsible for coverage are nowhere to be seen. This is a clear, open path. Marcus Lynch has no reason to miss such an opportunity.

Lynch's run is light and nimble. He goes through the gap, over the offensive line, over the defensive line, and drives straight into the soft middle of the Lions' defense.

A miscalculation! The Lions' defense completely lost their positions and fell into utter chaos. Coverage! Who's going to cover? Is there no one to cover? My goodness!"

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