The San Francisco 49ers have recovered. While it's too early to say that their form has fully returned, it's certain that they are warming up quickly.

In their last drive, they used only three passes and 104 seconds to score a touchdown. They not only closed the gap on the scoreboard immediately but also minimized the time lost, which was crucial for the 49ers, who were so far behind. The brilliant drive not only ignited the passion of Candlestick Park but also the entire team. The members of the special teams and defense stood on the sidelines, roaring and pounding their chests like gorillas, sounding the charge for their comeback.

Lu Ke left the field and passed David Akers. Akers stopped Lu Ke and gave him a big smile, joking, "Thanks for letting me on the field." After saying that, Akers put on his helmet and led the special teams onto the field, leaving Lu Ke standing there, laughing heartily. It was Akers' first appearance in the game, as he was responsible for field goals and extra points. Akers, who had been suppressed for half the game, didn't disappoint. He accurately hit the extra point, maintaining his 100% success rate for extra points this season. This meant the score was now 7-24. As the commentator said, the suspense was back.

Was the medium-pass area the Pittsburgh Steelers' weakness? This was the focus of the discussion in the commentary booth and something the Steelers' defense had to address immediately. It was also the key for the 49ers' offense to further turn the tide. So, how exactly did Lu Ke manage to score that touchdown?

Yes, but also no! To be precise, it should be the area where short passes and medium passes overlap.

Overall, the Steelers' defensive strategy was to compress the time and space for deep passes. They would intentionally leave an open space in the short pass area, but their timely tackles and backup coverage would prevent big yardage gains. This also allowed the Steelers' defenders to change positions more flexibly and complete their defense as a unit. Of course, this was only possible because they had the best defensive line, linebackers, and safeties in the league. From individual ability to team coordination, they were all top-notch. This allowed them to execute their defensive strategy, step by step, cutting off the quarterback's passing rhythm, and then trapping the opponent in a vicious cycle of running into a wall and making short, successful passes that couldn't be sustained.

The short-pass area, where the offensive line works with the linebackers and cornerbacks for full coverage, was a minefield. The space seemed to be everywhere, but it was difficult to gain significant yardage. However, in the transition area between short and medium passes, there was a relatively weak area. In theory, cornerbacks, inside linebackers, and safeties work together to defend this area. The inside linebackers' positions were a bit farther forward, as they needed to spend more energy defending the running back. The safeties' positions were a bit farther back, and their main job was backup coverage and preventing deep passes. Their range of activity was relatively wider, as they needed to cover the entire field or be in man-to-man coverage. The cornerbacks' positions were closer to the receivers, whether in zone or man-to-man coverage.

Overall, the area where short and medium passes overlapped was a cooperative defense area, but the players' positions were not as dense as in the short-pass area. They also wouldn't be in the tight man-to-man coverage of the two top safeties. More importantly, the cornerbacks were the Steelers' weakest position in their entire defense. This was the opportunity.

For a quarterback, the medium-pass area is a very subtle zone. The short-pass area is heavily defended. It's basically a crowd, so it requires higher tactical demands and excellent tactical planning to tear apart the defense. The deep-pass area is wide open. It's basically a matchup between the receiver and the safety, so it relies more on a battle of talent and requires the quarterback to have an accurate sense of space. The medium-pass area is in between. It uses tactical runs and crosses to create an open space, but it also has to deal with the possibility of the cornerbacks and safeties providing backup coverage at any time.

From a passive perspective, this is a relatively mediocre tactical choice, as it requires a more balanced skill set. But from an active perspective, this so-called mediocrity and balance mean more opportunities. Choosing this tactic for the quarterback and the offense means winning in a risky situation.

In the three passes just now, Lu Ke boldly used the Steelers' obvious forward-pressuring momentum to tear apart their defense. He used a combination of pure tactical runs and fakes, a matchup advantage and a misdirection catch, and a special ability to run out of the pocket and the accumulated advantage of tactical runs. Three consecutive heavy blows in the area between short and medium passes found a breakthrough and completely disrupted the Steelers' defense.

Especially the last touchdown pass. The Steelers' defense had chosen a high-stakes blitzing tactic. While it did make Lu Ke flustered and frantic, it was also exactly what he wanted, because their defensive tactics were getting more and more aggressive. The tighter the front line was compressed, the bigger the open space in the backfield. In fact, all four receivers had created a passing window, the only difference being the success rate of their matchups.

Lu Ke chose Logan, which was the safest choice and also a deliberate one. He intentionally chose to make three consecutive medium passes to push forward, deliberately sounding the alarm for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, the Steelers' defense would surely realize the change in the 49ers' passing tactics, and they would have to make an adjustment. They could either continue to put pressure on the offensive line and compress Lu Ke's passing space, leaving the backfield relatively empty. If Lu Ke escaped one more sack, the result would be fatal. Or they could relax the pressure a bit, reduce their coverage of the short-pass area, and put more strength in the medium and deep areas. Then Lu Ke's passing space would naturally open up. It would no longer be a layered zone defense but more likely a one-on-one man-to-man matchup. No matter how they adjusted, even if it wasn't one of the two options above, as long as the Steelers' defense started to change their tactics, Lu Ke's passing space would open up.

Personally, Lu Ke hoped for the second option because it would allow him to return to his most familiar routine: using the matchup advantage of his receivers and the pulling of their running routes to complete a pass. But Lu Ke had a feeling that the Steelers' defensive coordinator wouldn't be that simple.

All of this came from the rest and adjustments in the locker room. Lu Ke had a series of concise and straightforward conversations and communications with the tactical director, Brian Hampton, and the results were immediate. Now it was up to the Pittsburgh Steelers to react.

Back on the sideline, the effects of adrenaline were slowly wearing off. The cold air rushing in from all directions lowered his body temperature again, and he couldn't help but shiver. Walter Hudson, who was standing next to him, immediately picked up a thick down jacket and put it on Lu Ke's shoulders, mumbling, "You have to be careful. You still have to be careful in the second half. You're still not fully recovered. Where's the chicken soup?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the ball boy, Thomas Robinson, immediately handed over a thermos. He opened the lid and placed it in front of Lu Ke. Feeling Lu Ke's gaze on him, Thomas immediately gave a big smile. "That was a beautiful drive!"

Lu Ke couldn't help but laugh and then joked, "But I feel like a baby now." Lu Ke didn't understand what was going on with him today. Strictly speaking, the temperature in San Francisco wasn't ridiculously low. At least compared to those northern cities, it was nothing. But his body was protesting repeatedly. If this was the case, what would he do in November and December when he had to go to those icy and snowy away games?

"Bambi, focus." Walter seemed to notice Lu Ke's distraction. "It might just be a viral cold. Your immune system is down, which caused a series of problems. We'll investigate the specifics after the game. For now, you need to focus on the game."

"Good idea." Lu Ke snapped his fingers, took the thermos with both hands, and while drinking the chicken soup, he looked around. "Where's my playbook? The Steelers' defense will definitely change their formation next. We need to be prepared."

After the offense and special teams had both started to warm up, the defense, which was back on the field, also showed a new face. Amidst the thunderous cheers of the home fans, the 49ers' defense was fierce, constantly creating dangerous situations. They had one quarterback sack, one forced fumble (which wasn't recovered), and one missed interception (which resulted in an incomplete pass). In the blink of an eye, they had a three-and-out. This was the quickest and most ferocious three-and-out since the start of the game. The 49ers' defense almost devoured the Steelers' offense, and with absolute force, they sent Roethlisberger back to the sideline. Antonio Brown didn't get a single opportunity and could only watch from the sidelines again.

Amidst the cheers of the entire stadium, the special teams kept up the momentum. Marcus Lynch, who was the returner, caught the ball at the 23-yard line. He adjusted his steps and started returning. He pushed all the way to the 48-yard line before he was surrounded by five players and tackled. Although he couldn't get past midfield, he still gave the 49ers an excellent starting position for their offense.

Even the Chinese fans who knew nothing about football could feel that the San Francisco 49ers' momentum was incredibly strong. They had almost completely risen up, suppressing the Steelers in both momentum and form. So, could the 49ers' offense take it one step further and score again?

Lu Ke, who was sitting on the sideline drinking chicken soup, hastily put down his playbook and got ready to go on the field. Then, Thomas's voice came from the side. "Bambi, wipe your mouth. Your mouth."

🗒️NOTE:

New chapters drop Three times a day, every Monday through Sunday! Plus, you have the power to unlock more: we'll release Three bonus chapters for every 300 votes! Let's get this story moving together.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/MistaQuartz

Explore up to 30 chapters in advance!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.