Monday Night Football had reached its most critical moment, the two-minute warning. There were two minutes left in the game. The score was 24-27, with the home team, the San Francisco 49ers, still trailing by three points. The visiting team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, not only held the lead but also had possession, still controlling the outcome of the game. However, they were facing a fourth and six situation.

During the two-minute warning, both teams' players returned to their respective sidelines, huddling around their coaching staff to receive instructions. Members of the support staff, holding water bottles, went from player to player, and the bustling crowd moved quickly. In this short period, the game atmosphere did not relax; instead, it became even more tense.

Lu Ke held a thermos in both hands, drinking chicken soup sip by sip, with a down jacket draped over his shoulders. He saw Willis walking toward him, panting heavily, and asked with concern, "How are you? What's your condition?"

"Not the best, but it's enough," Lu Ke replied simply. His body temperature had slowly returned, but he still couldn't help but shiver on the sidelines. He had to keep moving and jumping to keep his muscles warm. But now, the Steelers' offense was more important. It wasn't the 49ers' offense's turn to play yet. Lu Ke raised his chin. "I think they're going to try to get a false start."

"For what?" Willis followed Lu Ke's gaze. The Steelers were facing fourth and six. Even if a false start penalty cost them five yards, it would still be fourth and one.

"A battle of momentum," Lu Ke said simply. "If they can get a false start, they might actually go for it on fourth down. And they can also consume game time. The difference between three and six points isn't as big as you might think for them."

In simple terms, the current difference was three points. If the Steelers went for it on fourth down and failed, and the 49ers were able to kick a field goal, the game would be tied and go into overtime. If the 49ers could score a touchdown, they would win the game.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers chose a field goal instead of going for it, the score difference would increase to six points. Then, if the 49ers kicked a field goal, they would lose. If the 49ers scored a touchdown, they would still win the game. In other words, for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the difference between a three-point lead and a six-point lead wasn't as significant as one might think.

If Lu Ke were in their shoes, he would go for it on fourth down, trying to get a false start. Even if it didn't work, there would be no harm done. If it did, fourth and six would become fourth and one, which was a real opportunity to go for it. Once it became fourth and one, Lu Ke would go for it. Even if he failed, they could consume game time. If he succeeded in converting the fourth down and getting another set of downs, they could basically seal the game. As a quarterback, Lu Ke's way of thinking was more comprehensive and bolder. The only question now was, would the Steelers dare to try this? Did they have the courage?

After Lu Ke's reminder, Willis immediately understood. His pupils shrank slightly, and he laughed to himself, "My God, you're a madman." But after his brief moment of amazement, Willis quickly walked toward the defense and the coaching staff, where he talked to everyone.

After the two-minute warning ended, the Pittsburgh Steelers, as expected, chose to go for it. Roethlisberger led the offense back onto the field. Willis gathered all the defensive players and repeatedly emphasized that they would rather be a half-step slow at the snap, giving up the advantage of a quick start, than have a false start. Because it was very difficult for the opponent to convert on fourth and six. Even if they lost the initial advantage at the snap, they would still have the upper hand.

But... the unexpected still happened.

"False start, defense, number 99. Five-yard penalty. Replay of fourth down."

The referee's voice came through, and a wave of sighs echoed through Candlestick Park. Standing in the middle of the field, number 99 outside linebacker Aldon Smith had a dejected and conflicted expression on his face. NaVorro Bowman was the first to jump up and curse, letting out his anger. Willis was also extremely surprised and subconsciously turned his head to look at Lu Ke on the sideline.

At this moment, Lu Ke was still warming up in place, jumping around with his down jacket on. He noticed Willis's gaze and clenched his left fist, encouraging him. He wasn't giving up or panicking. Willis let out a long breath, his eyes falling on the clock on the big screen: two minutes, still two minutes.

After the two-minute warning, the time was still at a full two minutes. Only after the offense snapped the ball would the clock start to run again. But just now, before Roethlisberger could snap the ball, Aldon had already jumped. The referee threw a yellow flag and stopped the game, which meant that no time had been wasted.

Willis patted Aldon's shoulder heavily. "Cheer up. Fourth and one! Let's get the job done and get Bambi on the field!" After that, Willis didn't pay much attention to Aldon anymore. He quickly gathered all the defensive players. "Guys, we need to get Bambi on the field!"

"This is the last defensive play of the game. If we lose this, we lose the game! So, everybody, cheer up! Look at number 14 standing on the sideline. That's our quarterback. He's been in terrible form today. He almost couldn't stay calm and pass the ball well, but he still gave us a glimmer of hope. Trust me, you don't want to lose this defensive play! On the count of three, let's all shout 'Victory!' One, two, three!"

"Victory!"

The game started again. As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers really went for it. After the snap, Roethlisberger quickly took a step back, turned, and threw the ball to Antonio Brown, who was quickly running to the left!

"Carlos Rogers! Carlos Rogers! Oh, Jesus Christ, my heart almost stopped! Carlos Rogers tipped Roethlisberger's pass at the crucial moment, preventing Antonio Brown from making the catch. This is a game-changing defensive play! My God, my God, the referee didn't throw a yellow flag. Rogers made the most brilliant defensive play of the entire game!"

Fourth-down conversion failed. There was no need for a punt. Both the offense and defense would once again face off on the 17-yard line, but the teams would switch. The San Francisco 49ers would be on offense, and the Pittsburgh Steelers would be on defense. This 17-yard line was the 49ers' own 17-yard line. Also, the last play consumed a full eight seconds. There were now only one minute and fifty-two seconds left on the clock. As Lu Ke had said, for the Steelers, this was a worthwhile trade.

"Now, the San Francisco 49ers' offense will take the field again. All the pressure is on the rookie quarterback. My God, can this Monday Night Football game get any better?"

As the offensive and defensive players crossed paths, they gave each other a thumbs up. Carlos even slammed into Lu Ke's shoulder, a proud smile on his face. "This one's for you!"

"Then it's my turn now," Lu Ke replied with a smile, putting on his helmet and running onto the field.

At this moment, the entire Candlestick Park was as tense as it could be. All the fans in the stadium stood up, and even the staff in the VIP boxes, stadium tunnels, and outside areas stood up, their unease and nervousness on full display. Then, as the 49ers' offense came onto the field, the shouts, cheers, and roars gradually calmed down. A wave of "shushes" went through the crowd, fearing that even the slightest sound would disrupt the quarterback's play-calling.

This sight was spectacular. All the offensive players huddled around Lu Ke in a big circle. Lu Ke knelt down on one knee, quickly glanced at the countdown clock through the gap, and said quickly, "This kind of situation is not new to us, so I believe none of you are nervous at all."

His playful words made everyone chuckle. "Now, I need you to focus. Because we still have a touchdown to score." Not a field goal, but a touchdown. The powerful confidence revealed in his casual tone was reflected in every pair of eyes with a determined shine.

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense still hadn't backed down, but after a constant pounding in the second half, a change had finally happened. Now, the medium and deep passing areas had to be given more attention. They couldn't just let the opponent have whatever they wanted. The front line was still putting on a strong pressure, which meant that the burden on the secondary defense was heavier. The cornerbacks and safeties had to provide more comprehensive coverage, and if necessary, the two inside linebackers also needed to retreat a little.

The Steel Curtain, after all, wasn't made of real steel. This wasn't the ideal situation, but for Lu Ke, it was enough.

The 49ers' 17-yard line, first and 10. After the snap, Lu Ke could clearly see that the safeties and cornerbacks were retreating. The deterrent power of that fatal deep pass was still not to be underestimated. But this time, Lu Ke chose a screen pass.

After a quick move, he found Vernon Davis near the sideline and, with a precise behind-the-shoulder pass, avoided William Gay's defense. Before Clark could come to help with coverage, Vernon securely caught the football and immediately ran out of bounds, advancing six yards.

Second and four. The San Francisco 49ers lined up in a shotgun formation. Lu Ke simply adjusted his footwork and chose a quick short pass, finding Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis, who were both on the left side. With Vernon's screen, Crabtree completed the catch before the two defenders could close in, and then he turned and ran out of bounds.

That was another six yards. They not only successfully got a first down but also stopped the clock in time. Two consecutive short passes, consuming only seven seconds, and they had advanced to the 29-yard line in one go, efficiently and powerfully. The "San Francisco Mode" seemed to have been activated again!

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