Chapter 1053: Working Together
It was absolutely insane!
Crabtree was completely out of his mind!
In a soccer match, two players can form a one-two pass in the penalty box, and a return pass between teammates is considered a sign of selflessness and teamwork. However, in a football game, the situation is completely different.
Because the passing technique required is extremely high, not every player can complete a pass, especially when running at high speed and under intense pressure. The stability and accuracy of the pass will decline significantly, not to mention that the teammate who is the target of the pass might not be fully focused, which makes the risk skyrocket.
Although such a play does exist in college football and is considered a trick play, with some instances of multiple backward passes, making it look like a dazzling juggling relay, the success rate is too low. Even without considering the risks of the pass and catch, the timely arrival of the defenders poses a huge threat.
If Crabtree and Ginn's passing connection had failed, all their previous efforts would have been for nothing.
This wasn't just insane; it was utterly atrocious!
But Crabtree did it anyway. In a moment of madness, the football was thrown. Because of the brief delay in adjusting his footwork for the pass, Sherman's full-speed sprint had already closed in. He tackled Crabtree without mercy, viciously pinning him to the ground.
Crabtree's eyes, however, were unwavering. He stared at the football, his entire body tense. The moment the ball left his hand, he regretted it. His passing skills hadn't been tested in nearly a decade. What was he thinking, choosing to pass the ball himself?
He must have lost his mind!
So, Crabtree completely ignored Sherman's tackle. His eyes were locked on the football's trajectory. Then he saw Ginn's focused gaze on the incoming ball. Ginn took a precise step forward, catching the ball just before it went out of control.
Crabtree finally felt a little relieved.
Ginn was cursing. The first thing that came to his mind was an expletive.
What was going on?! What just happened?! What was he doing now?! Was that guy Crabtree out of his mind?! More importantly, what kind of a pass was that?!
Ginn wasn't trying to be difficult. Crabtree's pass was a mess. There was no spin, just a completely erratic wobble. There was no power or arc, it was a pass that a middle-schooler would throw. There was no drop-point control. He just threw it when he saw a player, and... the accuracy was even worse than a basketball shot that hit nothing but air.
What's more, after two seasons of training and getting used to Lu Ke's pass control, the gap was no longer huge; it was like the difference between heaven and earth. He didn't even have the energy to complain.
But Ginn quickly adjusted. He used small steps to correct his rhythm and actively met the pass's irregular trajectory. Then, he used his hands to control the football, firmly grasping it in his palms. It wasn't easy, but Ginn wasn't an ordinary wide receiver.
After quickly completing a series of actions, Ginn still didn't have full control of the football because the force Crabtree put on it was completely erratic. Due to the oval shape of the football, Ginn's control became incredibly difficult. It kept bouncing like a mischievous little sprite, but there was no more time.
His peripheral vision quickly caught sight of several defenders turning and running.
Because Crabtree had thrown the ball backward, Ginn was closer to the defenders. Now the defense was like a fishing net, quickly pulling in to trap Ginn, the big fish. The fastest one was undoubtedly Chancellor, who had just gotten back up. He was even faster than Malcolm Smith, who was in continuous pursuit.
Ginn couldn't get full control of the football. He could only keep running and adjusting at the same time. Because his attention had to be focused on his hands, Ginn couldn't unleash his full speed. His peripheral vision could see the hard-chasing Chancellor closing the distance at the speed of light.
It's all or nothing!
Chancellor was going for it, and Ginn was too.
Ginn gritted his teeth, and his hands finally got the football back into position. He confirmed that his right hand had control of the football, and then his calf muscles began to unleash their energy. At that moment, he could feel a force slapping his left shoulder, but it didn't hit him squarely because of the angle. Then, the force of a body collision followed.
Ginn's speed burst out in an instant!
One second ago, there was still force on his shoulder, and the distance between Chancellor and Ginn had been shortened to an arm's length. The next second, Ginn used a series of steps and quickened his pace, instantly widening the distance between them to two body lengths. From within arm's reach to getting farther and farther away, Ginn truly displayed his speed advantage.
He ran faster and faster! He ran more and more fiercely!
Unlike Crabtree, when he wasn't being interfered with, Ginn's short-range acceleration ability was on another level. In just a breath, he completely left Chancellor behind and widened the distance between them at a visible rate, getting farther and farther away.
Because the entire secondary defense had been completely messed up, Ginn couldn't see any defenders in front of him. All the other defenders could only follow behind him in a huge wave. When Ginn left Chancellor behind, he had successfully escaped the net's grasp.
The short distance of less than 30 yards was an open field for Ginn to sprint on.
"Ginn!"
"Ted Ginn is advancing powerfully! The 25-yard line! The 20-yard line! He's left Kam Chancellor's backup defense behind. Chancellor's speed is ultimately no match for Ginn's. The distance is getting wider and wider. There's no hope. The Seattle Seahawks' defense has no hope."
"The 15-yard line! The 10-yard line!"
"Ginn is still accelerating! My God, Ginn has pushed his speed to the limit, completely leaving all the defenders behind as he sprints toward the end zone!"
"The 5-yard line!"
"The end zone!"
"Touchdown!"
"Ted Ginn! Ted Ginn has a touchdown! The San Francisco 49ers have another touchdown!"
"My God, this is unbelievable! In a difficult drive from their own 5-yard line, Lu Ke first chose a running play, and Gore successfully got the offense out of the red zone. Then, on a second and three, Lu Ke used a tactical layout with multiple boundary options and found Crabtree with a 16-yard medium pass!"
"This was already a very successful drive, but who would have thought that the most exciting part was yet to come!"
"Crabtree continued to shake off the defenders' interceptions. Facing the successive defenses of Chancellor, Thomas, and Browner, he showed his peak pushing and colliding ability, stubbornly tearing open a gap. Then he started sprinting toward the end zone, giving the 49ers an opportunity to continue their advance."
"Sherman's pursuit was undoubtedly brilliant. He got past Ginn's screen and used his speed advantage to the fullest, quickly closing the gap between him and Crabtree and almost making a key tackle. But Crabtree boldly and riskily chose to throw the ball backward!"
"This wobbly and shaky football was successfully caught by Ginn. After quickly adjusting, Ginn unleashed his speed before Chancellor could make a second backup. His deep threat ability completely surpassed Chancellor's coverage ability, and he rushed into the end zone in one go!"
"This is a non-replicable offensive play! This is an unbelievable passing touchdown! This is a drive that will go down in history! The San Francisco 49ers! The 49ers' young offense worked together and showed an offensive style comparable to a soccer game, getting another touchdown!"
"Unbelievable!"
"This is just too unbelievable!"
"The 49ers are now invincible! They are on fire. Since the start of the second half, the 49ers have been completely on fire. It's not just the advantage brought by the three passing touchdowns, but also the way they scored, the process of the touchdowns, the momentum of the offense, and the control of the situation. This offense has completely crushed the number one defense in the league!"
"Unstoppable! This young team is truly showing the championship spirit!"
"My God, oh, my God! This is truly wonderful!"
"The 49ers have now widened the score again. As long as David Akers can kick this extra point, the score will be '41-21.' This is a gap that can only be closed with three touchdowns, and there's not much time left for the Seattle Seahawks. Can they come back?"
The commentator couldn't continue his words, because Candlestick Park had completely erupted. Such a brilliant and unbelievable drive and touchdown, even after a season of being undefeated, the adrenaline was still completely bursting out and couldn't be stopped.
Listen carefully. That's still the 49ers' chant echoing.
"We are the Niners!"
"We are the faithful!"
"We are the Niners!"
"We are the faithful!"
One after another, the chants came down like a landslide. Even though they were steadily moving toward victory, their fighting spirit hadn't extinguished. They wouldn't cautiously wait for a victory. Instead, they would proactively win their own victory. What's more, standing across from them was their division rival. No one would show mercy!
This battle is not over yet!
That terrifying roar echoed through Candlestick Park, little by little extinguishing the opponent's last bit of will to resist.
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