Alex Smith took the field and made a six-yard short pass, accurately and quickly finding wide receiver Ted Ginn to complete the down.
Colin Kaepernick took the field and made an eight-yard short pass. The decision-making time was a little longer, but his agile footwork allowed him to run out of the pocket, successfully finding Michael Crabtree and also completing the down.
Lu Ke took the field and made a four-yard short pass. It was a screen pass that drew the defensive players to the left. After the offensive and defensive lines were out of position, he precisely and efficiently connected with Kyle Williams to complete the pass.
Scott Tolzien took the field and made a five-yard short pass. His understanding of the play was fine, but his release was half a beat too slow, which caused Vernon Davis to be in a slightly inaccurate position. The ball bounced off his hands like a hot potato several times before he barely managed to catch it.
...
The four quarterbacks took turns coming onto the field, and the practice was conducted in an orderly manner. A tense atmosphere filled the entire training field. Every player seemed to be aware of the importance of today's practice. With their high level of focus, the quality of the practice was eye-catching.
What was most interesting was that all four quarterbacks performed steadily. Even Scott, who had the weakest ability, succeeded all three times he was on the field, showing decent competitiveness.
Healthy competition always unleashes a player's potential.
In the fourth round, Smith and Kaepernick both completed their passes successfully. When it was Lu Ke's turn, he still went to Craig Roman's side, listened to the play, and got ready to go on the field. But his steps stopped for a moment. "Coach, this is a running play, and we don't have a running back. Or does Marcus need to go on the field?"
Craig's eyes widened like saucers. "Ah, what a memory I have. I actually forgot. It seems my mind isn't awake this early in the morning." Then, Craig looked at the players' positions on the field and called out a new play.
But this time, Lu Ke still didn't leave. Craig looked at Lu Ke in confusion. "What's wrong? Any other questions?"
"Coach, this is a red zone play, with full field pressure. We're on our own twenty-yard line right now, so this play isn't suitable," Lu Ke said, looking at Craig with a serious and focused expression, raising his concern.
Craig didn't argue. Instead, he asked back, "What, is there a problem? Can't you execute it?"
"No problem," Lu Ke didn't argue anymore and quickly ran onto the field.
Craig turned around and exchanged a glance with Jim Harbaugh and Kippy Christ, then chuckled.
Kippy shrugged. "I told you, when it comes to the playbook, Lu Ke definitely has no problem. He knows what he's doing, even better than we do."
This was a test, a deliberate flaw Craig had put in. The combinations of offensive plays were ever-changing, and the quarterback had to maintain a clear mind. They couldn't just simply repeat the play; they had to truly understand it.
For a rookie quarterback, the amount of information during a game is simply too much. Information from the coaching staff, the opposing defense, their own offense, the fans, and the referees. Most importantly, there are many variables in the game, and they have to make a decision in the blink of an eye. This is not an easy task.
So, after the coaching staff gives the play, a rookie quarterback's mind might be filled with a lot of instructions. They know what the play is, and they know how to execute it, but they overlook how to read the game. So, what do they do?
The most likely scenario is that before the snap, the rookie quarterback has already decided who to pass the ball to. All the other players on the field disappear from their sight, and they stare intently at their intended receiver, who is likely the big or star receiver on the team.
If the receiver happens to get open, the play is completed. But if the receiver is covered, the rookie quarterback will panic. They have no backup plan and can't read the game. They still instinctively complete the pass. In a good situation, the pass is incomplete, but in a bad situation, it could be an interception or even a pick-six.
They lack the ability to read and adapt.
There are many things a rookie quarterback needs to learn to become a mature quarterback. In fact, Lu Ke also had this problem.
For example, in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in several plays, he had already decided who to pass the ball to before the pass and then strictly followed the play to complete the pass. It was just that Lu Ke was truly unique in reading the defense and arranging the plays. He skillfully managed the situation, and the receiver got open and made the catch.
Compared to an average rookie quarterback, Lu Ke's ability to react to a situation was already outstanding. Only one interception and one fumble in three games are the best proof of this.
Earlier, Craig had intentionally left a hole, and Lu Ke had seen through it. Without the tension of a game, Lu Ke's mind was clearer. His control of the play and his understanding of the situation were able to highlight his strengths even more.
Kippy wasn't surprised by this, and Jim wasn't too surprised either. In less than two months, everyone had seen Lu Ke's growth rate.
In fact, the San Francisco 49ers' four quarterbacks consisted of three pocket quarterbacks and one running quarterback, but their styles were all relatively different.
Smith's weakness was his long pass. He didn't have the arm strength or the courage to attempt one. However, his short passing plays and his ability to control turnovers were unmatched, not just among these four quarterbacks but also among the best in the league.
Unfortunately, the lack of a long pass limited his options for plays. For the defensive team, it was relatively easy to arrange a defensive strategy. Especially in critical moments, Smith didn't have the ability to make a game-changing play. This was why the San Francisco 49ers had lost so many critical games in the past few years.
Kaepernick's strength was undoubtedly his running ability. Because of his long legs and agile feet, the rookies on the team even jokingly called him "long legs." Under pressure, he could actively leave the pocket, either to run with the ball himself or to get away from a sack and complete a pass.
However, Kaepernick's passing accuracy and consistency were still not good enough. The worst part was his understanding of the playbook, which he had never been able to keep up with.
It wasn't that he wasn't smart enough, but that his playing habits from college had carried over. He knew the plays, but when he encountered a problem, he still habitually used his running and physical ability to solve it instead of the play. In the four preseason games, Kaepernick found that in the professional league, there were countless strong people, especially on the defensive team. His advantage was being eaten away, and his offense fell into a rut.
Lu Ke's strengths were his understanding and execution of plays. His control of the game situation was so experienced that he didn't seem like a rookie. In the past three weeks, the coaching staff had given Lu Ke a lot of freedom, and he had delivered great results. Of course, his ability to make long passes was also a powerful weapon.
Relatively speaking, Lu Ke had gained some weight, but it was still not enough. Also, his muscle explosiveness, his leg mobility, and his accuracy in the short and mid-range passing areas still had a lot of work to be done. Aside from all that, Lu Ke's choices were too risky and grand, like dancing on a tightrope, which was also a hidden danger.
In the past three games, Lu Ke had maintained an outstanding competitive form, and the opponents didn't know Lu Ke's passing patterns well enough. So, most of these risky choices had been successful. But over the long term, they would face more and more risks. As the saying goes, "He who walks by the river often will get his shoes wet."
Finally, there was Scott Tolzien. He had Smith's strengths, with accurate short passes. He also had Lu Ke's strengths, with a quick understanding of the plays. He even had Kaepernick's strengths, with a relatively solid physical ability. However, none of his strengths were top-tier. When all of them were combined, he seemed mediocre, and he lacked any highlights in his choice and execution of plays on the field.
In addition, Tolzien also lacked a strong presence.
As Jim said, he needed to choose the quarterback who was most suitable for the team, and this was the core of today's training. "Let's see what Lu Ke chooses."
It was a red zone play, but they were forced to use it on their own twenty-yard line. They would see how Lu Ke could adapt.
This was a full-passing red zone play, a shotgun formation with four receivers on the left and one on the right. According to the play, the left side was the passing direction. The four receivers would split into two groups. One player would cut inside to the middle, while the other three would go to the outside left. Two players would provide a screen, and one player would break through.
After the snap, the quarterback would look at the four receivers, find an open one, and complete the pass.
But now, it was a seven-on-seven drill, and the quarterback only had three receivers. This meant two on the left and one on the right. He lost the advantage of having multiple routes and the advantage of having a screen.
Not only that, but a red zone play is for when you are within ten yards of the end zone. The running is very fast, and opportunities disappear in an instant. But now, the entire field was open in front of him. While it was full of endless possibilities, it was also full of countless dangers.
Lu Ke didn't hesitate. He quickly ran onto the field. In the short distance from the sidelines to the field, he had already made a decision in his mind. After calling his teammates over, he quickly arranged the play. As a result, everyone looked at Lu Ke in surprise. This was a red zone play, and everyone knew it.
Lu Ke nodded and said firmly, "I'm very sure that I didn't miscommunicate, and you didn't mishear me. So, let's show them what we've got!"
His teammates didn't question him or say anything more. Instead, they smiled and nodded to show that they understood. After three weeks of fighting side by side, they were gradually getting used to trusting Lu Ke. And so far, their trust had paid off.
After lining up, Lu Ke stood in the shotgun formation, his eyes focused as he looked at the defensive players on the other side.
Parys Haralson was also among them. He was an outside linebacker, and his duties were versatile. He could rush the quarterback, defend the run, or defend short passes. At this moment, Parys's eyes were fixed on Lu Ke, and he seemed to have adopted a stance for rushing.
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