Chapter 651: Collective Suffocation
"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen! In the final seconds of this NFC Championship, the San Francisco 49ers' rookie quarterback, Lu Ke, successfully completed a touchdown with a sixty-five-yard Hail Mary that made history. Then, veteran kicker David Akers completed the extra-point kick. With the game clock at zero, they unbelievably tied the score, and now the game is tied, going into overtime."
"This is the fifth overtime game in NFC Championship history and the third overtime game in the last five years. The intense competition in the NFC Championship is truly amazing. Once again, the NFC has delivered a spectacular matchup that has amazed the entire league! This reminds us of the last divisional game, the San Francisco 49ers versus the New Orleans Saints, where the back-and-forth was suffocating. And in the final moments of today's game, we have once again witnessed a miracle."
"Three hours ago, the AFC Championship almost went into overtime for the first time in history, but at the last moment, Baltimore Ravens' kicker Billy Cundiff missed a thirty-two-yard field goal, ruining their chance to tie the score. In the end, they could only helplessly watch the New England Patriots go to the Super Bowl again."
"So, will the New England Patriots' Super Bowl opponent be the San Francisco 49ers or the New York Giants? We'll have to wait and see!"
"Overtime is about to begin!"
Just like in soccer or basketball, there is also overtime in football. The rules for overtime are not complicated, but they are not simple either.
Before overtime begins, a coin toss is held, just like at the start of the regular game.
If the team that gets the first possession scores a touchdown on their first drive, the game ends immediately. If they don't, the game continues. In the following plays, the first team to score a touchdown or a safety wins the game directly.
If the team that gets the first possession scores a field goal on their first drive, the team that was scored on still has a chance to drive. If they score a touchdown, they win directly. If they fail to score, they lose directly. If they kick a field goal to tie it up, the game continues, and the next team to score—whether it's a touchdown or a field goal—wins directly.
Simply put, the team that gets the first possession has a natural advantage and the initiative.
Overtime is fifteen minutes long. If the time runs out and there's no winner, the game is recorded as a tie. Of course, this is the rule for the regular season. If it's the playoffs, then another overtime period will be played until there is a winner.
In the 2011 NFC Championship, after the regular game clock ran out, the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants were tied at "24-24," so overtime was coming!
After just completing an epic Hail Mary in the final seconds, Lu Ke didn't have time to be excited or ecstatic, because overtime was coming. He had to calm down, regroup, and get ready to sail toward victory again! The game wasn't over, and victory wasn't in their hands. He absolutely couldn't relax!
Accompanied by Patrick Willis and David Akers, Lu Ke and the others quickly ran to the center of the field to meet the New York Giants, led by Eli Manning, for the coin toss, which was hosted by the head referee.
The head referee first looked at Eli Manning, who chose "heads." Then he looked at Lu Ke, who nodded and said, "tails."
Then, the head referee tossed the coin. He watched the coin flip in the air, carrying the weight of tens of millions of people's gazes. The fifty-fifty chance would determine the advantage and disadvantage of the two teams in overtime. Finally, the coin landed on the ground.
Heads.
The New York Giants had the choice, and Eli Manning chose to get the first possession.
In a crucial moment, they were still a little short on luck, or maybe the "Hail Mary" had already used up enough luck, and now the New York Giants had a slight advantage.
Lu Ke took a deep breath. Although he couldn't have the initiative, he turned to face Willis and gave him a big smile. He was willing to trust his defense, not only because of their high ranking as the third-best in the league in the regular season, but also because of the bond and connection of fighting side by side. They were willing to trust each other.
"Guys, it's your turn now," Lu Ke said, bumping Willis's shoulder hard.
Willis deliberately puffed out his chest. "Let's put on a show."
Only when the defense stopped Eli Manning could Lu Ke get another chance to play and fight for this victory. Only when the defense stopped Eli Manning could this game continue. Just like at the end of the game, the defense successfully completed a three-and-out with a sack, which led to the offense's Hail Mary.
Lu Ke and Akers exchanged a look, and they both looked at Willis and said in unison, "We're looking forward to it."
"Overtime has officially started. Eli Manning will lead the New York Giants' offense on the field first. Eli Manning, who had an unstable but occasionally brilliant passing performance this season, stumbled into the playoffs with his team. Now, he's once again in a crucial moment. This member of the Manning family, who is known for his big heart, has a chance to decide the outcome of the game."
Under the watchful eyes of seventy thousand spectators in Candlestick Park and fifty million television viewers, Eli Manning officially took the field.
First and ten.
Against the New York Giants' offense, the San Francisco 49ers' defense once again showed enough toughness.
The strong rush from the defensive line put immense pressure on the offensive line. Eli Manning scrambled in the shaky pocket. At a crucial moment, he tried to pass the ball to his wide receiver Victor Cruz, but the ball was knocked away by 49ers' cornerback Carlos Rogers before the connection could be completed.
Carlos's fingertips changed the direction of the football. The football flew high into the air. Despite losing his balance, he still tried his best to reach out his hands to make an interception and complete the stop, but Cruz reacted in time, hitting Carlos's shoulder and knocking him off balance, and then the two of them rolled on the ground.
The football unfortunately fell.
Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, and Carlos would have completely turned the tide of overtime with an interception, but it just slipped away. The entire Candlestick Park could clearly hear the sound of a sigh.
Lu Ke felt his heart was about to stop. A feeling of disappointment surged in, but he still didn't give up. He shouted loudly, "Defense!"
Never before had the collective nature of football been so clearly displayed. Without the defense's stand, the offense couldn't get on the field. Without the special teams' performance, the offense could be in a desperate situation. Now, everyone raised their arms and cheered silently for the defense. Although there were only eleven players on the field, all the players on the offense and special teams were with them.
That burning anxiety was almost suffocating, but Lu Ke's shout was like a sharp sword, once again breaking through the airtight atmosphere. So, all the players waiting on the sideline began to shout, one after another, joining forces and uniting to provide the most stable and powerful support for the defensive players.
With every breath, the fans finally came back to their senses. The seemingly faint but incredibly firm cheers entered their ears, and they also cheered up again, shouting in unison, "Defense! Defense! Defense!"
One wave after another, an overwhelming, all-encompassing, and thunderous momentum!
Second and ten.
The defensive line once again created danger. The strong pressure from four defensive linemen and two linebackers created a roaring sound with their numerical advantage. The pocket of the New York Giants was in a state of panic.
At a crucial moment, Eli Manning took off and ran out of the pocket. Before he was sacked, he threw a five-yard short pass to his tight end, Jake Ballard. The latter used his back to hold off cornerback Reggie Smith and, using his height and weight advantage, successfully caught the football. He then took a step back, pushed away Reggie's man-to-man defense, and turned to continue the drive.
In an emergency, Reggie tugged on his jersey, causing a penalty, and a flag was thrown.
But Ballard's drive was unstoppable. He pushed Reggie away and continued to advance, running for a full twelve yards before he was forced to the ground by two defensive players, ending the drive, but he successfully got a first down.
In the midst of the monstrous waves, the New York Giants' offense finally found a gap and completed a successful drive. The pressure and shock brought by the "Hail Mary" finally began to dissipate, and the morale of the team finally rose again. This was crucial for overtime.
First and ten again.
After the snap, Eli Manning's footwork was steady in the pocket. For a rare moment, the offensive line also withstood the defensive line's charge. The stable pocket protection gave Eli Manning enough time to observe and throw. Finally, he chose a bow-and-arrow-like posture, raised the football high, and threw a rainbow pass.
Unlike Lu Ke's pass, Eli Manning's long pass was a little more unstable. The flight path and the rotation frequency were a little shaky, but the powerful and heavy pass was fiercer than Lu Ke's. If Lu Ke was the Six-Vein Divine Sword, then Eli Manning was the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms. The entire momentum burst forth with powerful force.
This was a thirty-seven-yard long pass, aimed at wide receiver Dwayne Thomas.
The entire stadium was almost suffocating. Once this long pass was completed, it could be a fatal blow. All eyes were focused on Eli Manning's audacious long-pass attempt.
Fortunately, the San Francisco 49ers' secondary defense was not distracted at all.
The two safeties, C.J. Spillman and Donte Whitner, provided timely help, keeping up with the play. They worked together to shut down all of Thomas's running routes and, in the final struggle for the catch, held their ground, leaving no chance for him. And then... the pass was incomplete.
The cheers of Candlestick Park rang out!
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