Chapter 909: Direct Breakthrough

"Attack!"

After the snap, the Chicago Bears’ defense fully understood the saying, "when the Tao is one foot high, the devil is ten feet high," because the San Francisco 49ers used the exact same offensive strategy again. Two running backs came forward, the quarterback stepped back, and as they passed each other, number 14 looked up, made his judgment, and chose his play.

A complete copy and paste. The only difference was that Vernon Davis was out and Logan Newman was in, but for the two-running back set, it was essentially the same thing.

Was this stupid? Or brilliant?

If it were any other second-year quarterback, stupidity would be the likely answer. In a panic, unable to think clearly, they would subconsciously choose the same play. But this quarterback wasn’t just any second-year player; he was the one who got a perfect score on the Wonderlic Test.

So, what was the trick?

The defense, led by Urlacher, Peppers, and Melton, tried to avoid being affected by the 49ers’ offense. They stuck to their predetermined plan with a slight adjustment:

The four defensive linemen, plus the middle linebacker, would execute a quarterback blitz. The two outside linebackers would line up against the two running backs, not just to defend against a run, but also to help the defensive line pressure the quarterback. All in all, seven players were committed to the line of scrimmage, creating an overwhelming numbers advantage to collapse the pocket.

This time, they succeeded!

Urlacher, Peppers, and the outside linebacker on the other side, Constanzo, all broke through their blocks and rushed into the pocket. The number 14 quarterback was now exposed.

But just as they broke free from the last of the offensive line’s entanglement, the quarterback had already raised his right hand. Again, without any fake moves, he released the pass. At the same time, the two running backs cleverly retreated to their positions, surrounding the quarterback and blocking any potential sacks.

The Bears’ blitz was a half-beat too slow. Just a half-beat.

Was it a passing play again?

Was it another quick short pass to Moss? However, this time, the number 14 quarterback’s release was delayed by about a half-beat to a full beat. The release wasn’t as quick, which might mean... not a short pass? A medium pass? Or was this yet another smokescreen?

Urlacher looked up and saw the football arcing through the sky. It wasn’t a bullet pass or a rainbow pass, but a low-trajectory lob. The parabola was controlled perfectly, drawing a graceful curve in the air, like a lazy contrail.

The lights of the night game were a bit blinding. In a blink, the football disappeared into the glare.

Now, the only ones they could rely on were the cornerbacks and safeties.

...

Because of the lesson from the previous drive, the entire Bears’ defense started to move up. The two safeties had advanced their positions, applying more pressure.

As a result, Conte and Tillman were positioned front and back, left and right, covering the area on the left side of the field (from the Bears’ perspective), while the other side of the field was also similarly covered.

After the snap, because the two outside linebackers were blitzing, Conte shifted his position forward, getting into place early and tightly covering the continually advancing Moss. Logan was left to the hot-handed Tillman.

Moss and Logan ran forward for only three or four steps before making a move to cross paths. The entire offensive play was identical to the previous one, with virtually no changes. But this time, Tillman and Conte were prepared. They stuck to their positions, choosing to play zone defense instead of man-to-man.

Sure enough!

Moss and Logan only faked a movement before returning to their original paths, continuing to run according to their predetermined routes. This allowed Tillman and Conte, who had already secured their positions, to get the jump on them.

A cruel smile formed on Tillman’s face. Whether it was brilliant or stupid, a second-year quarterback running the same play twice would never work in the NFL, because the opponent would never just sit there. Now, he would teach this young man a lesson!

Tillman stepped up, trying to use his shoulder to block Logan’s path.

But right before Tillman stepped up, Logan’s running route changed:

Logan had faked a move to the inside, but it was just a fake. He immediately pulled back. As he did, his momentum pulled him two steps to the right toward the sideline. He then made a spin move in a counterclockwise direction, turning his entire body to face the quarterback and the offensive line, with his back to Tillman.

The movements seemed incredibly intricate when broken down, but Logan executed them in a single, fluid motion: a little step, a pause, a push-off, a turn, a landing, a regain of control. Tillman didn’t even have time to react or predict. All he could see was Logan’s back. To make matters worse, there was very little time left for Tillman to change his defensive momentum.

Tillman was originally going to use his ability to get into position and continuously bump Logan with his shoulder to disrupt his running and catching rhythm. But now he was only seeing a back. This meant... a throw over the shoulder!

Just as Tillman made his move to change direction, the football was already in the air and beginning its rapid descent.

This was still not a long pass, but a medium-to-short pass of about ten or eleven yards.

Without realizing it, Tillman and Logan were already ten yards downfield in a standoff. But Tillman had lost his defensive position. He could only leap high, trying to swat the pass away in mid-air.

Then, Tillman despairingly realized that number 14’s throw seemed to have anticipated this possibility. He had deliberately made the parabola especially high, just clearing Tillman’s reach and descending quickly behind Logan. It wasn’t a "behind-the-back" pass but a "behind-him" pass. To evade Tillman’s coverage, the pass was thrown with a little more power.

Tillman was now in mid-air and couldn’t react. He could only watch the football fall, praying in his heart: Don’t catch it! Don’t catch it! Don’t catch it!

Logan never lost focus, his eyes glued to the football. When Tillman flew across his path, he was startled, almost thinking Tillman would knock the ball away. But the next second, Logan realized the ball had cleared Tillman’s coverage, meaning the gain would be longer than expected.

Logan didn’t have time for a series of small steps to adjust. Instead, he leaped up, mimicking a basketball player’s fadeaway jumper, arching his upper body backward. In his eyes, he saw the rapidly descending football. The power was a little stronger than usual; he could feel the deliberate control Lu Ke had put into the pass.

Logan put his hands on his helmet’s face mask, grabbing the football. But the force was so great that the ball hit his mask and began to shake violently. Before his hands could fully secure the ball, the pull of gravity suddenly kicked in, and a turbulent collision made the world spin.

Logan only managed to grab the tail of the football, lifting it away from his mask to prevent a collision. The fierce impact made his insides ache. He had to turn inward, trying to absorb the force. His feet were near the sideline, so he couldn’t turn out; he could only turn in.

After the spin, Logan was face-down and prone on the ground. He looked down with his peripheral vision at the football in his hands, quickly adjusted his grip, and held it tightly. Then, the game instinct in his blood drove him to get back up and start running forward, stumbling.

"..." The commentators in the booth were stunned for a moment before Gruden was the first to react. "The play isn’t dead! The play isn’t dead! Tillman didn’t touch Newman!"

In an instant, Kirk and Teddy also reacted.

"After the catch and fall, the play isn’t dead! Tillman didn’t touch Newman! Newman is still advancing! My God, my God! This is a devastating blow! The play wasn’t dead!"

Because after the catch, Logan’s position was already near the 13-yard line on the Bears’ side of the field, just thirteen yards from the end zone. He could cover that distance in a matter of seconds.

Tillman was frozen in place, unable to process what was happening. The blows from the two consecutive plays were so severe that Tillman was numb. When he saw Logan’s back as he ran wildly, he finally reacted. Without even time to curse, he scrambled to his feet and stumbled as he chased after him.

Logan couldn’t get up to full speed. The fall and the scramble for the ball had made his balance unstable, and his running was messy, as if he were running on marshmallows. He was taking deep and shallow steps, but he didn’t give up. He focused on running. Closer, he was getting closer to what would be his third touchdown of the game.

Just then, a high-speed train came crashing in from left to right, unceremoniously throwing its full body weight into him, sending Logan flying. There was no time to react, no room to maneuver. Logan was sent airborne, as if he were soaring with wings.

The world began to tumble again, like a hamster running endlessly in a Ferris wheel cage.

"Conte! Conte has made a play! My God, Conte has saved the Chicago Bears!"

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