Geno Atkins stood there, looking defeated. Big drops of sweat rolled down his face, which was filled with a sense of frustration and helplessness. There was nothing he could do.

In that last play, he was highly focused and wasn’t affected by the timing of my snap. He accurately blitzed and hit the offensive lineman first to break through. But before he could complete the move, he saw Marcus Lynch moving horizontally, which distracted him.

With the intense collision with the offensive lineman, his vision was a little blurry and chaotic. He wasn’t sure, but he vaguely saw me pull my right hand back at the last second without handing off the football. Then I started to run with the ball, but when his mind came back to him, he saw the football in Lynch’s arms.

But by then, it was too late because Lynch had already broken through two layers of human walls—the offensive line and the defensive line. He didn’t stop and just took off. Then, he could only watch as Lynch completed the rushing touchdown with a crushing force.

They were still a step behind. It was unimaginable. They had sacked the quarterback four times and had also caused four hits and three hurried throws, but they still couldn’t stop the San Francisco 49ers’ rookie quarterback from scoring. They were completely at a disadvantage. This feeling of frustration was terrible.

Before the game, they were looking forward to a satisfying victory. Their defense was on the rise. Their offense, led by Andy Dalton, was well-organized. In the past two games, they had two tough matchups, winning one and losing one, but it had boosted their morale and confidence.

But… that’s competitive sports. When two formidable opponents meet, the brave one wins. The one who has the last laugh is ultimately the stronger one. What’s more, in today’s game, the opponent’s offense had indeed performed better.

The accumulation of advantages happens little by little. In the first three quarters, the two sides seemed to be entangled, with the San Francisco 49ers only having a slight advantage. But as they slowly accumulated, it all erupted in the fourth quarter, and the gap between the two sides widened. The Bengals’ offense and defense couldn’t keep up with the pace.

The last rushing touchdown was a microcosm of the entire game. It seemed to have decisively cut off their last bit of hope, but it was just the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Atkins let out a long, long sigh, raised his head, and looked at me not far away. A helpless smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. In today’s game, Atkins had truly witnessed the ability of this “undrafted rookie quarterback.” He knew clearly that this rookie’s two-game winning streak—a three-game winning streak was now in his hands—was no fluke.

Instead of being discouraged, Atkins was filled with even more confidence. What I could do, he could also do. Today, he had proven his ability. In the next training sessions, he needed to be more dedicated and work harder to earn his place on the field. Just like that Chinese-American quarterback on the other side!

He looked away, turned around, and left the field. The Cincinnati Bengals had lost this game. There was no suspense. The game was over, but life goes on, and the regular season was still ongoing. It was not the end of the world.

Yes, the game was over, and the winner had been decided. After another touchdown and another extra point, the score was now “10:31.”

There were still two minutes and eleven seconds left in the game. In theory, the Bengals still had one hundred and thirty-one seconds and three timeouts, plus a coaches’ timeout, so they still had a chance to score a touchdown.

But the difference was twenty-one points. Even if they scored a touchdown and got a two-point conversion, it would still take three possessions to close the gap. One hundred and thirty-one seconds. Unless there was some magic that could turn back time, even Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers couldn’t turn things around.

Not only the players but the fans also clearly understood this.

After Marcus Lynch’s long run for a touchdown, the home fans started to leave in droves. They didn’t even wait for the extra point kick, let alone the Bengals’ next drive. However, a small number of fans still remained in the stadium, cheering for the future of their young team, hoping that they wouldn’t be affected by this loss, as the season was still long.

In stark contrast to the dejected home fans, the away fans had already started to celebrate wildly, with their arms around each other’s shoulders, singing loudly, and celebrating their yet another victory. They seemed to still not be used to winning. This was their third consecutive victory of the season, but they were still cheering and shouting with all their might, as if it were their first win.

The atmosphere at Paul Brown Stadium had completely shifted from heaven to hell. At the same time, the commentators’ desk was also stunned, filled with countless mixed emotions of admiration and shock. It was imaginable that after this week’s regular season ended, there would definitely be another media storm.

The San Francisco 49ers had won again!

In such an atmosphere, after the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense took the field again, Dalton was still trying to keep his spirits up and lead the team to a score. But the Bengals’ offensive players no longer had the heart to fight. They rushed three passes, one successful and two failed, and couldn’t get a first down, resulting in a three-and-out. This meant that the San Francisco 49ers only needed to kneel to end the game.

So, the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaches and players stopped struggling and walked onto the field, conceding the game. The game had come to an end.

In the third week of the regular season, the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals on the road, winning their third consecutive game!

I had just sat down and didn’t even have time to take a sip of water when the referee blew the final whistle. I could only put the water bottle down again, quickly stand up, and join my teammates in walking onto the field to meet the opponents and shake hands.

In the middle of the field, I met Andy Dalton. This was the first time we had met since the rookie training camp. Strictly speaking, we hadn’t talked much in the training camp, but meeting on the field now felt a little different because we were both rookies this year.

It was like meeting a fellow alumnus. We were both from the same graduating class. Even if we didn’t know each other well, there was still a sense of familiarity compared to others. What’s more, in the entire league, there were only four rookie quarterbacks who were starting.

“It was a great game today,” Dalton said first, shaking my right hand and bumping shoulders.

I smiled in a friendly way. “At least we both fought until the very end.” It was clear that even in the final moments, Dalton didn’t want to give up, even though he already knew the result in his heart. In fact, that last drive didn’t show strength or talent, but attitude.

In that regard, Dalton had earned my respect.

My words made Dalton’s eyes light up a little. “Then let’s keep working hard together!” For rookie quarterbacks, every week’s game is a stage to prove themselves, and they can never let their guard down.

Among the four starting rookie quarterbacks, only Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers didn’t have to worry about his starting position. The entire team was rebuilt around him, and the team and fans had given him enough time to slowly adapt to the rhythm of the league. This was a privilege of being the first overall pick, but it was also a privilege he had earned through his performance in college.

As for the other three quarterbacks—me, Andy Dalton, and Blaine Gabbert—all three of us were facing fierce competition for the starting position on our respective teams.

Gabbert had just become a starter this week. Dalton had started two games with competition, and this was the first time he had played the entire game. I had played three games due to the injuries of two other players and would also have to face competition in the future.

Looking at Dalton’s confident expression, I also nodded firmly. “Let’s see who falls behind first.” My words were full of a sense of ritual, but they were said in a teasing tone, which made the situation immediately interesting and made people smile.

I turned around, ready to leave, when I heard a voice calling from behind me. “Lu Ke!” Before I could turn around, I felt a heavy pat on my shoulder. Then, I saw Atkins’s sweaty face, which was even steaming. He looked like a monk meditating in a steam bath, which was a pretty funny image.

“Congratulations!” Atkins said generously, extending his right hand.

I shook Atkins’s right hand and replied in a serious tone, “Can I refuse? After those four sacks today, I’m not in a great mood.”

Atkins was not good with words and was stunned, thinking I was serious. The joke didn’t land, and the situation became awkward. I blinked. “What I meant was, it was an honor to play against you on the field!”

Atkins still didn’t understand what I meant by the previous sentence, but he didn’t delve any deeper. “I hope we get to play against each other again this season.” In a football game, the schedule is quite special. The only way for the 49ers and the Bengals to play against each other again would be in the playoffs.

I immediately understood and chuckled. Then, I solemnly tightened my grip and shook Atkins’s right hand again. “Of course, I’m also very much looking forward to it!”

After expressing his respect, Atkins left without pausing.

Looking at Atkins’s retreating figure, I felt a little envious of soccer players. Swapping jerseys to show respect and as a souvenir was a great idea. But in football, they wear pads under their jerseys, which are a hassle to take on and off, so there’s no custom of swapping jerseys on the field.

“Bambi! Bambi!” Not far away, I heard my teammates’ shouts. Ted Ginn was waving vigorously. “Let’s go thank the fans! It wasn’t easy for them to come all the way to Cincinnati.”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep