John spotted two cornerbacks in his line of sight. These guys are the ones who guard the corners of the field, making sure the receivers don't get any easy catches. They were scattered around, adjusting their positions based on the defensive play. But this time, they were prepping for a running play, so both cornerbacks were near midfield, moving left with the offensive unit, leaving a huge chunk of the field wide open.
So yeah, the whole field in front of him was like a clear runway.
John clutched the football tight, running like his life depended on it, running fast, running with everything he had, no obstacles in sight. After snagging the football right at the forty-yard line, he took off, running wild, getting closer and closer, sprinting unrestrained towards the end zone.
No blockers, no nothing. John bolted with all his might, the wind whistling in his ears, and he charged into the end zone, nailing the touchdown. It was a breeze, no extra effort needed. All he had to do was: run, catch, run, so effortlessly, so simply, so perfectly.
A killer move!
After hitting the end zone and scoring the touchdown, John slammed the football onto the ground. He did it! He freaking did it! The emotions bubbling in his chest burst out. His first instinct was to look towards the other end of the field, searching for Luke, but it wasn't easy.
The practice squad's offensive team members swarmed over, blocking John's view. Every face was lit up with excitement, shouting, "You did it! You did it!" Their voices, hoarse from all the yelling, filled John's ears.
Meanwhile, the defensive team members just stood there, looking lost and scattered across the field. They had no clue what just went down. How did that long pass happen? How did the touchdown get completed?
The folks on the sidelines were just as stunned. The players from the first and second teams couldn't believe it. The practice squad was the first to score, and it was a game-ending long pass. The offensive unit had been on the field for less than thirty seconds, and the touchdown was already in the bag. It was unreal, too incredible, too mind-blowing, leaving everyone looking at each other in disbelief.
Even the three coaches were caught off guard. Rick was eyeing the center of the field with keen interest. He wasn't just blown away by the touchdown but by the whole passing play. From the setup to the throw, from the football's flight path to John's clean catch, the entire sequence screamed power, accuracy, and control. It was a real showstopper.
But, was this a one-hit wonder or could they keep this up?
Rick turned to his coaching buddies, "Did you catch the offensive setup just now? Was it planned? Did the quarterback make any on-the-fly adjustments before the snap?" He hadn't been expecting much, so he didn't pay close attention and missed the finer details.
Next to him, offensive coach Norm Chow and defensive coach Chuck Bullough both gave sheepish grins, unable to give a clear answer.
Norm shrugged, "Everything happened too fast."
Yeah, it was just thirty seconds, and bam, touchdown. It was lightning quick, even for a practice game.
Rick chuckled, "Looks like the practice squad kids have a few tricks up their sleeves."
But let's be real, in that first offensive play, the third team's defense was slacking, which gave Luke the time he needed to make the pass. As everyone starts to focus more, things are gonna get interesting. Rick was kinda excited to see how Luke's offensive unit would handle the pressure and perform.
The defensive player who was a step too late in tackling Luke got up and grudgingly moved aside. Luke stood up, clenched his fist, and pumped it a few times, finally letting out a triumphant roar, "Good job!" He nailed it, his strategy worked, and all his recent hard work paid off with that touchdown!
This was his first real step on the field after getting the system, even if it was just a practice field, it was a big leap from the practice squad.
Before Luke could soak in the moment, he saw John barreling towards him like a freight train, with a whole bunch of teammates trailing behind. They swarmed around Luke, cheering like crazy, "Luke! Luke! Luke!" The celebration was like they had just won the Super Bowl, pure joy!
A huge grin spread across Luke's face.
Meanwhile, Kevin, standing on the sidelines, kicked a chair hard, but ended up hurting himself. He gritted his teeth, trying to act cool, his hand gripping his helmet so tight his knuckles turned white, grinding his teeth in frustration. Damn clown!
"Get it together! It's just one touchdown! We'll get it right back!" Kevin barked at his teammates, ready to storm the field, but someone grabbed his arm. Kevin spun around, glaring, "What now?"
His teammate shook his head, "The extra point hasn't been kicked yet." After the extra point, the special teams would need to kick off before it was their turn to get on the field.
Unlike soccer, where you kick off from the center circle after a goal, in football, after a touchdown, the scoring team kicks off from their side, and the other team gets the ball. The receiving team can then try to return it, kinda like a punt. Wherever the returner gets tackled or their knee hits the ground, that's where the next offensive play starts.
The practice squad's special teams took the field, nailed the extra point, and now led the third team 7-0. Then, the special teams kicked off, and the football went out of bounds, giving the third team no chance to return. They'd start their offense from their own twenty-yard line.
Kevin took the field again.
Back on the sidelines, Luke wasn't just chilling. The joy of that first touchdown quickly settled down. The practice game had just started; thinking one touchdown would seal the deal was a pipe dream. They needed to keep attacking, attacking, and attacking some more!
Luke gathered all his offensive teammates, "The same play won't work twice."
That first offensive play was a perfect storm of timing and coordination. Any slip-up, and they wouldn't be able to pull off the same result because the risks of a long pass were too high, especially given their lack of coordination. So, they needed more strategies now.
"But we still have the upper hand!" Luke pumped up his teammates, "You saw it; their coordination isn't that great either, at least not as good as ours." The third team, after all, wasn't the first team.
After that epic long pass touchdown, the practice squad's offensive players were buzzing with energy and confidence. Luke's words made them chuckle.
"No more shortcuts," Luke's eyes scanned his teammates, "Next, we need more protection."
The quarterback is called the brain of the team because he has to memorize all the playbooks and even know defensive strategies. In the whole football team, the quarterback is the only player who has to do this. Especially on the field, in the heat of the moment, the coach can't change the strategy; it's up to the quarterback to make the call.
The practice squad's biggest edge was knowing every opponent inside out because they had to study the main and backup players to provide tactical practice. But the official players didn't need to and couldn't study the practice squad's tactics. So, the practice squad knew the habits and weaknesses of the players standing directly opposite the offensive line.
Luke started dishing out tactics. For a quarterback, having enough time to observe and pass is priority number one. In other words, the offensive line has to block the opposing defensive players' rush; otherwise, if the defense breaks through, the whole offense crumbles.
No matter how top-notch a quarterback is, he's still just one guy; he can't win alone.
If they were up against the first team's starters, the practice squad wouldn't stand a chance. The gap in tactics and skill would be too big to bridge, even if they gave it their all. But now they were facing the third team, the backups of the backups, and their tactical rehearsals and coordination practices were limited. This meant that as long as Luke observed carefully enough, he could find the gaps.
"Damn it!" A curse cut through Luke and his teammates' tactical discussion. They turned to look at the field and saw that the third team had advanced to midfield but couldn't push further. Clearly, it was another punting situation. Kevin, red-faced and veins bulging, was furiously yelling at his teammates, livid with rage.
Luke took a deep breath, "Guys, it's our turn again."
However, this time the practice squad couldn't show off their skills. Once the opposing defensive players upped their focus, the practice squad's offensive line struggled to organize effective blocks. The first pass was broken up, and Luke got sacked. A sack happens when the quarterback, still holding the football, is forced to the ground by a defensive player, causing the offensive play to fail and the next play to start from where the quarterback's knee touched the ground.
On the second play, they chose to run the ball but only gained two yards. On the third play, Luke went for a medium pass, but it was a no-go. Reluctantly, they had to punt.
The practice game then turned into a mess, with neither offensive unit able to make any real progress, leading to a stalemate.