Reading the defense is the bread and butter for any quarterback. It's not just about what happens on the field; there's a ton of prep work that goes into it before game day.
For the past ten days, the team has been all over the Seattle Seahawks' four preseason game tapes. Luke even put in extra hours with Geep, breaking down last year's Seahawks games.
Yeah, it's a grind—long, boring, and heavy stuff. But right now, Luke instantly spots that the Seahawks are setting up a pass defense!
This is the first offensive play of the season. Every team is feeling things out, and every player is pumped and adjusting. That adrenaline can either get you in the zone or make you jittery. This goes for offense, defense, special teams, and even the coaches.
So, the Seahawks went with the most standard, conservative defensive setup.
On the D-line, they've got three guys up front and four behind. This means three players are blitzing, trying to bust through the offensive line to get to the quarterback. The other four are playing it smart, ready to help with run defense or cover short passes. They can also loop around to sack the quarterback.
In the secondary, there are two safeties and two cornerbacks, and their spots are pretty clear. The safeties are hanging back past midfield, while the cornerbacks are at the 49ers' 35-yard line. They're wary of long passes, but they're focusing more on medium-range throws.
In short: This is a pass defense aimed at short and medium passes. They've dialed back on the blitz, not rushing to pressure the quarterback, but they're keeping an eye on the run and focusing their defense up front.
Peter's being cautious, not because he's scared of Luke, but because he doesn't think much of him.
Even after rookie camp, they still don't buy that Luke can handle being a pro quarterback.
Luke doesn't get why the Seahawks even bothered to interview him. Maybe they were just taking a shot in the dark. But one thing's clear: when their QB coach Carl Smith talked trash, no one stopped him. This means deep down, they always had doubts about Luke's skills.
But whether it was doubt about his skills or something else, only they knew.
Now, that doubt was all over their first defensive play. They stacked up against the run and short passes, not even bothering to blitz, leaving the backfield wide open, almost like they were saying:
"Go ahead, try to pass."
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke spotted Richard Sherman.
As a cornerback, Sherman was hanging around midfield, moving with a cocky swagger, almost like a clown—not funny, but definitely trying to get under Luke's skin. When he noticed Luke looking, he gave a thumbs-up, then slowly dragged it across his neck in a throat-slitting gesture, finishing with an exaggerated head droop and tongue out.
That clownish act screamed disrespect.
But then, Richard's eyes sharpened. Back in rookie camp, Luke had thrown three passes right over his head, stealing the spotlight. Sherman saw it as a huge embarrassment, one that even messed with his draft position.
Now, it was payback time. He wasn't about to let his guard down or give Luke any chances.
Luke licked his lips, tasting the challenge. Instead of backing down, he got even more pumped. Beating a lifeless opponent is no fun; it's like taming a wild horse. Only by breaking the wildest stallion on the prairie can you feel true accomplishment.
A gentle breeze blew, and within thirty seconds of stepping onto the field, sweat was already starting to bead on Luke's forehead. But his gaze stayed steady, scanning the field like a radar.
His height gave him a clear view of the entire defense. All those hours of watching tapes made him sharp, noticing every detail, every player's position and habits. His fingertips were a bit damp; for someone who never got nervous, he was feeling a bit of tension.
But it was just a fleeting moment.
For the first offensive play, Jim was also feeling things out, playing it safe. He had set up a shotgun formation: run or short pass, keeping options open. As the game went on, his strategy would get clearer.
But right now, Luke saw a chance for a long pass. This was the moment of truth—whether it was a smart move or just a risky gamble.
In one swift move, Luke took two big steps forward and shouted, "Hawaii! Hawaii! Hawaii!" He repeated it three times, but it was just to signal his teammates: Heads up, we're changing the play!
On the sidelines, Jim looked surprised and quickly huddled with Greg, Geep, and the others: What's going on? What's Luke up to?
But things on the field move fast. Even though the coaches are right there, they can't see what the quarterback sees. They set up the plays, but the final call is on the QB.
Luke stayed laser-focused.
"Aloha! Aloha!" he followed up. This was to tell the offensive line to push forward hard, not to worry about the blitz. Then he threw in "Cherry" and another round of "Aloha!"
He repeated it twice, making sure all the receivers caught the "Cherry" command. Then he called out "Hawaii" one more time, this time with a deeper meaning, locking in the final play with his eyes.
His gaze swept over all three wide receivers and the tight end. They knew what he meant.
Clearly, the pro-level commands are way more intricate.
No one questioned Luke's call. On the field, you trust your quarterback. Otherwise, you're doomed.
After tweaking the commands, Luke quickly got back to his spot, still in the shotgun formation, standing a good four yards from center Jonathan Goodwin. Running back Anthony Dixon was three yards behind Luke, ready to burst forward at any moment.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke checked the countdown clock at the far end of the end zone, "Five, four..." They'd almost used up all the time on the first play, but Luke stayed cool. He lifted his right leg, bent down, extended his hands, ready to receive the snap, and then called out:
"Hike, hike, hike. Attack!"
Jonathan snapped the ball sharply, landing it right in Luke's hands. Luke quickly backpedaled, moving backward. He saw Anthony sprinting up out of the corner of his eye, but Luke had no plans to fake a handoff. He just let Anthony fill the gap between him and the offensive line, blocking any defenders trying to break through.
Turning around, the whole field opened up, his vision crystal clear.
Just as he thought, the Seahawks only sent three guys blitzing, and the offensive line had them locked down. The other four front-line defenders saw their chance. One tried to loop around the line to sack Luke, while the other three were covering the short pass zones like a minefield.
Luke kept backpedaling, putting about eight or nine yards between him and the line, giving himself plenty of room. With nearly half the defense focused on the short and medium passes, Luke had time to scan the field and spot opportunities in the backfield.
The sound of collisions echoed, tension peaking. Adrenaline was popping off like fireworks, but Luke got even calmer, sensing the perfect moment. His steps were steady, his arm firm, his gaze sharp.
He spotted Logan Newman.
Logan was sprinting, the number 88 on his back blazing through the field.
A safety was on his tail but hesitant to fully commit, constantly glancing back to read the pass. Another cornerback was in the open space, ready to cover as soon as Luke threw, keeping about six or seven yards from Logan.
But Logan was all focus, running harder and faster, not even thinking about looking back.
"The opportunity is here!" Luke locked onto Logan's position and the surrounding defense, calculating the timing and distance. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the outside linebacker charging in. He knew he couldn't wait any longer.
He took a few quick steps, shifting slightly to the left. Running back Anthony, now a blocker, charged at the linebacker, giving Luke the space he needed.
That brief block was all he needed.
Luke took two big steps forward, his arm fully extended, channeling all his power into the football. With a twist of his waist, he launched it!
With a "whoosh," the football soared through the air in a perfect arc.