Mike ran toward the quarterback and once again blocked a rapidly advancing defender, a linebacker swooping in from behind at an angle to tackle the quarterback, slamming into him forcefully.
Mike was also staggered but he held his ground, and instead of catching the ball, he stood in front of the quarterback.
With Mike at the front and the quarterback behind him, the two of them ran forward together. When another defensive player lunged at them, Mike pushed with both hands, knocking the defender to the ground again.
Now Mike finally looked like a fullback, providing tight protection in front of the quarterback.
But the defensive line finally caught on, and after some scrambling, more players stepped up.
Gruden didn't blow the whistle, ignoring any fouls, focusing solely on Mike and the quarterback. As he noticed a defensive lineman closing in on the quarterback from the front, he started to get anxious.
"Pass the ball!"