Playbooks
X Dig is the lone true pass concept mixed into the Flexbone Normal run-heavy set, giving you a change of pace off all the option and dive looks. The X receiver runs a deep dig route across the middle of the field while the backfield action holds linebackers with run fake mesh, punishing defenses that sell out to stop the veer and dive game. This is a man beater against off coverage and a zone beater against Cover 3, since the dig sits down in the void behind underneath defenders and in front of the deep third. Your primary read is the X receiver breaking across the field, working from the numbers to the middle of the field on his in-cut.
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since two deep safeties or a single high safety cheating to the run side signals space for the dig to settle into. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash hard on run fake keys from Flexbone tendencies, the middle of the field opens up for the in-cut route. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled defender lurking in the middle hook zone, since a spy or rat defender sitting in that window can jump the route and undercut the throw. This play struggles against Cover 3 sink drops with a disciplined middle linebacker or against man coverage with a safety blitz overload sent right at backfield protection. If the defense shows Cover 2 or Cover 4 with safeties staying deep and linebackers respecting pass first, expect the underneath windows to be tighter and require a hard, timed throw.
Call this play once you have established Midline Triple, Inside Veer Triple Opt, and FB Dive to get linebackers cheating downhill on run fits, then hit them with X Dig off the same personnel and formation look for a chunk gain. Use pre-snap motion or a quick formation check to see if the defense is stacking the box in run support, since that tells you the underneath window for the dig will be wide open. Hot route the backfield options into simple stalk or chip blocks if you see a blitz look, since Flexbone protection is not built for max protect pass blocking. Best used on early downs, second and medium, or as a change of pace on third and short when defenses expect run based on formation tendency. Pair it in a sequence with PA FB Dive and PA HB Dive to keep defenders honest, since all three plays share the same backfield action before diverging into pass concepts.