Playbooks
Quick Reference
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Breakdown
PA Dig Wheels runs out of Full House Tight with a play-action fake to hold the linebackers before the routes develop. Both wing backs release from the backfield on wheel routes up the sidelines, while the inline tight end runs a dig across the middle and the backside receiver breaks off on a shallow crosser underneath. This is a play-action man beater designed to attack overaggressive linebackers and safeties who bite on the run fake, with the primary read going wheel first for the big play, then working back down to the dig as the intermediate window and the shallow cross as the checkdown against tight man coverage.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety depth before the snap since single high shells with deep safeties are vulnerable to the dig sitting underneath in the honey hole. Watch for cornerbacks pressing the wing backs at the line, as physical man coverage on the wheel routes can disrupt timing and blow up the vertical stretch before it develops. Identify if linebackers are sprinting to fill run gaps off the play-action fake, since that opens the intermediate crossing routes and the dig for an easy completion. Look for a user-controlled defender dropping into a shallow zone or spying the quarterback, which can jump the dig route and turn it into a turnover. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender to the wheel side is one of the toughest shells against this play since it takes away the deep sideline shot and forces you into the shorter routes underneath.
Usage Tips
Sell the play-action fake by holding the ball on your first move to freeze linebackers and get safeties to creep up before the wheels stretch the boundary. Check the pre-snap alignment of the outside cornerbacks and slot defenders since wheel routes need a soft corner or blown coverage to hit for explosive yardage. If you see man coverage across the board, prioritize the wheel route matchup against a linebacker or safety in the flat for an easy win. Against zone shells, work the dig over the middle as your primary read since it settles in the soft spot behind underneath defenders and in front of deep safeties. Pair this play with HB Sweep or Power O earlier in a series to get defenders keying run action from Full House Tight, then hit them with PA Dig Wheels once they start cheating up on run fits.
