Playbooks
Breakdown
PA Spot from the I Form Close Flex set opens with a play action fake to sell the run before working the classic Spot concept to one side. The diagram shows the flanker and TE stacking deep clear-out routes to the left, both breaking outside to occupy the corner and deep zone defenders, while the tight slot man runs the short angle route underneath to the flat as the true spot component. On the opposite side, the split end runs a quick corner breaking route, and the fullback checks down into a shallow drag underneath the line, giving the quarterback a five step progression from the flat defender's leverage. This is a Cover 3 beater built to attack the seams vacated by the run fake, with the corner route as the primary read against single high shells.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, check for a single high safety and stacked corner alignment, this tells you the offense wants to attack Cover 3 with the deep clear out and corner route combo. Post snap, key the flat defender and curl to flat zone defender, if they sit on the underneath angle route the corner route behind them will be open. Watch linebacker run fits, if the second and third level defenders bite hard on the play action fake, the shallow drag and angle route will have wide open grass. User the deep half or deep third defender to that trips side and stay disciplined, jumping the run fake too early lets the corner route climb past you for a big gain. This play struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells with disciplined zone drops, since the deep clear outs and corner route get squeezed by two high safety help over the top.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety alignment pre snap since this play is labeled a Cover 3 beater and thrives when the deep third defenders bite on the run fake.
Sell the play action by holding the fake through its full animation before resetting your feet, this buys the corner route time to climb over the flat defender.
If the corner shows two deep safeties, work the underneath angle route or the drag from the fullback since the shallow zone will be softer against Cover 2 or Cover 4.
Pair this call with HB Power O or HB Wk Toss earlier in a series to condition the defense into biting on run keys, then dial up PA Spot to hit the same gap fake with the pass game.
Use in early down and manageable distance situations, second and short or first and ten, where linebackers are more likely to step up on the run action and open the shallow flat zone.
