Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Deep Cross Go is a play-action shot play out of the I Form Close set with 21 personnel. Off the fake, the outside receiver runs a vertical Go route up the sideline while the deep crosser works from the opposite side all the way across the field at a depth just past the linebackers, and a shallow underneath route sits near the line as a checkdown/outlet. The primary read progression starts with the Go route on the play-action shot look, comes back to the deep crosser sitting in the void behind linebackers and in front of safeties, and ends with the underneath shallow route as the last resort against a hard pass rush or if both deep options are covered.
Defensive Reads
Check safety depth and alignment before the snap, since a single high safety cheating toward the Go route side leaves the deep crosser wide open in the middle of the field. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, because shallow linebacker drops after the play-action fake signal a defense that respects the run and will get beat by the crosser sitting behind them. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive run support are the most vulnerable shells here, since the deep crosser exploits the seam between the flat defender and the deep third or deep half defender. Watch for a user-controlled defender spying the crosser or sitting in a deep middle lurk, as a smart Cover 4 or Cover 2 defender can rob the crossing route and turn this into a pick six. Disciplined two high safety shells with a hard corner press on the Go route side shut this down, forcing the quarterback into the underdeveloped underneath route as the only safe outlet.
Usage Tips
Sell the play-action fake fully before dropping back, since the run threat from I Form Close is what actually opens the crosser and Go route against overplaying linebackers.
Look for single high safety shells pre-snap because the deep crosser has room to work across the middle void when the safety has to respect the Go route on the opposite hash.
Against two high shells, prioritize the Go route on a vertical seam shot since the crosser will run into a defender if the safety stays over the top on that side.
Use hot routes to convert the shallow underneath route into a quick option against blitz-heavy fronts, giving the quarterback an immediate answer if the play-action fake does not buy enough time.
Pair this call with HB Zone Toss or Power O earlier in a series so the defense bites on run keys, then hit this shot play once linebackers start creeping up in run support.
