Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Draw out of I Form Pro (21 personnel) shows the offensive line pass setting at the snap to sell dropback pass before the HB takes a delayed handoff and follows his blockers through the interior. The FB and OL create a middle running lane while the WRs and TE simply release upfield to occupy corners and safeties off the play fake. This is a pure run play, and specifically a base draw designed to punish aggressive pass rush and man coverage that bites on the pass read, with the primary progression being patience behind the line to let the draw develop before hitting the first crease.
Defensive Reads
Key the defensive line and linebackers pre-snap, if they are showing an aggressive pass rush alignment or a Cover 3 blitz shell, this draw has a strong chance to hit for a big gain. Watch for a spy linebacker or a defender staying home in the middle of the field, since that is the primary defender who kills this play by sitting on the draw before it develops. Zone coverages with linebackers dropping into short hooks tend to clog the interior lane, so check for Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with linebackers reading run first. User-controlled Mike linebackers who stay square and do not bite on the pass read will blow this up immediately, so avoid calling it against defenses that consistently show discipline up the middle. Man coverage with press corners and blitzing safeties is the best matchup since it pulls defenders away from the box, leaving natural cutback lanes for the HB.
Usage Tips
Call this on passing downs like 2nd and long or 3rd and medium when the defense shows blitz or aggressive pass rush looks, since the delayed action punishes upfield rushers. Watch pre-snap for stacked box counts under 6 and Mike linebacker showing blitz, both are green lights for this concept. Use the left stick to let the blocking develop, do not rush the HB north immediately or you will run into your own linemen. Pair this with HB Pass or PA Draw Shot earlier in a drive so the defense respects play-action and pass rush lanes, making the delayed draw hit even harder later. Sequence this after calling quick game like Quick Slants or Curls to bait linebackers into faster pass drops, opening the same rushing lane this draw is designed to exploit.
