Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA U Slide is a play-action passing concept out of the Wing I Form that dresses up as an inside run to hold the linebackers before attacking the intermediate and deep middle of the field. Off the fake, one receiver runs a deep out breaking to the sideline, a second climbs vertically then bends into a corner route up the seam, and a third works an underneath slide route across the formation that settles behind the play-action fake. The check-down or flare route to the flat side rounds out the concept, giving the quarterback a layered progression: read the deep corner first for a shot play, work down to the slide sitting in the void, and dump to the flat if the pocket collapses.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap. If they bite hard on the play-action fake, the slide route sitting behind them will be wide open for an easy completion. Check safety alignment before the snap. A single high safety leaves the deep corner route in a one-on-one matchup that favors the offense against man coverage. Against zone coverage, identify if underneath defenders are dropping into the same lane as the slide route, since that traffic can clog the primary read and force a check-down. This play struggles against a hard user blitz off the edge because the play-action drop takes extra time to develop and the quarterback can get flushed before routes fully break. Look for cover 2 or cover 4 shells sitting on the deep corner. If safeties are rotating over the top, the slide route underneath becomes the higher percentage answer.
Usage Tips
Sell the play-action hard by holding the ball on the fake as long as possible, since the run threat out of I Form Wing with 22 personnel is what freezes linebackers and opens the slide route underneath.
Use this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and short when the defense is honoring run looks based on personnel and formation tendencies.
Pre-snap, identify single high versus two high safeties. Against single high, attack the deep corner route away from the safety help. Against two high, work the slide route into the vacated middle void.
Hot route the flat or check-down receiver into a quick out if you see a blitz look, since the slide concept naturally has an outlet against pressure.
Pair this with HB Lead, HB Inside Zone, or Close HB Lead earlier in a series so the defense keys run action from this personnel, then hit them with PA U Slide once linebackers start creeping downhill.
