Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA X Deep Out is a play-action shot play out of I Form Y Off Close (21 personnel) designed to attack downfield after selling the run fake. The X receiver runs a deep out breaking hard toward the sideline, the TE releases from in-close and works a deep crosser to the opposite side, and the third receiver runs an under route that settles in the middle as a checkdown against zone drops. The backfield fake pulls linebackers up, and the primary read progression starts with the X receiver's deep out, moving to the TE crossing route if the flat or out is jumped, with the underneath cross as the last resort safety valve.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth before the snap. Shallow, aggressive linebackers signal they will bite on the play action, opening the crossing route and deep out behind them. Identify the coverage shell post-snap. Cover 3 with a single deep safety struggles against the deep out since the flat defender has to choose between the out and any flat threat. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is where the deep out separates most, especially against off man corners who cannot recover once the receiver breaks outside. User lurk defenders sitting in the shallow middle can jump the underneath crossing route, so do not rely on that as your first read if you see a spy or rat defender sitting in the zone. Cover 2 shells with corners jumping the flat and safeties staying deep can undercut the out route, so be ready to reset to the TE's deep cross as your counter read.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs (1st or 2nd and medium) when defenses are keying run based on your I Form 21 personnel tendency, since the play action fake plays off that expectation.
Check safety depth before the snap. If both safeties are deep (two high shell), the deep out and crossing route combo has room to work behind linebackers who bite on the run fake.
Hot route the underneath cross to a flat route if you see man coverage across the board, since the flat route beats man leverage better than a shallow cross versus press corners.
Pair this play with HB Iso or HB Zone Toss earlier in a drive to establish the run look, then dial up PA X Deep Out once the defense starts crashing linebackers downhill on early downs.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages unless you have a quick trigger, since the deep out and crosser both take time to develop and the protection is built around the run fake holding backers, not extra pass protectors.
