Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Fk Screen out of Pistol Bunch TE is a fake screen designed to hold linebackers and second-level defenders with play action before releasing receivers. The diagram shows the bunch receivers running a stutter release with the inside man cutting outside on a shallow angle while the outside receiver climbs vertically upfield, and on the other side the TE runs a swing/flat route toward the sideline while the outer receiver on that side breaks upfield on an out and up. Blocking is built around the play fake at the mesh point, drawing defenders up before receivers work into space, making this a zone beater that punishes linebackers and safeties who bite on the run fake. Primary read progression starts with the TE swing route in the flat, then works to the outside vertical breaks on either side if the underneath defenders sink into coverage.
Defensive Reads
Watch pre-snap safety depth and alignment since a single high safety cheating toward the bunch side signals man coverage or Cover 3, both of which the vertical routes on the diagram can attack. Read linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the run fake instead of maintaining zone integrity, the TE swing route and flat area will be wide open immediately. Beware of defenses running Cover 4 or Cover 6 with disciplined linebackers who sit in their zone drops and refuse to bite on the fake, since this eliminates the underneath window this play relies on. User controlled defenders sitting in a shallow lurk technique near the bunch can jump the inside cut route, so check for a defender hovering low in that area before committing to the first read. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is vulnerable to the outside vertical breaks, but disciplined zone blitz packages with delayed pressure can collapse the pocket before the fake fully develops.
Usage Tips
Sell the run fake by holding the play fake button through the mesh point animation so linebackers commit downhill before you release into the pass. Use this against defenses that show run blitz looks or stacked boxes since the play action freezes second level defenders and opens the flat and vertical windows behind them. Pair Fk Screen with HB Dive and HB Zone earlier in a series so defenders start keying run fits, then hit this concept once they start jumping the mesh point aggressively. Hot route the backside vertical into a comeback or curl against soft zone shells if the safety is playing deep middle and cheating toward the bunch side. Best used on early downs, especially first and second down, when defenses are more willing to sell out against the run look.
