Playbooks

Mtn PA Slide

Pistol·Bunch·11

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

In 6 playbooks

Cardinals OffenseOffenseEagles OffenseOffensePackers OffenseOffenseNFL Live Cardinals OffenseOffenseNFL Live Eagles OffenseOffenseNFL Live Packers OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Mtn PA Slide is a play-action pass out of Pistol Bunch that uses run action to freeze linebackers before working a slide protection concept to the play side. The bunch alignment creates natural rub routes that pick off man defenders, while the mountain (Mtn) route distribution stacks vertical and intermediate breaks to stress zone drop defenders on the same side of the field. This is primarily a man beater thanks to the bunch traffic, though the slide flat route underneath gives you a built-in answer versus zone coverage. The primary read progression starts with the deep mountain route to see if the play-action freezes the safety, then works down to the intermediate breaker, and finishes with the flat/slide route as the checkdown against a hard close from linebackers.

Defensive Reads

Identify the linebacker depth and flow pre-snap, because if the Mike and Will are sitting shallow expecting the run, the play-action window to the intermediate mountain route will be wide open. Watch for a single high safety rotating hard to the bunch side, which signals man coverage or a Cover 3 buzz, both of which are vulnerable to the natural rub created by the bunch alignment. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, expect the corner over the bunch to sink and squeeze the flat, so lean on the slide route only after the deep route has cleared out the cornerback's zone drop. If you see a linebacker or slot defender crashing hard off the edge as a lurk threat immediately after the snap, that is a sign of a disguised blitz or a user controlled defender jumping the flat route, so be ready to check down early or throw off the back foot before the pocket collapses. Man press coverage with no safety help over the bunch is the biggest liability for the defense, since the rub routes will consistently beat man technique defenders trying to fight through traffic.

Usage Tips

Use run-heavy personnel and early down tendencies to sell the play-action fake before calling this, since defenders who bite on run keys will vacate the underneath zones you need. Check the safety depth pre-snap. Two deep safeties usually mean the slide flat route will be open against a soft zone shell, while a single high safety tells you to trust the bunch rub routes to win one on one against man coverage. Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or slant if you see the defense showing Cover 0 or man blitz looks, since the bunch concept alone will not fully account for extra rushers. This play works best on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short to medium) when the defense respects the run fake, so pair it with Mtn RPO Read Y Slide or HB Duo earlier in a series to build that run tendency. Sequence this with Dash WR Leak or PA Boot Slide later in the game once the defense starts keying the initial run action, since those plays attack similar flat and boundary space from a different launch point.

Other Plays in Bunch