Playbooks

Mtn Wide Zone

Pistol·Bunch·11

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Breakdown

Mtn Wide Zone is a pure wide zone run out of Pistol Bunch that stretches the defense laterally before letting the HB find a crease. The offensive line and TE flow together to one side, reach blocking defensive linemen to create a natural cutback lane if the edge gets sealed. This is a run play, not a play-action or RPO, so the primary read progression for the ball carrier is playside cutback lane first, then bounce outside if the edge defender gets washed down or if a linebacker overpursues.

Defensive Reads

Watch the play side defensive end and outside linebacker before the snap. If they are lined up wide with outside leverage, expect them to squeeze the zone stretch, so plan for a cutback. Identify the middle linebacker depth. A linebacker sitting shallow near the line of scrimmage will flow fast and can be gashed with a cutback if the O-line seals the front side. Check for a stacked box or run blitz look. Straight zone runs into a nano blitz or overloaded front get stopped for a loss, so be ready to check to a pass concept like Mesh or PA Cross. Post-snap, track the play side safety. If he stays high in a two-high shell after the snap, the run has more room to develop outside. If he crashes down as a run support defender, expect the cutback lane to be the better option. Look for user-controlled defenders flying downhill immediately at the snap. Aggressive defenders that overcommit to the flow create the cutback and bounce lanes this concept is designed to exploit.

Usage Tips

Run this out of a bunch look on early downs, particularly 1st and 10 or 2nd and short, to keep the defense honest against your pass-heavy Pistol Bunch install.

Check the box count before the snap. If the defense has six or more in the box with no clear overhang defender, consider checking to Mtn RPO Read Y Slide or HB Slip Screen instead.

Use the outside zone stretch action to set up Dbl Mtn PA Stretch and Mtn PA Slide later in the series. Those play-action shots off the same bunch alignment punish linebackers who key run fast.

If the defense shows an odd front with a heavy interior, use the fullback or extra blocker (if hot routed) to seal the strongside edge and bounce the run outside rather than forcing it inside.

Pair this with Dash WR Leak or Dash Flood on the next play call to attack defenders who overreact to the zone stretch flow with their eyes.

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