Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Z Shake Crosser lines up out of Pistol Doubles Hip with 11 personnel and attacks the defense with a deep crosser, a shallow drag underneath it, and a deep outside route to clear space. The X receiver runs a deep corner/flag route up the numbers, the slot runs the namesake shake crosser sitting down across the middle, and the other slot works an underneath drag going the opposite direction while the backfield player releases on a check release flat route. This is a man beater built on natural rub and crossing traffic, with the primary read progression going from the shake crosser in the middle of the field to the underneath drag if the crosser is taken away, and finally to the check release out of the backfield as a checkdown against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Identify press man coverage on the outside receivers pre-snap since the shake crosser and drag combo is designed to rub off tight man coverage across the field. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, which signals man coverage underneath and opens up the crosser sitting down in the middle void. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap since a shallow drop suggests he will wall off the drag route, forcing the quarterback to the deep crosser instead. User lurk defenders sitting in the intermediate middle of the field are the biggest threat to this concept since they can jump the shake crosser route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties can squeeze the crosser late, so look for corners playing outside leverage as a sign the defense is baiting the middle read.
Usage Tips
Look pre-snap for single high safety or man coverage indicators since the crossing traffic from the shake route and the drag creates natural picks against man defenders trying to stay in phase.
Use this play on second and medium to second and long when you have time to let the deep crosser develop and sit down in a soft spot versus zone.
If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 with deep zone drops, hot route the shake crosser to keep working across the field into the void vacated by flowing zone defenders.
Pair this call with Mesh Rail or Jet PA Cross in your play-calling sequence since both attack similar crossing concepts and force defenders to declare man or zone before the snap.
Against aggressive user blitzes, check down quickly to the backfield flat route since the protection is built to hold up just long enough for the crosser to clear the middle.
