Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Slip Screen out of Trips Left Open Pistol is a designed screen pass that gets your running back leaking out to the flat while the offensive line sets up to release downfield and wall off pursuit. The three vertical routes from the trips side and the go route from the backside receiver are pure clock killers, designed to pull linebackers and defensive backs deep and clear out the underneath area for the screen. This is a blitz beater at its core, punishing defenses that bring extra rushers off the edge since those defenders run themselves out of the play, and the primary read is the HB out of the backfield as soon as he turns upfield behind the blocking wall.
Defensive Reads
Watch for defensive ends and outside linebackers crashing hard upfield off the snap, that flat pursuit angle is exactly what turns this screen into a big gain. Key the middle linebacker depth pre-snap, if he is stacked close to the line in a blitz alignment he is a load management problem for the screen and this play beats him directly. Identify man coverage on the outside receivers by their tight alignment and lack of cushion, since man defenders chasing verticals will not be in position to read screen and recover. Zone shells with linebackers sitting short and reading the quarterback's eyes are the counter to this play, they will squat and jump the throwing lane before the back can turn the corner. Watch for a delayed blitz or a defender designated to spy the running back, that assignment is designed specifically to erase this concept and forces you to check to a different play.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you diagnose an aggressive pre-snap blitz look, especially overload pressure from the trips side or a defensive line showing wide edge rushers who will crash past the mesh point. Use the four vertical routes as a pre-snap disguise by checking safety depth, if both safeties are shaded deep you know the defense respects the pass and is more likely to blitz underneath, which sets up the screen perfectly. Do not force this against a spy linebacker or a defense that sits in zone with linebackers reading the backfield, since they will jump the screen before your linemen get out in front of it. Pair this with HB Dive or Close HB Dive earlier in a series so the defense keys run action off the pistol look, then hit them with the slip screen to punish overaggressive run fits. Sequence this after Four Verticals or PA Verticals from the same set so linebackers start sprinting to their landmarks at the snap, opening up the screen lane even wider.
