Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Corner Dig runs out of Pistol U Off Trips with 12 personnel, using play-action to hold the linebackers before attacking downfield. The play art shows a deep corner route breaking outside from the middle of the field, a dig route sitting underneath it that crosses the field flat and hard from the opposite hash, and a check release out of the backfield running a flat route to the boundary. The blocking scheme keeps extra protection in to sell the run fake before the quarterback works his progression, reading the corner route first against single high looks and coming down to the dig against two high shells, with the flat route as the checkdown against blitz.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and spacing since two high shells invite the dig read while single high alignments push the quarterback toward the corner route. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they bite hard on the run fake the underneath dig route will have a clean throwing lane before the second level closes. User the deep corner defender or a lurking safety to jump the corner route, since that is the primary shot play read against man coverage or single high looks. Zone coverage with a hard flat defender can undercut the flat route, so spy that area if you expect a checkdown throw on a blitz beat. Disguised blitzes that bring extra rushers off the edge can beat this play if the protection cannot hold up long enough for the corner or dig routes to develop, so watch for late blitz shows and be ready to get the ball out fast.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and medium when defenses are cheating up to stop the run, since the play action freezes linebackers and opens the intermediate dig window.
Check safety alignment before the snap: if you see two high safeties, the dig route will have room to sit down between the hashes for an easy completion.
If the defense shows single high or man coverage indicators like tight corner alignment, load up the corner route since it attacks the sideline behind the corner and away from a deep half safety.
Hot route the flat route to a quick out or spot if you diagnose a hard blitz look, giving the quarterback a quicker outlet than waiting on the deeper routes to develop.
Pair this play with PA Boot and PA Y Corner in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect multiple play-action shells off similar backfield action, keeping linebackers honest and opening the dig later in the series.
