Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Wheel Over is a play-action pass out of Pistol Weak Slot that sells the run fake before attacking the flat and vertical seam on the boundary side. Off the play fake, one back releases into a wheel route up the sideline while another underneath receiver runs a crossing route over the middle, and two outside receivers stem vertical up the numbers. The play is built as a man beater, using the wheel route to exploit linebackers or slot corners who get picked or lose the runner on the release, with the primary read progression starting on the wheel route out of the backfield before working to the crossing route underneath and then the vertical routes if the wheel is capped.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage beats itself here if a linebacker or nickel defender tries to carry the wheel route out of the backfield, so watch for late recognition and blown coverage on the release. Zone coverage shells with a hard flat defender or cloud corner can cut the wheel route off before it develops, so read the flat zone leverage immediately after the snap. Watch for a lurking safety over the top who can rob the wheel or crossing route if the defense shows two high presnap and rotates late. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge or through the A gap put pressure on the play-action fake timing, so identify presnap blitz indicators like walked up linebackers or safety creep before the snap. If the defense sits a linebacker in the shallow crossing route zone, that underneath window closes and the quarterback should climb the progression to the wheel or vertical routes on the perimeter.
Usage Tips
Use PA Wheel Over on early downs like first or second and short to mid distance when defenses respect the run fake out of Pistol Weak Slot.
Presnap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage with a linebacker or slot defender aligned over the backfield, since that is the leverage the wheel route is designed to exploit.
If the defense shows zone shell with underneath defenders sitting in passing lanes, hot route the crossing route to sit down or work the vertical route on the outside as your primary target instead.
Pair this play with HB Dive or Read Option from the same set to keep run fakes credible and freeze linebackers before dialing up the wheel route later in a series.
Motion or shift the backfield presnap to get a clean numbers advantage on the wheel route release, since any contact at the line disrupts the wheel timing.
