Playbooks

Mtn PA Verts

Pistol·Wing Slot·12

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

In 4 playbooks

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Breakdown

Mtn PA Verts is a play-action shot play out of Pistol Wing Slot with 12 personnel that sells the mountain (Mtn) run fake before sending four vertical routes downfield. The play-action mesh from the backfield holds linebackers and safeties for a beat, creating explosive shot opportunities against teams that bite on the run action. This is a man beater first and foremost, exploiting single high looks and press man with the outside verts, though it can also stress two high shells that rotate late into the pass. Your primary read progression starts with the deep middle safety: if he bites on the PA fake, work the seam or post-breaking vert immediately, then progress to the outside verts on the boundary if the middle stays clogged.

Defensive Reads

Read the free safety depth at the snap, if he steps up to fill the run gap you have a wide open middle read on the seam or post vert. Identify single high shells (Cover 1 or Cover 3) pre-snap since these are the most vulnerable to verts, especially if the cornerbacks are playing press man with no safety help over the top. Watch for two high safety rotation post-snap, if both safeties stay deep and split the field this play loses efficiency and you should check down to your shorter option. Key on linebacker depth and blitz timing, a delayed blitz or spy can collapse the pocket before your verts fully develop downfield. Beware of user controlled deep safeties baiting the play-action fake, if the CPU or user safety stays home and reads your eyes early, look off the primary side and work the backside vert instead.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and short) when defenses expect run based on your prior play-action tendencies from HB Power O or HB Stretch out of the same formation, since the run fake sells harder when you have established gap runs.

Check the safety alignment before the snap: if you see a single high safety cheating into the box or showing run blitz, alert your outside receivers to push vertical immediately off the snap for a big play shot.

Against two high shells, hot route the inside seam runner to a shorter option like a slant or dig if the safeties stay deep, since verts against two high is a low percentage look unless you can hold one safety with eye discipline.

Pair this play with Mtn HB Zone Wk and Orbit PA Boot Lt earlier in a drive to build run recognition, then hit Mtn PA Verts once the defense starts cheating linebackers into the box.

Use max protect hot routes if you see a heavy blitz package pre-snap since the deep verts take time to develop and getting sacked kills the explosive play potential.

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