Playbooks

Mtn HB Wide Zone Wk

Pistol·Y Off Trips·11

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

In 2 playbooks

Broncos OffenseOffenseNFL Live Broncos OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Mtn HB Wide Zone Wk is a run play out of Pistol Y Off Trips that stretches the defense horizontally with a weak side zone blocking scheme. The offensive line executes zone steps to the weak side, working combo blocks at the point of attack and climbing to the second level while the HB reads the flow to find a crease. This is a run play, not a pass concept, so the primary read progression is for the ball carrier to press the play side, read the frontside double team and the backside cutback lane, and decide between bouncing outside or cutting inside based on how the linebackers flow.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth at the snap since fast flowing linebackers who overrun the zone open up cutback lanes for the HB. Identify if the defense is stacking the weak side with an extra defender in the box, which signals a run blitz designed to beat this exact concept. Look for slanting defensive lines that shoot gaps toward the play side, since that alignment can blow up zone combo blocks before they seal. Man coverage on the backside with no safety help over the top tells you defenders are staying home in run support, so bouncing the run outside can find grass. User controlled defenders flying downhill from depth are the biggest threat, so patience and one cut discipline beat aggressive user pursuit.

Usage Tips

Check the box count before the snap and only run this into light fronts with six or fewer defenders in the box.

Use the trips look to your advantage by motioning a receiver to confirm man versus zone coverage without tipping the run.

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick screen or bubble if you see an overloaded weak side blitz to punish aggressive defenses.

Pair this with HB Stretch and HB Dive from the same set so defenders cannot key on zone blocking tendencies out of Pistol.

Call this on early downs, especially first and ten or second and short, to stay ahead of the chains and keep RPO Alert Bubble and RPO Alert Slant as credible follow up calls.

Other Plays in Y Off Trips