Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Tight Cheat TE Out is a bunch-based pass concept out of Shotgun Bunch Offset that uses pre-snap motion to shift the bunch look before the snap. The two inside receivers cross underneath on in-breaking routes while the outside bunch receiver clears vertically up the seam, and the motion man works a shallow out into the flat as a quick outlet. This is a man beater at its core, using the natural rub from the crossing routes to shake defenders in man coverage, with the primary read progression starting at the TE out in the flat, moving to the underneath crosser, and finishing with the deep clear-out route if a defender bites on the shallow stuff.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the corner over the bunch alignment since press man leaves the crossers vulnerable to the natural rub created by traffic in the bunch. Watch the flat defender or the underneath linebacker to the motion side, if he widens with the TE out route it signals zone drops rather than man responsibility. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled lurk defender sitting in the shallow crossing lanes since that is the primary void this concept is designed to attack in man coverage. If the safety rotates down to double the vertical clear-out route, that confirms Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tells you to work the underneath options instead of forcing the deep ball. Disguised blitzes with a linebacker crashing off the edge can disrupt the timing of the TE out, so account for extra pass rush on third and long by getting the ball out on the quick flat route.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense follows the receiver across formation, which confirms man coverage and tells you the crossers will have rub advantage.
Against zone shells, key on the flat defender since the TE out is designed to sit in the void between the corner and linebacker in zone coverage beaters like Cover 3 or Cover 4.
Hot route the deep clearing receiver into a comeback or hitch if you see a single high safety cheating over the top to take away the vertical shot.
This play works best on second or third and medium since the flat route and underneath crosser give you a high floor conversion option while the vertical route provides explosive play potential.
Pair this with Tight Cheat TE Flood and Tight Cheat HB Screen from the same set so the defense has to respect both the flood concept to one side and the screen action, opening up the crossing routes over the middle.
