Playbooks
At a Glance
In 11 playbooks
Overview
Bunch Open Offset takes the standard Shotgun bunch cluster and pairs it with an offset back and a true single receiver to the open side, which is what separates it from tighter bunch sets in the formation. You get a three man stack (typically the slot wide receiver, tight end, and a wideout) compressed to one side, the halfback aligned offset next to the quarterback for pass protection and swing route access, and an isolated X receiver on the backside. That backside iso is the whole point: defenses have to declare how they cover the bunch, and whatever help they roll to the cluster leaves your split end on an island.
The 11 personnel look keeps defenses in nickel or big nickel, so you are usually attacking a slot corner or a smaller safety with the tight end inside the bunch. Compressed alignments blow up press man because defenders cannot align cleanly on stacked releases, which is why Mesh Spot, Z Spot, and Y Trail are so nasty out of this set. Against zone, the bunch floods short and intermediate windows with three bodies in the same area, and Flood, Reload Flood X-Choice, and Reload Spacing Switch turn curl/flat and Cover 3 shells into guessing games.
Where this set really separates itself is the RPO and gadget package. RPO Alert Out, RPO Read Bubble, RPO Peek WR Screen, and RPO Trap Alert Screen let you read the box count and pull the ball to the bunch side or throw the alert to the iso receiver without ever committing pre-snap. Layer that with a legitimate run game (Duo, Inside Zone, Reload Inside Zone, HB Draw) and misdirection shots like Fake Screen Verticals and Wheel Mills, and you have a set that runs, throws, and screens off the same alignment.
Strengths
- Compressed bunch releases wreck press man coverage, and Mesh Spot plus Z Spot generate natural rubs that force defenders to bump into each other before they can recover, making this one of the best man beater sets in the game.
- Flood, Reload Flood X-Choice, and Y Trail attack Cover 3 and curl/flat shells with three level stems to the same side, giving you a high low read where the flat defender always ends up wrong.
- The RPO package (RPO Alert Out, RPO Read Bubble, RPO Peek WR Screen, RPO Trap Alert Screen) lets you read box count post snap, so heavy blitz users get punished by the alert throw while light boxes get gashed by Inside Zone or Duo.
- The isolated backside receiver is a clean one on one every snap, and a streak or slant hot route on the X is a free answer whenever the defense rotates coverage strength to the bunch.
- Duo, Inside Zone, Reload Inside Zone, and HB Draw keep the run game honest out of a passing look, and the offset back means you can motion or hot route him to a swing or angle route to punish vacated linebackers.
Weaknesses
- The offset back is your only extra protector, so overload nano blitzes and A gap pressure to the open side get home fast, especially on deeper developing plays like Wheel Mills and Fake Screen Verticals.
- Compressed bunch spacing means a single user controlled defender sitting in the middle of the field can cover two routes at once on Spot and Mesh concepts.
- Blitz heavy opponents that hard press and hover the bunch with a robber or hook defender take away the short rub windows and force you into the deeper, slower half of the route tree.
- The set tips run and RPO tendency, and once opponents recognize Bunch Open Offset they will crash the bunch side box and user the flat defender to squat on bubble and screen looks.
- There is no second tight end or extra back for max protection, so third and long against a good pressure user often means you are checking the ball down to the offset back for minimal yards.
Usage Tips
Read the leverage on the bunch pre snap: if the defense stacks defenders inside the cluster with a safety over the top, you are seeing man help, so go Mesh Spot or Z Spot and let the rubs do the work.
When the defense rotates strength to the bunch and leaves single high, hot route the isolated backside receiver to a fade or slant and throw it before the safety can shade over.
Use the RPO plays on second and medium and short yardage, count the box, and take the alert or bubble whenever the defense adds a sixth man to the box.
Motion the offset back or hot route him to a swing route to identify man versus zone, then use that read to decide between flood concepts and the spot combos on the next snap.
Set up Fake Screen Verticals and Wheel Mills after you have hit RPO Peek WR Screen or RPO Trap Alert Screen a few times, since aggressive flat users will jump the screen and open the deep shot behind them.
