Playbooks
Fake Screen Verticals
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Fake Screen Verticals runs a play-action fake screen out of the bunch to the underneath back while the three bunch receivers push vertical routes up the field. The diagram shows two receivers breaking outside toward the sideline on deep routes and the third receiver (red route) running a skinny post or seam up the middle, creating a four verts shell with the fake screen holding linebackers and underneath defenders. The primary read progression starts with the seam/post runner against the middle of the field, then works to the outside vertical breaking away from the numbers, using the screen fake to freeze second-level defenders before the quarterback climbs the pocket to hit the deep shots.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender and any user controlled linebacker crashing the line of scrimmage, if they bite on the screen fake the seam and outside verticals will have soft coverage behind them. Two deep safeties indicate Cover 2 or Cover 4, which this play is designed to beat by stretching the outside verticals wide of the safety help and putting the seam runner in the honey hole. A single high safety means Cover 3 or Cover 1, key on whether the middle linebacker or deep safety respects the screen fake long enough for the seam route to split the zone. Man coverage with no safety help over the top and an aggressive blitz package is the biggest danger, since the screen fake does not hold rushers who are already committed to attacking the backfield. If you see a robber or lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle zone, that defender can undercut the seam route once he reads pass, so be ready to climb the pocket and reset to the outside vertical instead.
Usage Tips
Sell the screen fake by holding the ball low and pumping toward the flat before resetting your eyes downfield, this is what actually holds linebackers and gets the seam runner open.
Check pre-snap for two deep safeties versus one high, if the safeties bail into a two deep shell target the outside vertical away from the safety that stays flat footed on the screen fake.
Against Cover 3 look immediately at the seam route since the middle of the field defender has to respect the screen action first, giving you a half second window before he can drop and reroute.
Use this play on second and long or third and long when defenses expect a checkdown off the screen action, the vertical concept punishes teams that sit on the fake.
Pair this with RPO Peek WR Screen or RPO Trap Alert Screen earlier in a series so the defense keys the screen fake and bites hard, then dial up Fake Screen Verticals to hit them over the top.
