Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Wheel Mills is a Cover 4 beater out of the Shotgun Bunch Open Offset formation with 11 personnel. Off the bunch alignment, the outside receiver runs a wheel route up the sideline while the inside bunch receiver runs a deep post crossing over the middle, and the third bunch receiver clears out on a corner route to stretch the deep zones. The backside receiver runs a short out breaking away from the formation, giving the quarterback a quick answer if the deep combo is covered. The primary read progression starts with the wheel route against the flat defender or cornerback out of the bunch, works to the deep crossing post over the middle, and comes back to the backside out as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the strong safety alignment over the bunch, if he is shaded outside expecting the wheel he will be late getting depth on the crossing post. Watch the flat defender or cornerback assigned to the bunch, in Cover 4 he has to make a difficult carry decision on the wheel route that often results in a blown coverage. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker or nickel defender dropping into the deep middle third, if he sinks too fast the backside out route will be wide open underneath. This play is shut down by disciplined Cover 4 teams who stay on top of the wheel while a safety robs the crossing post, and it is vulnerable to man coverage with a safety lurking in the middle who can jump the post route. Watch for user-controlled defenders sprinting to double the wheel route, since that leaves the deep post and backside out in soft coverage.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two high safeties or a single high shell, since Wheel Mills is designed to exploit Cover 4 defenders who struggle to pass off the wheel route out of bunch. If you see man coverage with the corner sitting inside on the bunch receivers, hot route the backside out receiver into a quick slant to beat man leverage instantly. Use this play on second and medium to third and short situations where defenses are likely to sit in zone shells expecting a quick throw. Pair Wheel Mills with RPO Read Bubble or RPO Alert Out earlier in a series to condition the defense into biting on quick game, then hit them with the wheel route shot play once safeties start creeping down. If the cornerback follows the wheel route receiver in man, look immediately to the deep crossing post since the middle of the field should be vacated.
