Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bunch Levels is a classic horizontal stretch passing concept run out of the Bunch Open set in Shotgun. Out of the three-receiver bunch, the outside receiver runs a deep in cutting across the field, the middle receiver runs a short square-in underneath, and the inside receiver clears out with a shallow drag to the opposite hash, while the backside receiver runs a vertical seam to hold the safety. The single receiver to the backside runs a corner route with the running back releasing on a check release protection before working to the flat. This is a man and zone beater built on the levels concept, stacking routes at different depths so the QB reads high to low: start on the deep in from the bunch, work down to the square-in, and check down to the drag if the underneath windows are closed.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify safety depth and leverage: two deep safeties indicate Cover 2 or Cover 4, which the deep in and square-in routes are designed to exploit in the seams. Watch the cornerback aligned over the bunch for press versus off coverage, since press man leaves the drag route wide open on the release. Post-snap, key the flat defender and the underneath hook defender, since a fast zone drop into the square-in route window signals a Cover 3 sink call that forces the quarterback to the deep in or drag. Look for a user-controlled linebacker or safety sitting in the middle hook zone (a lurk threat), because that defender can jump the square-in or drag route if the QB stares it down. Man coverage with inside leverage on the deep in route combined with a blitz off the edge is the biggest threat to this concept, since it removes the hot route answer and pressures the QB before levels develop.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion out of the bunch to identify man versus zone before the snap, since a defender following the motion man confirms man coverage and opens up the levels concept against blitzes.
Against Cover 2, target the square-in route sitting in the hole between the cornerback's flat zone and the safety's deep half, since Bunch Levels is tagged as a Cover 2 beater.
Against Cover 3 or single high safety looks, prioritize the deep in route from the bunch since it settles in the void between the flat defender and the deep third defender.
Combine this play with HB Slip Screen or HB Draw to punish linebackers who key hard on the levels routes and crash downhill, and pair it with Bunch Flood in your play-calling sequence to attack the same bunch look with a different vertical stress.
Use this on second and medium to third and medium situations where you need a chain-moving route with multiple layered options underneath.
