Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Deep Over is dealt from a Bunch Spread Nasty look out of Shotgun with 11 personnel, and the diagram shows a deep over route crossing the field from the bunch side while two vertical routes stretch the top of the defense. Pre-snap motion brings a receiver across in a shallow drag look before the ball is snapped, drawing linebacker attention and clearing the middle for the deep over crosser. The HB releases into a check release flat route to hold underneath defenders, making this a man beater designed to win on the deep over against man coverage and create a natural pick and rub off the bunch alignment. The primary read progression starts with the deep over running from the bunch side across the field, then works to the two vertical stems if the crosser is not open, with the HB flat as the checkdown valve.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, key the safety alignment: two high safeties suggest you should double check for zone drops that could sit on the deep over, while a single high safety tells you man coverage is likely on the outside routes. Watch for a linebacker or nickel defender shadowing the motion man across the formation, since that confirms man coverage and opens the window for the deep over to break wide open. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled defender sitting in the deep middle third or lurking near the crossing route, since that lurk threat can jump the deep over and turn it into a pick six. This play beats man coverage and single high shells cleanly, but it is vulnerable to Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone drops where a linebacker or safety can sink into the passing lane and undercut the crosser. If the defense shows a blitz package with man coverage behind it, get the ball out fast to the HB flat or hot route the deep over into a quicker option since the crosser takes time to develop and pressure will disrupt the timing.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since a defender following the motion man across the formation confirms man coverage and tells you the deep over will have room to work.
Attack this play on second and long or third and medium situations where defenses are more likely to play man coverage or single high shells to take away the shorter stuff.
If you see two high safeties post-snap sitting deep, work the deep over as your first read since it settles in the void between the safeties and underneath zone defenders.
Pair Mtn Deep Over with Mtn Slot Hitch or Mtn Slot Under in your play-calling sequence so the defense has to respect the shorter route concepts before you hit them with the double move on the crosser.
Hot route the HB from a flat route into a check release block if you are getting pressure up the middle, since the deep over needs time to develop against man coverage.
