Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 13 playbooks
Breakdown
Speed Dig is a five man pass concept out of Shotgun Bunch Spread that isolates a receiver on the backside for a deep dig while the bunch releases a corner, a shallow drag under, and a checkdown out of the backfield. The lone receiver runs an outside release into a deep in cut against the grain, the inside bunch receiver bends a corner route to occupy the deep defenders, and the point of the bunch runs a short crossing route underneath to clear the middle. The running back releases on a check release swing to the flat, giving the quarterback a built in outlet, and this is a man beater play designed to exploit picks and natural leverage created by the bunch alignment. The primary read progresses from the backside dig first, then works to the shallow crosser underneath, and finally checks down to the running back if the middle is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap check safety depth and cornerback alignment on the bunch, since press man corners or safeties cheating toward the bunch side signal man coverage that this play is designed to beat. Watch for a linebacker or nickel defender spying the shallow crosser, since that defender is the key to whether the dig route has room to sit down. Post-snap identify any user controlled defender flowing hard toward the crosser or flat route, since that leaves the deep dig window wide open against man coverage. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender and deep middle robber can undercut both the dig and the crosser, so look for that rotation before committing to the first read. Disguised blitzes that bring extra rushers off the edge can beat this play before the dig develops, so check protection numbers and consider a hot route or check release adjustment on the running back against known blitz teams.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap identify whether the defense is showing man or zone by checking if defenders are lined up across from the bunch or bailing into zone drops at the snap.
If you see man coverage, trust the dig route to sit down in the window created by the bunch traffic and pick opportunities near the line.
Against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, hot route the corner route to a deeper post or hi lo the underneath crosser with the dig to attack the seams between zone drops.
Use this play on second and medium to second and long when you have time to let the dig develop, since it takes a few extra beats to clear the underneath traffic.
Pair Speed Dig with Mtn Slot Under or Cheat Slot Cross earlier in a drive so linebackers start jumping shallow crossers, then hit the deep dig for an explosive gain once they bite.
