Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Double Pass is a trick play out of Shotgun Bunch Str Nasty that disguises itself as a screen or flat concept before flipping into a double pass. The bunch receiver runs a shallow flat route to the flat as the apparent primary target, but the ball is actually pitched or thrown behind the line to that flat man, who then looks to throw downfield to the receiver stemming vertically up the seam after a quick out breaking release, while the outside receiver runs a deep dig or square in from the boundary to hold the corner. This is a designed man and zone beater built to catch aggressive defenders flowing hard to the flat, with the primary read progression starting on the flat man's eyes for the vertical shot up the numbers, then working back to the underneath in breaker if the deep shot is covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing Cover 3 or Cover 1 with a single high safety, since aggressive flat defenders in these shells are the primary target of the double pass deception. Watch linebacker depth at the snap: linebackers who bite hard on the flat action leave the vertical seam route wide open behind them. If you see a defender spying or sitting in the flat zone reading quarterback eyes instead of crashing, this is a strong indicator the double pass will get sniffed out and the play should be checked down or aborted. Cover 2 shells with corners playing hard flat technique and safeties staying deep can shut this down since the underneath flat throw has nowhere to go and the vertical route runs into safety help. User the flat defender or nearest linebacker manually to jump the pitch or first throw if you suspect trick play tendencies based on formation and personnel, since disrupting the initial exchange kills the entire concept.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs or after establishing HB Slip Screen and RPO Zone Peek so defenders are conditioned to fly downhill on flat and screen action, since that flow is exactly what sells the double pass.
Use pre-snap motion out of the bunch to identify man versus zone: if the defender runs with the motion man across the formation you have man coverage and the vertical route up the seam is your money shot.
Against zone shells with safeties sitting deep, look for the underneath in breaking route since the double pass action will hold linebackers and open a throwing lane behind them.
Only user the flat man throwing the second pass in practice mode first, since timing the pitch and second throw under pressure takes reps to feel comfortable with in ranked or head to head play.
Sequence this after Mtn Curls or Mtn Trail Fork in the same set so the defense respects quick game and standard route combos out of Bunch Str Nasty before you dial up the trick element.
