Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn HB Angle is a bunch formation pass concept out of Shotgun Bunch Str Nasty that starts with a receiver motioning across the formation before the snap. At the snap, the two outside bunch receivers push vertical then break, one cutting back across the middle and one bending toward the sideline, while the backside receiver runs a deep comeback away from the concept, and the HB releases out of the backfield on an angle route breaking away from traffic underneath. This is a man beater at its core, designed to attack the natural leverage confusion bunch sets create against man defenders, with the HB angle route serving as the primary answer against linebackers who struggle to mirror in space. The progression starts with the HB angle route underneath, then works to the crossing route working over the middle, and finally to the comeback route on the backside if the defense sinks its coverage.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, watch whether the defense shifts a defender to follow the bunch motion man, if they slide with him it confirms man coverage and the angle route becomes a high percentage throw. Post-snap, key the flow of the middle linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the HB, if he stays flat footed or overruns the angle route it is an easy completion, but if he sits and reads the quarterback's eyes he can jump the route for a big hit. Identify two high safety shells before the snap, since Cover 2 or Cover 4 looks will have underneath defenders sinking to take away the crossing route, forcing you to rely on the angle route or backside comeback instead. Watch for user-controlled defenders spying the HB out of the backfield, a common lurk tactic against this exact concept, if you see a defender shaded toward the backfield pre-snap consider hot routing the angle route to a flat or shifting focus to the crossing route. Man coverage with no help over the top on the crossing route is where this play breaks down defenses completely, but disciplined zone drops with linebackers sitting on shallow crossers can take away the easy completions and force you into the low percentage comeback throw.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you know you are getting man coverage and can lean on the HB angle route with confidence.
Attack linebacker mismatches by targeting the HB angle route against defenses that leave a linebacker in man coverage on your running back, this is the easiest and fastest throw in the concept.
Hot route the backside comeback route into a deep dig or post if you see single high safety looks, since the comeback is a low value throw versus zone shells with a deep safety sitting over the top.
Pair this play with Mtn Curls or Mtn Trail Fork in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot sit on the angle route tendency, forcing them to respect both the quick underneath game and the intermediate crossing routes.
Best used on early downs or third and short situations where the quick HB angle route conversion is a low risk, high floor answer against blitz-heavy defensive calls.
