Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
SFT Diamond Mesh lines up out of Shotgun Bunch Str Offset with 11 personnel, showing a tight bunch look to the strong side. At the snap the two inside receivers cross underneath in a classic mesh concept, one running a shallow drag to the far side while the other settles low across the field, working defenders into traffic. The outside receiver from the bunch releases vertically up the seam before breaking hard to the corner, while the backside receiver runs a deep in breaking crosser toward the mesh point. This is a man beater built around natural rubs at the mesh point, with the seam to corner route as the primary read against off coverage and the shallow drag as the answer versus tight man leverage.
Defensive Reads
Watch pre-snap safety alignment, two deep safeties invite the shallow drag and crosser as the primary targets since the corner route will be capped. Check cornerback press versus soft alignment on the bunch receivers, tight press man is vulnerable to the mesh point picks and rub routes. Post-snap, track any user controlled linebacker sitting in the shallow zone since he can jump the drag route and undercut the mesh concept in zone coverage. Look for man coverage defenders fighting through the mesh point, hesitation there is your cue to hit the crosser or drag immediately before they recover. Beware of a disguised blitz off the edge since the mesh concept holds the quarterback in the pocket, a hot route or check on the running back protection is critical against pressure heavy fronts.
Usage Tips
Motion the bunch receiver before the snap to see if the defense shifts or rotates a defender with him, that tells you man coverage immediately.
Key on the seam to corner route first since it stresses cornerbacks in man and creates natural pick action against man defenders trailing through the mesh.
If the corner route is capped by a deep half safety, work down to the shallow drag underneath since the mesh traffic naturally slows down man defenders trying to fight through picks.
Use this on second and medium or third and short to medium since the mesh concept takes a beat to develop and needs a clean pocket.
Pair this with SFT Diamond Fake Mesh Rail out of the same formation to sell the mesh action off a run fake and hit the defense with a play action shot after they bite on the crossers.
