Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Divide is a motion-triggered route concept out of Shotgun Bunch TE Wk that splits the field vertically to attack both man and zone coverage. The bunch alignment shifts pre-snap with the motion tag, forcing the defense to declare its coverage rules against the trips look before the ball is even snapped, which helps you diagnose man versus zone. The primary read progression starts with the deep divide route breaking away from the bunch, works down to the intermediate crosser working through the vacated middle, and checks down to the underneath outlet if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flow of the linebackers after the motion. If they run with the motion man across the formation, that confirms man coverage and you should attack the divide route immediately. Check the deep safeties post-snap. If both rotate hard to one side of the bunch, that signals a zone shell rotation and you should work the crosser into the vacated area. Identify any defender lurking in the shallow zone underneath the bunch alignment, since a smart user will sit there to jump the intermediate crosser. Against blitz-heavy fronts, look for the defense to bring an extra rusher off the edge on the tight end side, which usually means a hot route to the outlet back is your safety valve. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can shut down the underneath option, so be ready to climb the ladder to your deep divide route if the flat defender sits too low.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to bait linebackers into showing blitz or bumping coverage, then freeze the play if you see a defender chase the motion man across the formation.
Look at the safety alignment before the snap. Two high safeties who stay put post-snap usually mean you should trust the deep divide route since the middle will be softer.
If the cornerback aligned over the bunch jumps outside at the snap, hot route your slot receiver into a quick option route to exploit the vacated void.
This play pairs well with Mtn Divide X-Under and Mtn Escort HB Base since both share the same bunch action, letting you disguise your intentions and keep defenders guessing between run fits and route combos.
Best called on second or third and medium when you need a chunk gain and want to isolate a linebacker or slot corner in coverage against your divide route runner.
