Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Escort PA Slide is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Bunch TE Wk that sells a slide protection run fake before releasing three vertical stems from the bunch. The two inside receivers run a corner route and a deep out breaking route that stack the sideline, while the third bunch receiver climbs on a vertical stem that bends toward the numbers. The offensive line executes a slide protection to the play side with a designed backfield fake, giving the quarterback a play-action shot concept. This is a man beater at its core, using the bunch alignment to create natural rub picks, with the primary read progressing from the deep corner route to the underneath breaking route if the top window is capped.
Defensive Reads
Key the strong safety at the snap since the play action slide fake is designed to freeze him and open the corner route behind him. Watch linebacker depth before the snap, shallow linebackers crashing the line of scrimmage on run support get exploited by the vertical stems out of the bunch. Identify man coverage by checking if defenders shift with the bunch motion, this play thrives against man because of natural rub picks at the release point. Against zone drops, look for the flat defender sinking too far, that opens the underneath breaking route as a quick outlet read. Beware of a disguised blitz off the edge since the slide protection can be exposed if the defense brings extra rushers from the play side.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs like first or second and short when the defense is loading the box against your run tendencies out of Bunch TE Wk.
Check for single high safety pre-snap since the play action slide fake holds linebackers and the corner route can split a Cover 3 rotation.
Motion out of the bunch pre-snap to force man defenders to declare and reveal blitz or coverage rotation before the snap.
If you see two deep safeties sitting still post-snap, work the underneath breaking route quickly since the corner route window will be tighter against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells.
Pair this call with Mtn Escort HB Base and Mtn Divide from the same set so the run action and play-action look stay consistent, keeping linebackers honest and opening up the corner shot later in a series.
