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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Bunch Levels aligns three receivers tight to the formation with a fourth isolated to the boundary. Out of the bunch, one receiver runs a deep dig across the middle, another sits underneath on a flat/spot route, and the third works a quick out from the bunch stack, while the isolated receiver runs a corner route breaking outside up the sideline. This is a classic zone beater built on stacked route levels that occupy the same vertical passing lanes at different depths, forcing linebackers and safeties to pick a horizontal or vertical throwing lane while the QB reads high to low.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify two high safeties and off corners since this is a prime Cover 2 beater that exploits the seam between the cornerback's flat zone and the safety's deep half. Watch the middle linebacker's initial drop, if he sits shallow to jump the flat route the deep dig will be wide open behind him. Versus man coverage, look for a nickel or linebacker matched on the bunch receiver running the dig, if he cannot separate quickly this concept loses its main advantage and you should check to a boundary or man beater instead. Be alert for a user-controlled safety sitting on the deep dig route, a smart defender will bait the QB into that window and jump the throw, so have your eyes ready to come off it late if the safety flashes downhill. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender crashing the underneath route can take away the spot concept, so know before the snap that the corner route to the isolated receiver becomes the answer against that rolled coverage.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, check if the defense shows a two high safety shell since Levels concepts are designed to punish Cover 2 and Cover 4 by stretching zone defenders horizontally at different depths.
Your first read should be the deep dig from the bunch since it settles in the void behind underneath zones and in front of deep safeties, especially versus Cover 2 where the corners are jumping the flat.
If the corner route to the isolated side gets a clean release against a soft corner or Cover 2 defender turning his hips late, take that shot early before the safety can rotate over.
Use the flat/spot route out of the bunch as your checkdown versus zone blitz looks or when the middle of the field gets clogged by a robber or a hot linebacker.
Pair this play with Mtn Snag Under or Curl Flat Corner in your call sheet since both attack similar zone landmarks but from different formations, keeping the defense guessing on rotation and forcing them to declare shell early.
