Playbooks
Breakdown
Cheat TE Hitch N Go is run from a Bunch alignment with a pre-snap motion piece sliding across to the cheat side before the snap. Post-snap, the outside receiver runs a stop and go (hitch and go) up the boundary while the two inside bunch receivers work an over route and a deep out to the flat, stretching the field horizontally and vertically at the same time. This is a man beater built to bait a corner into jumping the hitch so the go route breaks open behind him, with the deep over and flat route serving as the underlying progression against off coverage or zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch the corner over the cheat motion receiver, if he mirrors the motion and stays tight to the receiver at the line that is man coverage and the hitch and go is live. Check safety depth before the snap, a single high safety with the corner playing press leaves the deep third exposed to the go route once the hitch move sells. If the defense shows two deep safeties with cornerbacks sitting at eight to ten yards, that is a soft zone shell that can be picked apart with the underneath over and flat routes instead of the go. Look for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle, since the crossing over route can run right into a zone defender if the defense disguises Tampa 2 or a mable shell. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the bunch side can disrupt the timing of the hitch and go, so a hot route to the flat route as a quick outlet protects against man pressure with no help over the top.
Usage Tips
Motion the cheat player pre-snap and watch how the defense adjusts, if a defender follows across the formation you are locked in on man coverage and the hitch and go should be your first read.
Sell the hitch fully before hitting the go button, pump-faking or pausing on the stick can bait a user controlled corner into biting on the double move.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium when defenses are more likely to play man across from bunch sets, since the hitch and go is designed to torch aggressive corners.
Pair this call with Cheat TE Hitch HB Seam earlier in a series, once the defense sees the hitch stem on tape they will jump it every time, setting up the go route to hit for a explosive gain.
If the corner sits back and plays soft, work the deep over or the flat route underneath instead of forcing the go, this keeps the play alive against zone shells too.
