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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Mesh Dig out of Shotgun Bunch TE sends two of the bunch receivers on a classic mesh combo underneath, crossing paths just past the line of scrimmage to rub off man defenders, while the third bunch receiver climbs vertically before breaking into a deep dig that settles over the middle of the field. The lone backside receiver runs a flat route to the boundary as a checkdown against blitzes or aggressive man coverage, and the running back releases out of the backfield on a wheel/flare route to the opposite flat for a leak option versus overplayed mesh. This is a man beater built to create natural picks with the mesh crossers, with the primary read starting on the mesh routes for a quick separation throw, progressing to the dig as the deep intermediate window versus zone drops, and checking down to the flat or backfield release if the underneath crossers are blanketed.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing a single high safety look, since that often signals man coverage underneath which plays directly into the mesh concept Watch the linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink hard into the middle of the field they are likely keying the dig route and taking away your intermediate window User-controlled defenders sitting in a lurk technique in the shallow middle can jump the mesh crossers, so have your quarterback ready to reset to the dig or the checkdown flat Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells with deep safety help over the top can rob the dig route late, so throw it with anticipation before the safety flows across Blitz-heavy defenses will struggle to cover the mesh since man defenders get picked off in traffic, but a well-timed zone blitz can close the flat and dig windows simultaneously if the quarterback holds the ball too long
Usage Tips
Use this on third and medium to long since the mesh and dig combo needs time to develop and the dig route sits at a distance that matches most conversion downs
Check the leverage of the slot corners in the bunch pre-snap, if they are playing tight man technique the mesh crossers will rub and win almost immediately
Hot route the backside flat receiver into a deeper out or corner route if you diagnose zone coverage, since the flat conflicts with underneath zone defenders in Cover 3 and Cover 4
Pair this play with Bunch Levels or Mtn Mesh in your play-calling sequence so defenses cannot sit on the mesh concept, forcing linebackers to respect multiple crossing patterns
Motion is not shown here but if your version of the play allows it, use a quick shift to confirm man versus zone before the snap so you know whether to prioritize the mesh or the dig
