Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Speed Dig out of Shotgun Bunch Wide is a man beater built around a hard-breaking dig from the bunch side. The outermost bunch receiver runs a deep dig that sits down across the middle, the inside bunch receiver clears vertically up the seam, and the third bunch receiver works a corner route to hold the flat defender and safety, while the backside receiver runs a deep comeback and the running back releases on a check release into the flat. The primary read is the speed dig, working from the vertical clear-out route to the dig sitting in the void, then to the checkdown in the flat if the middle is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker or hook defender depth, if he sits shallow the dig will sit down behind him in the soft spot of Cover 3 or Tampa 2. Watch the slot corner or nickel defender out of the bunch, if he trails the seam runner in man coverage the dig has a clean throwing lane behind him. Identify Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties, since the corner route from the bunch can hold the flat defender and open a passing window underneath for the dig. Beware of Cover 4 or pattern match zones with two deep and two underneath robbers, as a user-controlled linebacker can sit in the dig lane and jump the throw. Blitz-heavy man pressure with a lurking safety in the middle of the field is the biggest threat, since a delayed drop into the dig window can bait the quarterback into a turnover.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap such as press corners or a single high safety before calling this play, since the dig thrives against man and against Cover 3 zones with a hook drop void. Use motion out of the bunch to confirm man coverage, if the defender follows across the formation you have a green light to attack the dig. Hot route the running back to a quick flat release against blitz-heavy defenses to give yourself a built-in check option. Pair this play with Curl Flat or Spacing from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and the deeper in-breaking dig. Best called on second or third and medium, giving the dig route enough time to develop while still hitting before the pocket collapses.
