Playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Clear HB Seam is a play-action style route concept out of Shotgun Bunch X Nasty with 11 personnel that uses a clear out design to open up an intermediate seam window. The bunch receivers run a vertical clear (blue), a deep dig crossing the field (red), and a short out that clears the underneath zone (gold), while the HB releases up the seam from the backfield as the primary target off the mesh point. The X receiver on the line runs a quick out to hold the corner, giving the offense a five man route concept that stresses both zone and man coverage by clearing space for the HB seam. Primary read progression starts with the HB seam, then works to the deep dig, and finally to the clear out route if the middle of the field is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker or the strong side backer at the snap, if he opens his hips to run with the clear out route the HB seam lane stays wide open. Check for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the intermediate middle zone, since a smart user controlled safety dropping down can jump the seam route and turn it into a pick six. Identify single high safety looks pre-snap, this play is designed to punish that shell because the free safety has too much ground to cover once the clear out routes stretch the field vertically and horizontally. Against man coverage, watch for a linebacker matched up on the HB, if he gets beat off the snap the seam route is nearly unstoppable, but if the defense shows man blitz with extra rushers the HB may need to help in protection instead of releasing clean. Zone blitz packages that drop a defensive lineman into the shallow middle zone can disrupt the timing of the HB seam, so recognize any unusual pre-snap alignment on the interior defensive line.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a quick glance at the safeties to confirm if you are facing single high or two high before the snap, since the HB seam is most explosive against single high shells where the middle linebacker has to widen with the bunch clear out. Hot route the X receiver into a hitch or slant if the corner is playing soft outside leverage, giving you a quick answer if the seam is capped. Attack this on second and medium or third and short to medium since the clear out routes take time to develop and you need a defense that has to respect the run or shallow game first. Pair this with Mtn Mesh Cross or Mtn China Cross earlier in a series so defenders start keying underneath crossers, which sets up the HB seam to hit behind linebackers biting on mesh action. Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sits flat footed reading the backfield, the HB seam window will be tight so be ready to reset to the dig instead.
