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Breakdown
Mtn Drive out of Shotgun Bunch X Nasty lines up the bunch to the top of the formation with a lone receiver split to the boundary. Post snap, the bunch releases with the outside receiver running a deep corner/go route to clear the top of the defense, while the two inside bunch receivers execute the drive concept underneath, with one running an out breaking route at the sticks and the other crossing underneath toward the opposite flat, forming a natural pick combo against man coverage. The backfield receiver runs a shallow drag/flat route from the boundary side across the field, giving the quarterback a built in checkdown and horizontal stretch against zone drops. This is a Cover 4 beater and man beater combo play, with the primary read progression starting on the drive/out route at the sticks, working down to the underneath crosser, and finishing with the flat drag as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and cornerback alignment over the bunch, since two high safeties with soft corners typically signal Cover 4 or Cover 2, both of which this play is designed to attack underneath. Watch for a defender shadowing the bunch during motion, since that reveals man coverage and lets you anticipate the drive route rub working against trail defenders. Post-snap, key the flat defender's reaction to the drag route, since a slow rotating linebacker or safety opens a window for the sticks out route to sit undisturbed. This play struggles against aggressive man pressure with a underneath lurking linebacker sitting on drive concepts, so watch for a defender spying the shallow crossing routes and be ready to climb the progression to the deep corner route instead. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can squeeze the sticks route, so identify if the corner is playing outside leverage pre-snap, which tells you the out route may be contested and the crosser becomes the better option.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion out of the bunch to identify if the defense is playing man or zone, since a defender running with the motion man confirms man coverage and tells you to key the drive route for a rub against trail technique.
Against Cover 4, attack the out route at the sticks before the outside cornerback can sink and wall it off, since this route is designed to sit in the seam between the flat defender and the deep quarter defender.
On third and medium to long, prioritize the sticks route as your first read since it is schemed to settle just past the marker for an easy conversion.
Pair Mtn Drive with Mtn Mesh Cross or Mtn Cross Post in your play calling sequence, since both plays use similar bunch alignments and route stems that force linebackers to guess between crossers and out breaking routes.
If the defense shows heavy blitz looks pre-snap, get to the flat drag quickly as your outlet, since the shallow crosser is designed to beat man pressure and provides a fast, safe completion.
