Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Return Mesh Spot lines up out of Shotgun Bunch X Nasty with a pre-snap motion piece that resets the bunch look before the snap. The yellow route runs a mesh concept underneath, crossing shallow with a corner route sitting on top from the outside receiver, while the blue route works a spot flat concept from the bunch and the red route breaks vertically up the seam off the slot. This is a classic Cover 3 beater and man beater, using the mesh crossers to create natural rubs against man coverage while the flat and corner combo occupies zone defenders. Primary read progression starts with the mesh crossers underneath, works to the spot flat as the check down, and comes back to the red seam breaker over the top when the defense loads the box or bites on the shallow routes.
Defensive Reads
Watch the slot defender at the snap to see if he follows the motion man across the formation, which signals man coverage and tells you to jump the mesh crossers early. Key the middle linebacker depth before the snap, since a shallow drop signals he is sitting on the mesh routes and will jump the crossers if you throw too early. Identify single high safety alignment pre-snap, which points to Cover 3 and tells you the mesh combo underneath will have room to work against zone drops. Watch for a user lurk defender sitting in the shallow crossing lane, since this is the primary threat that can jump the mesh routes and bait a turnover if the quarterback stares it down. Look for a corner blitz off the edge, since the red seam route can turn into a quick outlet if the protection holds and the blitzer is picked up.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the ball is snapped, since a defender following the motion man confirms man coverage and opens up the mesh crossers.
Attack Cover 3 by working the mesh combo first, since the shallow crossers naturally clear out underneath zone defenders and create YAC opportunities on the catch and run.
Against man coverage, trust the mesh rub to spring your receiver open and take the throw immediately off the pick before the linebacker can recover.
Pair this play with Mesh Traffic or Mesh HB Sneak Dig in the same set to keep defenses guessing between mesh depth and mesh combo variations.
Best called on second or third and medium since the mesh routes need a full route stem to develop and the spot concept provides a reliable underneath outlet on man beat situations.
