Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Return Whip Switch is a Shotgun Bunch X Nasty pass concept built off a switch release at the bunch to create natural rub separation. The outside receiver runs a whip route working back underneath, the middle bunch receiver breaks off a deep switch corner up the seam, and the third bunch man clears through the middle on a deep crosser while the flat defender-facing route sits in as a shallow drag/check valve underneath. This is a man beater first and foremost since the switch release at the line disrupts man match coverage, though the crossing shallow route also gives you a answer versus zone drops. Primary read progression starts with the whip route for the quick underneath separation, then climbs to the deep crosser sitting down in the middle of the field, and finishes with the corner route as the shot play if the safety bites on the underneath traffic.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage defenders that try to stay attached through the switch release will get picked or rubbed off, this play crushes Cover 1 and Cover 0 man blitzes. Watch the deep safety pre snap, if he is aligned over the bunch and does not rotate away after the switch release he is sitting on the corner route and you should check down to the whip or crosser. Zone defenses that flow hard to the flat on the whip route will open up the crossing route sitting down behind the linebacker level, key the underneath linebacker depth to see if he widens. Nickel or slot corners who jump the switch release early are vulnerable to the whip route settling underneath them, watch for a user controlled defender abandoning his zone drop to chase the switch action. Two high safety shells with disciplined deep help over the top can take away the corner route shot, forcing the offense into the underneath crosser or whip as the only clean options.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or second and medium when you want a explosive shot play disguised behind underneath traffic.
Check the safety alignment pre snap, if you see a single high safety cheating to the corner route side, work the crosser or whip route instead since the middle of the field is congested by the switch release.
Hot route the shallow crosser into a spot route versus zone heavy shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 to give your quarterback a sure completion underneath.
Pair this play with Return Whip Trail and Return Whip Trail Corner in the same set so the defense sees the identical switch release and bunch action but has to defend a different vertical breakpoint each time.
Motion the bunch receiver before the snap to bait linebackers into declaring man coverage, then attack the switch concept if you see the defender follow the motion man across the formation.
