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Breakdown
Mtn Return Whip Crossers runs out of Shotgun Bunch Y-Trips with pre-snap motion sending the bunch receiver in tight to the line before the snap. The backside X runs a whip route that snaps back inside underneath, while the bunch releases two deep crossers stacked at different depths (one shallow crosser and one deep corner breaking route) that flood the opposite side of the field, and the inside slot runs a drag underneath the crossers to occupy the shallow zone. This is a man beater at its core, using the whip route and natural picks created by the crossing routes to shake man defenders, though the deep crosser also stretches zone defenses horizontally. The primary read starts with the whip route against man coverage, then progresses to the shallow crosser sitting underneath, and finally to the deep crosser working across the field as the shot play if the safety bites on underneath routes.
Defensive Reads
Watch the motion defender pre-snap, if he trails the bunch receiver in man it confirms man coverage and you should sit on the whip route to jump the route before the crosser develops. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks deep into a zone drop the shallow crosser will be open underneath him in the void. Identify single high versus two high safety shells before the snap, single high leaves the deep crosser vulnerable to getting picked off by a robber or lurking linebacker sitting in the intermediate crossing lane. Post snap, track any user controlled defender flowing toward the crossers, a good user will sit in the crossing lane and jump the shallow route, so be ready to climb the progression to the deep crosser if you see that flash. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, the corners sitting on the deep crosser can undercut the route if they read your quarterback's eyes early, so look off the deep crosser and come back to the whip route as your safety valve.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you know you are getting man coverage and the whip route becomes a high percentage first read.
Against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, work the deep crosser as your primary read since it stretches the field horizontally and exploits the seam between the deep zone defenders.
Hot route the running back into a check release or swing route on third and long to give yourself a checkdown if the crossers are covered downfield.
Pair this play with Mtn Return Mesh Spot Rail and Mtn Return Zig Fork in your play calling script since all three use similar bunch motion and crossing concepts, which forces the defense to respect the crossers and opens up the whip route as a counter.
Best called on second or third down in the 5 to 8 yard range where the whip route and shallow crosser can both convert, or on first down as a shot play if you diagnose single high safety looks favoring the deep crosser.
