Playbooks

Bunch Sail

Shotgun·Bunch·11
SailPass PlayCover 2 BeaterCover 3 Beater
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Henry Special

Breakdown

Bunch Sail is a classic sail concept built out of the tight Bunch alignment in Shotgun 11 personnel. The concept stacks a corner route, an out route, and an underneath flat route from the bunch, creating a high low stretch on the flat defender and the deep quarter or third defender. This is a zone beater at its core, designed to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 by isolating the cornerback or safety who has to choose between the corner route and the flat route, though it holds up against man coverage if the receiver running the corner route wins vertical leverage. The primary read progression starts with the corner route breaking to the sideline, works down to the intermediate out route sitting in the void, and finishes with the underneath flat route as the checkdown against pressure.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety alignment first, two high safeties signal Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tell you the corner route has a clean throwing lane behind the corner Watch the cornerback over the bunch, if he sinks deep expect zone coverage underneath, if he presses and mirrors a receiver out of the bunch that is your man coverage tell Post-snap, track the flat defender's first two steps, if he jumps the underneath route immediately the out route behind him is open, if he sits the flat route is your quick answer Beware of a sim pressure or nano blitz off the edge, since bunch formations can leave the backside protection thin, if you see linebackers crashing the box pre-snap get the ball out on the quick flat route This play struggles against Cover 4 with disciplined quarters defenders who can play both the corner and out routes simultaneously, and it can be shut down by an aggressive user lurk sitting in the intermediate zone reading the quarterback's eyes

Usage Tips

Identify the coverage shell pre-snap by checking safety depth, if you see two deep safeties expect Cover 2 and prioritize the corner route sitting behind the cornerback and in front of the safety

Against Cover 3 look for the flat defender, the sail concept is designed to put him in conflict between the flat route and the deeper out breaking route, take whichever one he leaves open

Use motion or a hard play fake before the snap to bait the flat defender into stepping up, this opens a throwing window to the corner route over the top

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick slant or drag if you see man coverage across the board, this gives you an outlet away from the bunch and prevents a bunch jam from clogging the whole progression

Pair this play with Bunch Verts or PA Divide Wheels in your play calling sequence, running Bunch Sail early forces the defense to respect the flat and corner combo, then you can come back with the verticals shot play once the safety starts cheating down

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