Playbooks

More Yards

Shotgun·Bunch·11
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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

More Yards out of Shotgun Bunch is a quick game man beater built to get the ball out fast off a stick and pivot combo from the bunch alignment. The tight bunch splits create natural picks against man coverage, with the primary read starting on the shallow pivot or drag from the bunch and progressing to the stick route sitting underneath if the initial window is closed. It is not a play-action or RPO look, this is a timing based passing concept designed to exploit press man and off man leverage before working to a checkdown against zone.

Defensive Reads

Watch for a single high safety cheating toward the bunch side pre snap, that usually signals man coverage underneath and tells you the pivot route has a clean rub advantage. Key the flat defender or nickel corner in zone shells, if he sits too deep on his zone drop the underneath pivot and stick routes will have soft grass in front of them. Be alert for a nano blitz off the edge or a linebacker crashing through the bunch, since this is a quick timing concept the quarterback should still have time to get the ball out before pressure arrives if the first read is open. Cover 3 with a hard sink from the corner can take away the pivot route, forcing the quarterback to check down late. Man coverage with no natural pick recognition from the defense, particularly aggressive press corners who get rubbed off the bunch, is where this play shines the most and produces the biggest gains.

Usage Tips

Diagnose man versus zone before the snap by reading corner alignment on the bunch, tight press with no safety help usually means the pivot route will win immediately off the natural rub. Use this on third and short or second and medium when you need a high percentage completion rather than a chunk play. Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out if you see a corner sitting outside leverage to give yourself a simple flat throw. Pair this with Bunch Sail or Bunch Verts in the same drive to condition the defense to bite on the quick game, then hit them over the top once safeties creep up. Snap the ball with rhythm and throw on time, this concept lives and dies on the quarterback getting through the first read within a beat or two of the snap.

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