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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
PA Cheat Divide Wheels is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Bunch that attacks the seams and sidelines with three vertical stems. The two outside receivers from the bunch break outward and up the sideline as wheel routes, while the middle bunch receiver runs a deep crossing post that divides the safeties. The lone in-line blocker chips before releasing, and the play-action fake with the running back sells run action to hold the linebackers, making this a man beater designed to isolate the wheel routes against trailing defenders while the deep cross occupies the middle of the field. Primary read progression starts with the deep crossing route over the middle, then works to either wheel route based on which side the corner gets picked or beaten off the bunch release.
Defensive Reads
Check the corner alignment on the bunch side before the snap, tight man press indicates the wheel routes will need a clean release to beat the jam. Watch the safeties at the snap, if both safeties bail into deep zones the crossing route into the middle becomes the highest value target. Key the linebacker depth off the play-action fake, shallow linebackers biting hard on the run fake open up easy completions on the underneath crossing route. Identify user-controlled defenders lurking in the middle of the field, since the deep cross is the most exposed route to a spying or lurking linebacker. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can undercut the wheel routes early, so the sideline throws only open up if the flat defender bites on the play-action or gets picked by the bunch traffic.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage or single high shells before the snap since the wheel routes need natural picks off the bunch alignment to separate from trailing corners.
Sell the play-action fake by holding the fake handoff button through the mesh point animation, this freezes linebackers just long enough for the deep cross to clear the middle.
If the defense shows two high safeties pre-snap, prioritize the deep cross read first since the wheels will likely have safety help over the top.
Use a hot route to convert the middle receiver into a shallow drag if you see aggressive underneath zone drops jumping the crossing route.
Pair this play with HB Base or Inside Zone from the same Bunch set to keep the defense honest on early downs, then call PA Cheat Divide Wheels on second or third down and medium once the defense starts biting on the run fake.
