Playbooks

PA Divide Wheels

Shotgun·Bunch·11

Play Action Wheel Pass Play

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

PA Divide Wheels is a play-action pass out of the Shotgun Bunch formation designed to attack seams and sidelines with dual wheel routes climbing vertically from the bunch alignment while an underneath divide concept splits the middle of the field to hold linebackers. The run fake pulls up second-level defenders and linebackers, opening throwing lanes for the wheels against man coverage or overextended zone drops. Your primary read starts with the wheel route out of the bunch attacking any matched-up corner or safety on a rub, then works down to the divide routes crossing underneath if the wheel is capped, using the play-action mesh point to buy time for the deep read to develop.

Defensive Reads

Man coverage with a corner or safety trailing the bunch receiver is the biggest green light, since the wheel route exploits the natural rub and leverage advantage created by the tight alignment Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they bite hard on the play action and step up into the box, the underneath divide routes and the wheel both have space to operate Cover 2 shells with a flat defender sinking to cut off the wheel can shut this down early, so identify the cornerback's post-snap drop angle before committing to the deep throw Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can collapse the pocket before the wheel fully develops, so recognize overload fronts pre-snap and consider a quick throw to the divide underneath instead User controlled safeties playing a deep half or robbing the middle of the field will jump the wheel if the quarterback stares it down too long, so keep eyes moving through the progression and use pump fakes to freeze the user defender

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for man coverage indicators like cornerbacks pressed on the bunch receivers, since the wheel route thrives against man because of the natural rub created by the bunch alignment

Use this on early downs like first or second and short to mid distance when defenses are more likely to sell out on the run fake, since the play action freezes linebackers and opens the wheel

If you see two deep safeties or a clear Cover 2 shell, hot route one of the divide routes into a deep dig or comeback to counter the flat defender sitting on the underneath crossers

Pair PA Divide Wheels with HB Base or Inside Zone earlier in a drive so the defense respects the run fake, then dial this up once you see linebackers stepping up aggressively on run action

Combine with Bunch Sail or Bunch Verts in the same set to keep defenders guessing between vertical shots and the wheel concept, forcing user defenders to declare early

Against Cover 3 or heavy zone drops, look to the shallow crosser from the divide concept rather than forcing the wheel into a deep zone defender sitting over the top