Playbooks
Escape is a play-action rollout out of Shotgun Dbls Flex Y Off Close designed to get the quarterback moving outside the pocket while attacking one side of the field with a shallow crosser and a flat route. The run fake holds the linebackers for a beat, opening throwing lanes underneath as the offensive line slides to protect the bootleg direction. This is primarily a man beater since the rollout naturally creates separation from man defenders who have to fight through traffic, and the primary read progression starts with the flat route as the outlet, then works to the crosser sitting down in the void, before checking back to any deep shot developing off the play-action.
Read the linebacker depth immediately after the snap since Escape thrives when linebackers bite hard on the run fake and vacate underneath zones. Watch for a scraping edge defender on the play side because a disciplined contain rusher can force the quarterback to throw off platform or take a sack. Identify Cover 3 or Cover 1 pre-snap since the rollout action stresses the flat and curl defenders in those shells, especially if the corner is playing off coverage. Key the backside linebacker for a delayed blitz or spy technique, as a smart defender will read pass and trail the quarterback across the field. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties, expect the flat route to be the primary answer since the deep half coverage limits big plays over the top on the rollout.
Call Escape on early downs like first or second and medium to disguise it as a standard run play and freeze the second level defenders with the play-action fake.
Check the flat defender before the snap: if he is sitting on the flat route, hot route your outlet receiver into a quick out to beat an aggressive corner jumping the route.
Roll to the side with your best blocking tackle in space since Escape puts the quarterback on the move and leaves him vulnerable to backside edge pressure.
Pair Escape with Inside Zone and Read Option earlier in a drive to sell run tendencies, then hit defenses with Escape once linebackers start crashing downhill on run fakes.
Use Escape in the red zone off the back of Redzone Scissors to give the defense two different eye discipline problems, one with rollout action and one with true dropback route combos.