Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mesh Spot out of Shotgun Deuce Close (12 personnel) sends the two inside receivers on crossing mesh routes underneath while the outside receiver to the trips side runs a spot route that sits down in the void. The backside X runs a deep vertical clear-out and the RB releases to the flat then breaks upfield on a wheel route for a homerun shot if the defense sells out on the underside. This is a classic man beater built around the natural rub created by the mesh crossers, and the read progression starts with the mesh crossers working man coverage picks, moves to the spot sitting underneath zone drops, and finishes with the wheel route if a linebacker or safety bites hard on the flat.
Defensive Reads
Watch for man coverage alignment with corners in press or tight trail technique, since the mesh crossers are designed to rub off defenders and create natural separation against man matchups. Identify linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink too deep into zone drops the spot route will settle in front of them for an easy completion, so shallow zone drops that stay flat footed can shut this down. Key the flat defender or curl to flat player, if they crash down on the mesh action they leave the wheel route wide open behind them, so disciplined zone defenders who stay on top of the flat neutralize the wheel threat. Look for user controlled defenders lurking in the shallow crossing lanes, a smart user can sit in the mesh window and jump the crossers, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball and check down late. Blitz packages with a spy or extra rusher up the middle can disrupt the timing of the mesh since both crossers need a full beat to clear traffic, so interior pressure forces the quarterback off his first read before the picture develops.
Usage Tips
Check pre-snap for man coverage indicators like a single high safety with linebackers shaded over the slot, since the mesh crossers thrive against man due to the natural traffic they create.
Hot route the spot route to a sit or curl if you diagnose zone coverage sinking under the mesh, since the spot naturally settles in the throwing lane against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells.
Use the wheel route as a home run answer versus aggressive blitz packages or when the defense shows Cover 0, since the RB releasing to the flat and turning upfield will beat man coverage from a linebacker every time.
Pair this play with Mtn Stick or Both Stick in your play-calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between quick game and the mesh crossing action, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops.
Best called on second and medium to third and medium situations since the mesh combination takes a beat to develop and needs a clean pocket, so avoid it against known heavy pressure downs unless you have a quick trigger to the spot or flat.
