Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Post Cross runs out of Shotgun Deuce Close (12 personnel) with a play-action fake to hold the linebackers before the quarterback works the pass concept. The backside receiver rips a deep post straight up the numbers while the frontside TE runs a deep crossing route underneath it, and the frontside outlet man clears out on a shallow drag to the flat as the checkdown. The remaining receiver on the far boundary bends a deep comeback/out to hold the corner, giving this play both a vertical shot and an underneath answer. This is a play-action man beater first: the post is designed to split safeties in single high looks while the crosser works late against man coverage leverage, so the primary read progression is post to crosser to the flat drag.
Defensive Reads
Key the free safety at the snap, if he stays high and shaded to the post side you should sit on the crosser instead of forcing the deep shot. Watch the underneath linebackers for run fits on the play fake, a slow linebacker read means the crosser will have a clean throwing lane behind him. Identify man versus zone by the corner over the post route, if he opens his hips and runs with the receiver at the snap it is man and the post has real separation potential. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the edge can beat this before the play fake resolves, so if you see a nano blitz alignment pre-snap consider getting the ball out on the quick flat drag. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender sitting on the drag route will jump the underneath crosser, so user that flat defender and drop him into the crossing lane if you are on defense to take away the easy completion.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or 2nd and medium when defenses are still respecting the run fake, since the play action freezes linebackers and opens the crosser behind them.
Check pre-snap for single high safety alignment (Cover 1 or Cover 3) before the snap, because that tells you the post has a two way go against the deep half or deep third.
If you see two deep safeties split evenly, that is your cue to peek the crosser immediately instead of waiting on the post, since Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells will bracket the vertical shot.
Hot route the flat drag runner into a quick out or speed out against aggressive man corners to give yourself a instant answer if the post and crosser are both blanketed.
Pair this call with Mtn WR Corner or PA Deep Cross earlier in a series so defenses start biting on the play fake, then hit this post and crosser combo once the linebackers start flowing hard downhill.
