Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Post Wheel out of Shotgun Deuce Close (12 personnel) is a man beater built around a wheel route breaking outside the numbers from the inline slot and a post cutting from the outside receiver behind it. The backside runs a shallow drag across the formation and a curl/flat combo on the far side to hold underneath defenders and check the RB release, while the offensive line slides protection to handle four-man rushes. Primary read is the post first for the big-play shot up top, then work down to the wheel as it clears the numbers, with the shallow drag as the checkdown against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Key the free safety pre-snap, if he is aligned deep middle in a single-high shell the post has a clear window to attack behind him. Watch the flat defender or slot corner at the snap, if he sinks with the post the wheel route will be wide open working up the sideline. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4, the wheel route can get squeezed by the deep half safety, so be ready to reset to the shallow drag underneath. User linebackers who spy or wall the wheel route from the outside linebacker alignment will disrupt this concept, so identify LB depth before the snap. Blitz-heavy defenses that bring five or six rushers force a quick decision, so know the drag route is your built-in answer against pressure looks.
Usage Tips
Look for single-high safety shells pre-snap since the post route wins big against Cover 3 and Cover 1 when the safety bites on the wheel or shallow drag.
Motion or check the drag route into a spot concept if you see zone drops filling the middle immediately at the snap.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium when you need a explosive gain, since the wheel and post both attack vertical zones behind linebackers.
Pair this with Mtn Stick or RPO Counter Stick from the same set to keep defenses honest on run fits before dialing up the deep shot.
If the corner sinks with the post, hot route the flat or curl to the boundary to give yourself a quick answer against soft coverage.
