Playbooks
Bears Under
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Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Bears Under is a Shotgun 11 personnel route concept out of the Doubles HB Wk set that attacks the middle and intermediate areas of the field with a combination of an under route and vertical stems from the outside receivers. The under route drags flat across the field beneath the linebackers, acting as the primary man beater against man coverage while also settling into soft spots against zone drops. The primary read progression starts with the under route working the shallow to intermediate crossing zone, then climbs to any vertical or corner breaking route on the backside if the underneath defenders squeeze the throw window, with the running back check down as the final bailout option.
Defensive Reads
Against man coverage, key on the linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the under route since they have to run horizontally across traffic, which is where user-controlled defenders can jump the route if they anticipate it. Zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 will have a defender sink into the shallow crossing zone, so read whether that defender sits and squats or continues dropping deep before deciding to throw the under route or climb the progression. Watch safety rotation post-snap since Bears Under wants safeties to bite on the underneath crosser, opening up the vertical or corner route on the backside for a big play. Blitz-heavy defenses that bring extra rushers off the edge or through the A-gap can be exploited if the running back stays in as a check release, but if all five defenders drop into short zones the under route may get taken away and force a checkdown. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties tend to leave the intermediate middle vulnerable since the under route sits underneath the safeties and in front of the linebackers, making this a strong beater against that shell specifically.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, check for man coverage indicators like tight press alignment on the outside corners since the under route creates natural separation against man defenders trailing from depth. Use motion or a hard count to see if linebackers shift, which tells you whether you are getting man or zone matchups on the crosser. Hot route the running back to a quick flare or check release if you diagnose a blitz, giving your quarterback an emergency valve against pressure. This play works best on second and medium to third and short situations where the under route can consistently pick up positive yardage after the catch. Pair Bears Under with RPO Peek Slant or RPO Read Bubble from the same set to keep defenders honest on the perimeter, then come back to Bears Under once the defense starts cheating linebackers outside to stop the bubble concepts.
