Playbooks
Broncos China KO
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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Broncos China KO is a shotgun 11 personnel dropback passing concept built off a China route package designed to attack both man and zone coverage with a deep flood to one side. The concept stacks a corner route, an intermediate crosser, and an underneath check option to stretch defenders vertically and horizontally while the offensive line slides protection to handle four man rushes. The primary read progression starts with the deep corner route to test single coverage over the top, works down to the crossing route as the second read against zone drops, and finishes with the checkdown or drag as the outlet against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Presnap, identify if the corner is playing outside leverage with no safety help over the top, that alignment is a green light for the corner route against man coverage. Watch for two deep safeties rotating to a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell, this squeezes the window on the corner route and forces you to work the crossing route or checkdown instead. Postsnap, key the flow of the underneath linebackers, if they sink deep into zone drops the crossing route will settle into the vacated space for an easy pitch and catch. Look for a user controlled defender lurking in the middle of the field, this is the biggest threat to the crossing route since a jumped throw here leads to a pick six. Beware of Cover 3 with a hard flat defender, that alignment can undercut the corner route stem and jump the throw if the quarterback does not sell the pump or throw with anticipation. This concept struggles against disguised blitzes that bring five or six rushers with man coverage behind it, since the corner route needs extra time to fully develop down the field.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties bail into a split shell the corner route may be capped so prioritize the crossing route read instead.
Motion your slot or TE presnap to identify man versus zone, if the defender follows across the formation you have a man beater matchup to exploit on the corner route.
Use this play on second and medium to third and long situations since the deep corner route takes time to develop and needs a clean pocket.
Hot route the underneath checkdown into a quick out or speed out against teams that bring extra pressure so you have a faster answer versus the blitz.
Pair this play with RPO Peek Slant or RPO Read Bubble earlier in a series to bait linebackers into cheating up on run action, then come back to China KO to hit the corner route behind a suckered defense.
Sequence this play after Four Verticals or Post Wheels so the defense respects the deep shots and starts backing off, opening up easier completions underneath on this concept.
