Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn PA Cross is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk that sells the run fake before attacking the middle of the field with a deep crosser. The diagram shows the outside receiver running a deep dig/crosser from the far side all the way across the field, an underneath receiver running a flat route to the opposite sideline, and a third receiver clearing out vertically up the numbers on a deep post-like stem. The primary read progression starts with the deep crosser working across the field, then works down to the flat route as a checkdown if the crosser is not open, with the vertical clear-out route serving to hold the safety and open up the crossing lane. This is a man beater at its core, using the crosser to create natural separation against man defenders, but it also stresses zone defenders who have to sink and wall off the middle third.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a single high safety pre-snap, which signals man coverage underneath and tells you the crosser is likely to win once it clears traffic in the middle of the field. Key the play side linebacker depth at the snap, since shallow linebacker drops mean they can sit on the crosser and jump the route if you throw it too early. Identify if the defense is running a Tampa 2 or a deep half shell, because a rangy middle linebacker or a lurking safety can undercut the crosser before it fully develops. Check for man press coverage on the vertical clear-out route, since a jam at the line can disrupt timing on the crosser by delaying the safety rotation. Look for blitzes off the edge, since play-action rollouts and crossing concepts like this one are vulnerable to fast interior pressure that beats the play fake before the crosser has time to break open.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since the play design relies on the crosser picking up defenders in man coverage. Look for single high safety shells before the snap because the vertical clear-out route on the far side is designed to occupy that deep safety and open the crossing window underneath. If the defense shows zone with linebackers sitting in the shallow to intermediate area, hot route the flat route into a shallow drag or speed it up to beat the underneath zone drop. This play works best on second and medium or third and medium since the crosser needs time to develop across the field, so avoid calling it in obvious third and long shot plays. Pair Mtn PA Cross with Y Cross or Double Cross in the same set to keep the defense guessing on which receiver is running the deep crosser, and mix in Mtn HB Base or Read Option from the same formation to keep linebackers honest against the run action.
