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Breakdown
Strike HB Seam lines up out of Shotgun Doubles Offset Wk with 11 personnel and attacks the field with a three level stretch to the trips side while the HB works a seam route up the middle. To the left, the outside receiver runs a deep comeback while the slot receiver breaks off a corner route, stacking the sideline vertically and horizontally. On the right, the single receiver runs a shallow crossing route underneath while the HB releases up the seam, giving you a true two man read against the middle of the field. This is a man beater at its core, using the seam route to split the difference between linebackers and safeties, but the comeback and corner combo also punishes zone defenders who sink too deep or squat on the flat.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap because if he sits shallow or blitzes, the seam window opens up immediately for a big gain. Watch safety rotation post snap, a single high safety who bites on the corner route to the left leaves the seam wide open, so user your free safety to stay central and rob the seam if possible. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive underneath linebackers are the most vulnerable shells since the seam route splits the hole between the flat defender and deep defender. Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells with disciplined safeties who stay high and deep can shut this play down by taking away the seam and forcing the quarterback to check down to the shallow cross. Watch for a user linebacker spying the HB out of the backfield, a strong lurk defender sitting in the intermediate middle zone can jump the seam route and create a turnover opportunity.
Usage Tips
Presnap, identify if the defense is showing single high or two high safeties because the HB seam route wins hardest against single high looks with no safety help in the middle of the field.
If you see man coverage with a linebacker matched on the HB, throw the seam quickly before the defender can get depth or before a linebacker blitz collapses the pocket.
Against zone coverage, look to the comeback route on the left since it settles in soft spots vacated by cornerbacks bailing into deep thirds.
Use hot routes to convert the shallow cross into a hitch or drag if you are facing a heavy blitz look, giving your quarterback a quick outlet.
Pair this play with RPO Peek Slant or RPO Read Bubble earlier in a series to get the defense triggering downhill on run fits, then hit them with Strike HB Seam once linebackers start cheating up on run action.
