Playbooks
Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Mtn HB Slip Screen is a screen pass out of Shotgun Doubles Offset with 11 personnel that uses pre-snap motion to shift the box before the ball is snapped. At the snap the offensive line and TE release upfield to sell run or drop back before working out to screen the HB, while the two outside receivers run vertical clear-out routes (one deep post-corner breaking away, one straight vertical) to pull coverage off the flat and the underneath crosser (teal route) drags across the field to occupy underneath defenders. This is a zone beater designed to bait linebackers and underneath zone defenders upfield with the drag and verticals, and the primary read is the HB out of the backfield once the screen blockers get in front, checking down only if the screen is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a linebacker or slot corner spying the HB immediately after the snap, since that defender can blow up the screen before blockers set up. Check safety depth pre-snap, if both safeties are shallow and crashing downhill on run action they will diagnose the screen quickly. Man coverage with a defender shadowing the HB out of the backfield is the biggest kill shot for this play, so avoid calling it into Cover 0 or Cover 1 looks. Post-snap, user-controlled defenders who stay home instead of biting on the vertical routes can sit on the screen lane and force an incompletion or negative play. Look for delayed edge rushers or contain defenders staying wide, since disciplined edge play forces the screen back inside into traffic.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Best called on second and long or third and manageable when defenses are more likely to drop into zone and rush only four.
If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 with deep zone drops, trust the screen because the verticals will hold the corners and safeties deep.
Hot route the teal drag into a quick out or spot route if you see aggressive underneath zone defenders sitting right in the drag's path.
Pair this with HB Draw and Inside Zone in the same series so defenses respect the run fake and bite harder on the screen action.
