Playbooks
Depth-chart slots are shown as they line up in the base package for this set.
| Player | Side | Route |
|---|---|---|
| HB1 | Left | Slip Screen |
| SLWR | Left | Streak |
| WR2 | Left | Fade |
| WR1 | Right | Streak |
| TE1 | Right | Streak |
HB Slip Screen out of Shotgun Doubles Y Off WK is a designed screen play that slips the running back out to the flat behind a wall of releasing linemen while the rest of the formation runs vertical or intermediate routes to occupy the second and third level defenders. This is a blitz beater and zone beater built to punish aggressive pass rush calls and man pressure looks, since the interior line lets defenders through before setting up in front of the HB. The primary read is simply to let the screen develop, hitting the HB the moment the blockers get in front of him, only checking down or resetting your eyes to the other routes if a defender jumps the screen immediately post snap.
Key the middle linebacker and weakside linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash upfield immediately the screen has a green light Look for a user controlled defender spying the quarterback or sitting in a shallow zone near the line, since that player can react quickly and jump the screen before blockers arrive Check for Cover 0 or man blitz shells pre snap, since man coverage defenders turning their backs to run with receivers are the ideal defense to attack with this screen Watch out for Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells with disciplined linebackers who keep contain and stay patient, as these zone drops can sniff out the screen and limit it to a minimal gain Post snap, track any defensive lineman who spins back or works laterally toward the flat, since a savvy user rush pattern can beat the screen blockers before the HB catches the ball
Call this against defenses showing exotic pressure or overload blitzes since the extra rushers commit upfield and open the screen lane
Watch pre snap for linebackers creeping toward the line of scrimmage or safeties rotating down, both are strong indicators the defense is bringing extra heat that this play is designed to exploit
Use HB Slip Screen on early downs like first and ten or second and medium to keep the defense honest and set up explosive gains without much risk
Pair this play in your call sheet with Mtn Inside Zone Split and HB Draw so the defense has to respect the ground game before you catch them blitzing on the screen
If you see a spy or a defender sitting at the line reading backfield action, abort the screen mentality and let the quarterback hold the ball an extra beat to let blockers get further out in front
Avoid calling this into disciplined zone coverage with linebackers that stay square and read the backfield, since patient defenders can sit on the screen and blow it up for a loss