Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn PA X Spot is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Doubles Z Close Wk that uses a mountain (vertical stack) shot concept on the backside paired with a spot concept on the frontside. The diagram shows two receivers stacking verticals up the seam and sideline off the mountain motion, while the X receiver runs a short drag/spot route underneath from the boundary side, and the backside receiver runs a quick hitch or flat breaking route off the play-action fake. This is a Cover 3 beater designed to attack the flat-to-deep hole with the underneath drag as the primary read, working to the two verticals if the underneath defenders squeeze the shallow crosser.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker depth pre-snap: if he bites hard on the run fake, the shallow drag route will be wide open in the void behind him. Watch the single high safety rotation, this play is built to punish Cover 3 by putting two verticals against one deep defender, so any late rotation to two high safeties takes away the big play upside. Identify the flat defender responsible for the drag, if he sits and reads the quarterback's eyes he can undercut the route, so be ready to progress to the verticals. Look for user-controlled defenders sitting in the shallow zone or spying the run action, since that lurk threat is the primary counter to the drag being the first read. Beware of aggressive man blitzes off the edge since the play-action fake can be negated by fast pressure before the deep routes develop, forcing an early checkdown or throwaway.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or third and short so the play-action freeze on linebackers actually holds and opens the shallow drag window.
Check pre-snap for Cover 3 shells with a single high safety, since the two vertical stems are designed to stretch the deep third defenders and open the drag underneath.
Hot route the backside hitch into a quick out if you see man coverage with a corner playing tight to the line, giving your receiver an easy separation release.
Pair this with Mtn Z Spot and Mtn Curl Combo in the same set so the defense sees the same run action and receiver stems, then hit them with this X Spot variant once they start jumping the flat routes.
Take the checkdown to the drag against zone blitzes since the play-action fake usually occupies at least one extra rusher and buys the drag runner extra separation.
