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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Philly HB Angle out of Shotgun Doubles is a quick-game man beater built around the HB angle route as the primary answer to man coverage out of the backfield. The concept typically pairs the angle route with an underneath drag or shallow crosser from the slot to stretch linebackers horizontally, while the outside receivers run vertical or curl routes to hold the corners and safeties. Blocking is a standard slide protection with the HB releasing late, so the first read is the angle route against a linebacker or nickel defender in man, and the check down or drag is the answer if that matchup is not there.
Defensive Reads
Identify if the Mike linebacker or SAM is aligned close to the box with outside hip leverage, since that tells you man coverage is likely and the angle route will have room to work after the break. Watch for a nickel defender shaded inside pre snap, which signals man match and often leaves the HB angle route as a clean win versus a slower linebacker. Post snap, key the flow of the second level defenders: if they sink into zone drops and ignore the backfield, the angle route will be sat on and you need to progress to the drag or curl instead. Beware of user controlled defenders spying the backfield or lurking underneath, since a good user can jump the angle route if he reads the HB release too early. Blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge can disrupt the timing of this play, so if you see overload pressure pre snap, be ready to get the ball out fast on the angle or check down rather than working through the full progression.
Usage Tips
Throw this on early downs or third and short when you expect man coverage because the angle route is designed to make linebackers miss in space after the HB fakes into the flat and cuts across the field. Check the pre snap alignment of the linebackers and if you see man match or a Mike linebacker walked up over the backfield, get ready to hit the angle route immediately off the snap. Motion the HB or use a hot route to release him quicker if the defense shows blitz, since this play doubles as a built in check down against pressure looks. Pair this call with 45 Quick Base or Curl Flats in your play calling sequence so the defense has to respect both the quick angle concept and traditional flood concepts, keeping linebackers honest. Against zone heavy defenses, look to your outside curl or drag route instead of forcing the angle, since zone defenders can sit on the shallow crossing pattern.
