Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Fake Jet Pass Power is a play-action shot play out of Empty Ace that sells jet motion across the formation before the QB fakes the handoff and rolls out with a pass concept underneath. The diagram shows a shallow crosser working from the motion side across the field, a short flat route sitting underneath, and a quick out breaking to the sideline near the line of scrimmage, all designed to hold flowing defenders and hit the crosser once the fake freezes linebackers. Primary read progression starts with the crosser working across the middle, then works down to the flat and out routes if the crosser is taken away, making this a zone beater built to exploit LBs that bite on the run fake.
Defensive Reads
Check the linebacker depth and leverage before the snap, if they are stacked tight to the box anticipating run support this play is designed to exploit that aggression. Read the crosser first since it is the primary target working across the middle off the play fake, look for it to sit in soft spots against Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells where underneath defenders bite on run action. Watch for a user linebacker sitting in a lurk spot over the middle, since a disciplined defender who does not respect the fake can jump the crossing route and create a turnover opportunity. Man coverage with underneath defenders keying the backfield is where this concept struggles most, since man defenders in phase will not be fooled by the fake and can trail the crosser step for step. Look for blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge, since the play action fake takes extra time to develop and a well timed edge blitz can collapse the pocket before routes fully break open.
Usage Tips
Use this play on early downs when defenses are keyed to stop the run, since the jet motion fake is most effective against aggressive run fits and box-heavy fronts. Check pre-snap for linebacker depth and alignment, if they are sitting close to the line expecting run support the crosser will have a soft window in the intermediate zone. Hot route the flat defender to a deeper option against teams that stay disciplined and refuse to bite on the fake, since the shallow flat can get swallowed by underneath zone defenders. Pair this call with Jet QB Counter or Jet QB Zone earlier in a series to condition the defense to respect the run action, then come back to this play action shot to cash in once linebackers start crashing down. Avoid calling this on obvious passing downs where defenses sit back in zone shells, since the play action fake loses value when the defense is not respecting the run.
