Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
X Mid Screen out of Shotgun Empty Base Trio is a screen pass built to bait interior pressure. The diagram shows the X receiver on the boundary running a shallow drag underneath as the intended screen target, with the offensive line sliding out to release and set up blockers in front of him while the outside receivers on the trips side run a curl to flat combo to hold the defenders on that side. On the backside, the lone X takes a stem before settling as the checkdown, meaning the primary read progression starts with confirming the screen release to the X and only works to the trips side flat and curl combo if the interior rush is contained and the screen is covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing Cover 3 or Cover 1 with press corners, since the extended blocking setup in the screen needs space that soft zones with sitting linebackers can take away. Watch for a defensive lineman or linebacker with spy or contain responsibility drifting toward the screen side immediately after the snap, which signals the user is jumping the screen. Key the middle linebacker depth pre-snap, if he is shallow and reading the backfield he can undercut the screen before the blockers set up. Man coverage teams that blitz off the edge are the most susceptible since the rushers take themselves out of the screen lane, while zone blitz packages with a designated hook defender staying home can blow this play up. Post-snap, track any user-controlled defender bailing out of a deep zone drop to squat underneath, that is the clearest indicator the screen has been diagnosed and you should reset to the trips side curl and flat combo instead.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see pre-snap indicators of a heavy interior blitz look, especially overload fronts to the trips side, since the empty backfield forces linebackers to declare their rush lanes early.
Use it on obvious passing downs like 2nd and long or 3rd and medium when defenses are more likely to send extra rushers up the middle.
Hot route the trips side curl into a quicker in-breaking route if you diagnose off coverage, giving your quarterback a faster outlet if the screen is jumped by a spy or lurking linebacker.
Pair this play with Slants or Stick Nod from the same set earlier in a drive so the defense respects the quick game, then dial up X Mid Screen once you bait linebackers into sitting on short zone drops.
Sequence this after QB Draw to condition the defense into keying on interior rushers and defenders crashing downhill, making the screen blocking angles even more effective.
