Playbooks

Drive Under

Shotgun·Empty Base·11
DrivePass PlayCover 4 Beater
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Superstar HB Receiving

Breakdown

Drive Under is a horizontal stretch concept built off the classic Drive combo, pairing a deep under route working across the middle with a shallow crosser and a corner or dig breaking off the backside to hold the safety. Out of Empty Base Shotgun 11 personnel, this is a five wide look with no back in the backfield, so it relies purely on the route combo to manipulate zone drops and man leverage rather than any play-action element. This is a Cover 4 beater by design, since the deep under and shallow drag attack the seams and hooks that quarters safeties vacate, but it also holds up against man coverage due to the natural rub created by the crossing routes. Primary read progression starts with the under route settling in the middle void, then works to the shallow drag underneath if a linebacker sinks too deep, with the backside corner or dig as the field-stretching alert against single high shells.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, identify if the safeties are showing a two high shell or rotating to single high, since Cover 4 and quarters shells are the primary weakness this play attacks. Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks too deep into the under route's window the shallow drag underneath will be wide open. Beware user controlled safeties sitting in a lurk position over the middle, since a rangy user defender can jump the under route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Man coverage with press corners will struggle against the crossing traffic, but a robber or hook defender spying the middle can undercut the under route if the quarterback does not move through his progression. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can rattle this play quickly since there is no running back to check release, so recognize five and six man pressure pre-snap and be ready to get the ball out on the shallow drag immediately.

Usage Tips

Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two deep safeties split wide with linebackers stacked underneath that is your Cover 4 or Cover 2 read and the under route will sit right in the seam.

Hot route the backside receiver into a deeper corner or post against single high looks to punish any safety who steps up to help on the under route.

Use this on second and medium or third and short to medium, since the shallow drag gives you a quick outlet if the under gets jumped by a linebacker in zone drops.

Pair this with Stick or Curl Flats out of the same Empty Base set so the defense sees the same initial receiver spacing and cannot key on the crossing action pre-snap.

Follow this up later in a series with Y Cross or Shock Shake Crossers to keep hitting the same crossing window from a different angle once the defense starts sinking underneath coverage to take away the drag.

Other Plays in Empty Base