Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
This WR Screen out of Shotgun Empty Base (11 personnel) sends the outside receiver on a quick bubble path toward the boundary while the inside slot receiver releases upfield and cuts back to lead block for him. The three interior linemen (visible in gray) release downfield to set up a wall in front of the ball, giving the screen receiver a lane once he catches the quick pop pass. This is a screen play built to punish overaggressive man pressure and blitz-heavy fronts, with the primary read being an automatic bubble throw to the near receiver as soon as the ball is snapped, banking on blockers to spring him for yards after the catch.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender and outside linebacker leverage before the snap, if they are crashing hard off the edge or blitzing the screen hits for a big gain. Man coverage with press corners is the biggest weakness for defenders trying to defend this, since the cornerback getting beat off the line by the blocking receiver removes the primary threat to the screen. Zone coverage with disciplined linebackers sitting in short zones can sniff this out quickly, especially if the defense has scouted the tendency and a linebacker sits flat instead of dropping deep. User the nearest defender to the screen side and spy the release of both receivers instead of dropping into a deep zone, jumping the route as soon as you see the blockers release upfield. Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells with linebackers reading run/screen keys shut this down fastest, since extra bodies stay near the line to blow up the blocking wall before it forms.
Usage Tips
Call this against defenses showing five or six man pressure pre-snap since blitzing defenders run themselves out of the play and cannot get back to the screen in time. Check the flat defender and cornerback depth before the snap, if the corner is playing off or bailing into a deep zone the bubble lane opens immediately. Use quick hot route motion sparingly here, the base concept already isolates the blockers, so keep the route as designed unless you need to adjust protection against a known blitz look. Pair this play with Fk Screen Verts or Fk Screen Sluggo earlier in a series so the defense starts jumping the screen action, then hit them with verts or sluggo shots off the same formation. Best used on early downs or after a big gain to slow down aggressive pass rush tendencies and force the defense to respect the perimeter.
