Playbooks
Bunch Arches
Breakdown
Bunch Arches lines up out of Shotgun Empty Bunch Open with a lone receiver split to the backside running a go route stem into a deep out, giving an isolated vertical shot on the perimeter. The bunch side crashes inside with a corner route stemming outside and up the sideline, a slant crossing underneath to the opposite flat, and a hitch sitting down in the short middle. With no running back to check release, this is a pure five wide flood concept built to overload zone defenders on the bunch side while giving the QB a corner and slant combo against man coverage. Primary progression starts with the corner route as the deep shot, works down to the crossing slant as the man beater rub, then checks the underneath hitch as the built in outlet against soft zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Read the corner route first since it is the primary vertical answer against both man and zone coverage and it is the route most likely to draw a pass interference or explosive gain. Watch for a user controlled linebacker or safety sitting in the throwing lane of the crossing slant since that route is the most vulnerable to a lurking defender jumping the route. Identify Cover 3 pre-snap by checking for three deep defenders and a single high safety, since the flood concept to the bunch side is designed to stress the deep and short zone defenders on that side simultaneously. Against man coverage, look for a defender staying home on the hitch route since that tells you the defense is playing tight man and the corner or slant should win on the rub. Beware of blitz packages that bring an extra rusher off the backside since the empty formation leaves no running back to help in protection, forcing the QB to get the ball out quickly on the hitch or slant.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment pre-snap because a single high safety over the bunch tells you the corner route has a shot to win one on one down the sideline.
Use the backside go and out combo on the isolated receiver to attack a cornerback playing off coverage without a deep safety over the top.
Against man coverage, key the natural rub created by the slant crossing under the corner route since it forces defenders to fight through traffic and creates late separation.
Hot route the backside receiver into a hitch or quick out on third and short since the deep out takes too long to develop for the sticks.
Pair this with Cheat Flood Divide or Slot Choice Spacing from the same set so you can flip between flood concepts and quick game answers without changing personnel or tipping your hand.
