Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Cheat Mesh runs out of Shotgun Empty Bunch Open with motion into the bunch before the snap, creating natural traffic for the mesh concept. The two inside receivers cross underneath at the sticks in classic mesh fashion while the backside X runs a deep vertical to hold the safety and the outside bunch receiver runs a corner route to clear the flat and pull coverage away from the mesh point. With no running back in the backfield, this is a straight dropback pass built to beat man coverage by rubbing defenders off each other at the mesh, and the primary read progression starts with the shallow crosser working man leverage, then bounces to the underneath crosser sitting in the void, and finally the vertical shot on the backside if the safety bites on the mesh action.
Defensive Reads
Watch the motion man pre-snap, if a linebacker or safety follows him across the formation that confirms man coverage and the mesh crossers will have room to work. Key the depth of the underneath linebackers post-snap, if they sink into zone drops and wall off the mesh crossing lanes, the play becomes low value and you should look off to the vertical route. Identify press man corners at the line before the snap, since press coverage on the outside can disrupt the timing of the corner route and open up the mesh underneath even faster. Look for a user-controlled defender sitting in the shallow zone or spying the mesh point, this lurk threat is the biggest counter to this concept and forces the quarterback to hold the ball and check to the vertical route. Recognize blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the empty backfield offers no protection help and the mesh routes need to develop quickly before pressure arrives.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since a defender following the motion man across the formation confirms man coverage and green lights the mesh.
Against man coverage, trust the mesh point to create a natural pick and throw to whichever crosser clears the traffic first rather than forcing the first route you see.
If the defense shows a deep half safety shell, prioritize the backside vertical route early since single high or two high shells often leave the corner route or vertical isolated on a favorable matchup.
Pair this play with Cheat Slot Cross or Mesh Cross in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot key on the mesh action alone, then mix in Cheat Flood Divide off the same formation to punish zone drops.
Use this on second and medium to second and long situations where defenses are more likely to play man coverage, since the mesh concept loses value against disciplined zone drops with linebackers sitting underneath.
