Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 15 playbooks
Breakdown
Drive Wheel is an Empty Bunch Wide concept that sends the bunch receivers on a drive combo underneath while the outside receiver from the bunch releases up the sideline on a wheel route. From the trips side, the isolated receiver runs a deep dig that cuts across the middle of the field, while the closest bunch receiver runs a drive route underneath to clear space for the wheel. Since this is Empty personnel there is no running back in the backfield, so the QB has a full five man route concept with no play-action mesh, making this a pure man beater designed to attack the flat to wheel combo against linebackers and slot corners who cannot carry vertically. The primary read starts with the wheel route out of the bunch, then works to the underneath drive route, and finishes with the deep dig crossing from the trips side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing man or zone based on cornerback depth over the bunch, tight man alignment signals a blitz or man beater vulnerability on the wheel. Watch the slot defender assigned to the bunch, if he sinks into a zone drop instead of matching the wheel route vertically, this play gets shut down since zone defenders will pass the wheel off to a deep safety. Key the middle linebacker or nickel defender on the drive route, if he sits and reads the QB's eyes instead of following the underneath receiver, he can undercut the drive route and jump the throwing lane. Check safety rotation post-snap, a single high safety rotating to the trips side dig can bait the QB into throwing outside to the wheel, which is the correct answer against that shell. Cover 3 zone drops with strong flat coverage from a corner or safety who sinks under the wheel is the primary defensive answer that kills this concept, forcing the QB to check down to the drive route underneath.
Usage Tips
Use this play when you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, especially against Cover 1 or Cover 3 match looks where the slot defender has to run with the wheel. Motion is not needed here since the bunch alignment naturally creates a pick opportunity for the wheel route against man defenders trailing from depth. Call this on early downs or in max protect situations since the wheel route takes time to develop and needs the QB to hold the ball through his first read. If the defense shows Cover 4 or a hard match zone shell, hot route the drive route into a quick out to beat the underneath defender jumping the wheel. Pair this with Drive Y Corner or Stutter Wheel from the same set to keep defenders guessing on whether the wheel or the corner route is coming out of the bunch, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their drops.
