Playbooks
Breakdown
Cheat Fk Screen Cross is a play-action screen concept out of Empty Chips Quads that deceives the defense with a fake screen look before releasing a crosser underneath. The single receiver split away from the quads bunch fakes a bubble screen then breaks upfield across the field on a deep crossing route, while two of the quads receivers run vertical clear-out routes and the remaining quads receiver stays in to chip before releasing outside. This is a play-action man beater built to freeze linebackers on the screen fake and hit the crosser working across the middle as the primary read, with the vertical routes acting as clear outs on the secondary progression.
Defensive Reads
Key the flow of the linebackers at the snap, if they crash toward the screen fake side the crosser will have a wide open lane across the middle. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in a shallow zone or spy alignment, since this is the biggest threat to jumping the crosser route. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive underneath defenders are the most vulnerable shells because the screen fake pulls flow away from the crosser's path. Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells with disciplined linebackers who stay home on the crosser will shut this down quickly, since the clear out routes alone will not open enough space. If the defense shows a nano blitz look with defensive backs disguised near the line, the screen fake element becomes riskier and the crosser must be the immediate answer off the snap.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells before the snap since the vertical clear outs on the quads side occupy both deep defenders and open up the crosser underneath.
Motion is built into this play, so watch the defense shift and identify if a linebacker follows the motion man, confirming man coverage and green lighting the crosser.
Hold the crosser route slightly if the underneath defender bites on the screen fake, this creates extra separation as the receiver breaks across the field.
Use this on early downs or third and medium since the crosser needs time to develop and the screen fake needs a defender to actually respect it.
Pair this with Cheat Jailbreak WR Screen and HB Screen earlier in a series to condition the defense into flowing hard on screen action, then dial up this play to counter with the delayed crosser.
