Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Steeler HB Screen from Empty Steeler is a true empty backfield screen play designed to bait pressure and pick up easy yards against aggressive defenses. Since the formation is empty, the RB releases from the backfield area and sets up behind the offensive line as blockers slide out to escort him, while the outside receiver runs a deep vertical route to hold the corner and safety over the top. This is a zone and blitz beater at its core, and the primary read progression is to check the screen first: if the underneath defenders are cleared out or blitzing, throw it immediately to the HB, otherwise look off to the vertical shot on the perimeter.
Defensive Reads
Watch for defensive linemen and linebackers crashing hard upfield off the snap, since that aggressive pursuit is exactly what turns this screen into a big gain. If the defense shows zone with linebackers sitting flat-footed at depth, they can read the screen develop and it becomes a low-value throw. Man coverage defenders who bite on the vertical route outside will completely lose track of the HB releasing to the flat, so trust the check down. User-controlled defenders spying the backfield or sitting in a lurk technique near the line of scrimmage are the biggest threat to blow this play up before it develops. Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with disciplined linebackers dropping to intermediate zones can shut this down, so avoid forcing the screen into a defense that has shown discipline against it already.
Usage Tips
Call this out of Empty Steeler when you see linebackers creeping up or safeties rotating down, since that pre-snap tell almost always means pressure is coming and the screen will hit clean.
Use the vertical route on the outside as a hard hold, forcing the corner and safety to respect the deep shot before you check down to the HB screen underneath.
This play works best on early downs or third and short, since the blocking sets up in front of the HB and defenses have to respect the run first in empty sets.
Pair this with Steelers Go or Verticals out of the same formation so defenses cannot sit on the screen tendency, then come back to this play once they start jumping routes.
Against man coverage, hold the throw an extra half count to let your blockers get in front of the HB, since man defenders will trail receivers and leave the screen lane open.
