Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
QB Zone Lt is a designed quarterback run out of the Shotgun Empty Triple Stack formation, using 11 personnel with zero backfield help since all backs and the TE are stacked out wide. The offensive line executes a zone blocking scheme flowing left, with the QB reading the leverage of the play side defenders as he presses the line and picks his crease based on the blockers' movement. This is not a pass concept at all, it is a pure designed run play, so with no receivers running routes shown in the diagram, the primary read progression is the QB's own downhill decision to either follow the zone flow left or cut back based on how the defensive front reacts.
Defensive Reads
Watch the defensive line and linebacker gaps before the snap, since this play beats fronts that are light in the play side gaps or shifted away from the zone flow. Blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge to the play side can blow this up quickly since the QB has less time to read the zone flow and find a crease. User controlled defenders spying the quarterback are the biggest threat here, since a spy or a linebacker sitting in the gap can shut down the designed run before it develops. Look at safety depth post snap, since a single high safety who reads run quickly and fills the alley can cut off the cutback lane and force a minimal gain. Stacked defenders showing blitz off the edge pre snap should signal an audible away from this play, since the zone scheme needs the front to be occupied rather than overloaded to one side.
Usage Tips
Call this out of Empty Triple Stack when the defense shows a light box or a two high shell that suggests they are worried about the four stacked receivers and are not selling out to stop the run.
Check the pre-snap defensive alignment for overloaded fronts to the play side, since a heavy left side front can clog your zone lanes and force an early cutback read.
Use this on early downs in normal distance situations like first and ten or second and short, where defenses are more likely to play base coverage instead of loading the box.
Pair this with QB Power RPO from the same set to keep defenders honest, since both plays threaten designed QB runs but with different blocking schemes and different pull reads.
Mix in Verticals from this formation after running QB Zone Lt a few times, forcing linebackers who are creeping up to respect the empty backfield's ability to stretch the field vertically.
