Playbooks

Mtn Sprint Bench

Shotgun·Flex Y Off Wk·11

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Mtn Sprint Bench is a Sprint Out concept out of the Shotgun Flex Y Off Wk set that pushes the quarterback outside the pocket with a Bench route stacked over an underneath flat option. This is a play-action adjacent sprint design built as a man beater, since the flat-to-bench stack forces a defender to choose which level to cover and creates natural rub leverage against man coverage. The primary read progression starts with the flat route as the quarterback clears the pocket, then climbs to the Bench route sitting on top if the shallow defender flows with the flat man, using the sprint action to buy extra time against edge pressure.

Defensive Reads

Identify pre-snap whether the defense is showing man or zone by checking cornerback depth and hip alignment, since off man corners will often collision late on the flat route and give up the bench window. Watch the flat defender post-snap, if he sits and reads the quarterback's eyes rather than sprinting with the flat route, that is a strong indicator of zone coverage and the bench route becomes the better throw over the top. Beware of Cover 3 sky or buzz looks where a safety rotates down to the flat, since that extra body can squeeze both routes and force a checkdown or throwaway. Look for edge blitzers or contain rushers crashing hard off the sprint side, since a well timed nano blitz or contain rusher can beat the sprint action before the quarterback fully clears the pocket. User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field can jump the bench route if the quarterback stares it down too long, so keep the flat as a legitimate first option to manipulate that user.

Usage Tips

Call this on second or third and short to medium since the sprint action needs a few extra beats to develop and you want a manageable conversion window.

Check pre-snap for man coverage indicators like cornerbacks in press or safeties showing two-high shells that rotate late, since the stacked flat and bench routes create natural rub leverage that man defenders struggle to navigate.

Roll the quarterback toward the strength of the Bench route so his eyes and momentum are already working downfield, which shortens the time needed to climb from the flat to the bench read.

Pair this with Mtn Sprint TE Screen and Mtn Sprint Slot Over in the same play calling sequence so the defense has to respect multiple sprint out concepts from the same formation, keeping linebackers honest and slowing down edge blitz timing.

Use the RPO Peek Slant or RPO Glance Post from this set on early downs to bait aggressive linebackers, then come back to Mtn Sprint Bench once you see they are crashing downhill on run fits.

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