Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA All In is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Normal Flex Snug that sells the run fake before attacking downfield with vertical stems and a deep crossing element to stretch the field. The play-action mesh from the run fake freezes linebackers and forces safeties to declare their shell, opening throwing lanes over the middle and up the sideline. This is a zone beater at its core since it isolates soft spots in Cover 3 and Cover 2 shells, with the primary read starting on the deep outside route before working back to the crosser if the top of the coverage rotates away.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth immediately after the snap. If they bite hard on the run fake and flow toward the mesh point, the middle of the field opens up for the crossing route and intermediate window. Identify the deep safety rotation post snap. A true Cover 3 shell with the safety rotating to the deep middle will squeeze the vertical route, so be ready to reset to the crosser as your secondary read. This play struggles against disciplined Cover 4 quarters shells where corners and safeties stay square and do not bite on the fake, since the vertical shots get taken away with numbers over the top. Man coverage with a underneath robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field can jump the crossing route, so scan for a linebacker sitting still in the throwing lane instead of chasing the run fake. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge on play action are a major threat since the protection has to hold up longer than a standard drop back pass, so identify overload pressure looks pre snap and be ready to get the ball out on the first read.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and short) when the defense expects run based on personnel and formation tendencies, since the play action sell is more convincing when run frequency is high out of 11 personnel.
Check safety depth pre snap. If both safeties are sitting at 10 to 12 yards showing two high, expect a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell and prioritize the deep outside route on the numbers where the corner has to respect the fake.
If you see a single high safety rotate down into the box pre snap, that is your indicator to attack the vacated deep half with the vertical route immediately off the play action set.
Pair this with 45 Quick Base or Inside Zone earlier in a series to build run tendency, then call PA All In once you have linebackers stepping up on run fakes.
Hot route your underneath checkdown to a flat or drag route against man coverage if you diagnose Cover 1 or Cover 0 pre snap, since the man beater window on the primary route shrinks against tight man technique.
