Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Levels Mills is a Shotgun pass concept out of 11 personnel that stacks two vertical stem routes on the boundary side with a deep Mills route (deep in cut off a post fake) from the outside receiver at the top of the screen. The two inside receivers run a levels combo, one sitting on a square-in at intermediate depth while the other climbs over the top on a deeper in-cut, stacking horizontal read windows for the quarterback. The running back releases on a swing/flat route to the opposite side as a checkdown and outlet against blitz pressure, while the backside receiver runs the deep breaking Mills route to stress the safety. This is a levels and mills hybrid built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells by working the seams and hi-lo the underneath zone defenders, with the primary read progression starting on the underneath levels combo before working to the deep Mills breaker if the safety bites down.
Defensive Reads
Presnap, check safety depth and spacing since two deep safeties splitting the field evenly signal Cover 2 or Cover 4, both of which this play is designed to beat. Watch the flat defender and hook defender to the levels side, if they widen or squeeze late it tells you which underneath window is open for the in-cut routes. Key the backside corner's alignment on the Mills route, if he is playing outside leverage without safety help over the top the deep in-cut will win against man or single high zone. Post snap, track any user controlled lurk defender sitting in the intermediate middle zone since he can undercut both levels routes if he reads the quarterback's eyes early. This concept struggles against a disguised Cover 3 buzz or aggressive nano blitz that collapses the pocket before the levels routes have time to develop, so watch for extra rushers crashing off the edge presnap.
Usage Tips
Presnap, identify whether the safeties are showing two high or rotating to single high, since this concept is built to eat Cover 2 and Cover 4 shells specifically. If you see two deep safeties sitting flat footed, prioritize the levels combo underneath and let the in-cut receivers work into the vacated intermediate windows. If the defense rotates to a single high safety, look immediately to the Mills route on the backside since the corner will likely be isolated with no deep help over the top. Use the running back's swing route as your answer against pressure or when both levels routes are covered, especially on third and short to medium distance. Pair this play with Slants or RPO Peek Slant earlier in a series to condition linebackers to sit on shorter routes, then come back to Levels Mills to hit the deeper in-cut once they bite. Hot route the flat back into a quick out if you are facing a Cover 2 look with an aggressive corner jumping underneath routes.
