Playbooks
Normal Wing Close is a play-action oriented concept out of the Shotgun Normal Wing Pats Close set, built to attack the second and third levels off a run fake with a tight wing alignment. The blocking scheme shows run action to the play side before the quarterback works through his route combo, giving this play the look of an inside zone or gap run to freeze linebackers and hold the strong safety in the box. Primary read progression starts with the closest in-breaking route to attack any zone leverage created by the run fake, then works outward to the intermediate route if the underneath defenders sink into their drops.
Check the strong safety depth before the snap, if he is sitting at 8 yards or closer he is likely biting on the run fake and vulnerable to the play-action route. Watch linebacker spacing at the snap, if they step up hard into the running lane that confirms they are not accounting for pass responsibility, opening the middle of the field. Cover 3 with a single high safety is the shell most exploited here since the flow to the run side removes a defender from the throwing lane. User controlled defenders sitting in a shallow lurk or spying the quarterback can jump the underbreaking route, so have a hot route or check down ready if you see a defender staying home instead of pursuing the run fake. Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells with disciplined linebackers who stay in their drops will clog the intermediate window, forcing you to check into a quicker throw or bail on the play-action design entirely.
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to confirm if the defense shifts a linebacker toward the wing side, since that tells you whether they are keying the run action.
This play hits hardest against single high safety looks like Cover 3 or Cover 1 where the run fake can hold the strong safety and free up the intermediate window.
Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or slant if you see Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, since the base concept can get clogged against two high zone drops.
Pair this call with RPO Alert Bubble or RPO Buck Alert Bubble earlier in a drive so the defense starts respecting perimeter run action, then come back to Normal Wing Close to punish overaggressive linebacker flow.
Best used on early downs or first and ten when defenses are more likely to sell out on stopping the run, giving your play-action shot more room to develop downfield.