Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Scissors is a Shotgun 11 personnel dropback pass built around a scissors concept on the boundary side. The two inside receivers cross with one running a deep corner route and the other a deep post, creating a natural rub that clears out the middle of the field, while the backside single receiver runs a deep comeback and the running back releases on a shallow drag underneath. This is a Cover 2 and Cover 4 beater because the crossing routes stress the safeties and force a choice on who takes the post versus the corner, and the primary read progression starts with the scissors routes for the deep shot before working down to the underneath drag if the top of the coverage holds.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and width, since two deep safeties split wide signals Cover 2 while two safeties stacked near the hash signals Cover 4. Watch the cornerback on the crossing routes side, if he sits at the line without deep help he is likely in man and will get rubbed off by the scissors action. Post-snap, key the flat defender and curl to flat defender, if they collapse hard on the drag route the corner route will be wide open behind them. User-controlled defenders lurking in the middle of the field can jump the post route, so bait the underneath defender with the drag before committing to the deep post read. This play struggles against a hard Cover 3 buzz where the safety rotates down to double the corner route, so have a checkdown to the running back ready against those looks.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Against Cover 2, look to hit the corner route as the safety rotates late, since the scissors action naturally picks off the flat defender and corner defender in man coverage.
Against Cover 4, hold the post route defender with your eyes to freeze the deep safety before pulling the trigger on the corner route breaking to the boundary.
If the underneath drag is wide open pre-snap due to a blitz look, check it down immediately since the deep routes take too long to develop against pressure.
Pair this play with Mtn HB Swing or Curl Flats earlier in a drive so the defense respects the quick game, then dial up Mtn Scissors to attack the same formation with a deep shot off similar motion.
