Playbooks
Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Spot Wheel out of Shotgun Normal Y Off is a classic Cover 3 beater built off the Spot concept, combining a flat route, a spot/hitch route, and a dig with a wheel route replacing the traditional check release from the backfield. The wheel is the primary read against zone coverage since it exploits the flat defender who has to widen for the flat route before the wheel man turns it upfield behind him, while the spot route sits underneath as a quick outlet against Cover 3 buzz. Pass protection is a standard five man slide, giving the quarterback a clean first read on the wheel with a quick progression to the underneath spot and dig if the wheel is capped.
Defensive Reads
Read the flat defender first, if he sinks under the wheel or shows depth off the snap the throwing window shrinks fast Watch for Cover 3 sky or buzz calls where the safety rotates down to help on the flat, this leaves the wheel isolated on a corner with no safety help Man coverage with inside linebackers or a strong safety on the wheel runner is the primary defense that shuts this down since athletic defenders can run the wheel route step for step Look for a user controlled lurk defender sitting in the passing lane of the dig route, a smart user will bait the quarterback into that middle read Nano blitzes or overload pressure to the boundary can collapse the pocket before the wheel fully develops, so check protection and get the ball out on time if extra rushers are showing
Usage Tips
Check the flat defender pre-snap because the wheel route lives and dies on whether that defender widens or stays home
Use this against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells where the corner or safety responsible for the deep third has to respect the flat route first
If you see man coverage with a linebacker or safety matched on your wheel runner, hot route the spot receiver into a quicker breaking option since the wheel will get picked up late
Pair this with HB Swing or Curl Flats earlier in a series to condition the defense to jump the flat, then hit them with Spot Wheel to counter with the wheel over the top
Best called on second or third and medium since the wheel needs a full stem to separate, avoid using it in obvious short yardage situations where the route takes too long to develop
Combine with Mtn Spot Wheel as a formation shift if you want the same concept from a different look to stay unpredictable
