Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Close FB Trail is a play-action style pass concept out of Shotgun Split Close with 20 personnel that shows a heavy dropback passing look built off max protect. Both outside receivers run vertical seams up the numbers, the inline tight end runs a deep drag from the strong side across the formation, and the FB releases out of the backfield on a delayed wheel/trail route to the flat, giving the quarterback a layered read from deep to short. The backfield running back stays in to chip and pass protect, making this a man beater against linebackers who struggle to carry the FB out of the backfield, with the primary read progression going vertical shots first, then working down to the drag, and finally checking down to the trailing FB in the flat.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the safeties are showing two high or rotating to one high, since one high shells leave the outside verticals in single coverage and favor the offense. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink hard into zone drops the FB trail route into the flat becomes wide open behind them. Key on user-controlled defenders spying the middle of the field, since a lurking safety or linebacker can undercut the deep drag route before it clears the hashes. Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed by the two vertical routes on the outside, so press corners without deep help are a green light to push the ball downfield early. Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with disciplined zone drops can shut this down by squeezing the drag and trail routes, forcing the quarterback into a low percentage vertical throw.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre-snap since both verticals can stress a Cover 3 or Cover 1 defense on the outside.
Motion the FB pre-snap if available to confirm man coverage before the snap, since a defender following the motion tips man and opens up the trail route as your first read against blitzes.
Use this play on second and medium or third and short to long situations where you need time for the deep drag to develop across the field.
Hot route the backfield RB into a quick check release if you see overload blitz pressure off the edge, since your protection is otherwise built for a full seven man max protect look.
Pair this with Close HB Wheel and Close Corner from the same set to keep the defense guessing between wheel routes and trail routes out of an identical backfield look.
