Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
X Dig out of Shotgun Split Flanker Close sends the X receiver on a deep dig across the middle while the slot runs a vertical seam that clears out the deep third, and the outside receiver on that side hits an out route to occupy the flat defender. On the backside, the flanker runs a corner route up the sideline and the HB releases into a check release out into the flat, giving the quarterback a five man route concept with layered depth on both sides. This is a man beater at its core since the dig sits down in soft spots against man leverage, but it also stretches zone defenders horizontally with the out and corner combo, and the primary read progression starts with the dig, works to the corner route on the backside if the middle is clogged, then checks down to the HB out of the backfield.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the safety alignment: a single high safety indicates Cover 1 or Cover 3 where the dig will have a soft window in the middle of the field. If both safeties are deep and split, that signals Cover 2 or Cover 4, and the dig may run into a robber linebacker or a deep half defender sitting on the throwing lane. Post-snap, watch for a user controlled linebacker spying the middle of the field or dropping into a lurk position, since that defender can jump the dig route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the edge without dropping a linebacker into the middle hook zone leave this play wide open, so identify empty or overload blitz fronts pre-snap. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can undercut the out route on the front side, so if that happens, work the progression back to the corner route or the HB check down instead of forcing the ball into a jump.
Usage Tips
Look for single high shells like Cover 1 or Cover 3 pre-snap since the dig sits in the honey hole vacated by the deep safety rotation. If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, throw the dig with anticipation right as the receiver crosses the linebacker level. Hot route the HB from a flat route to a check release stay if you need extra pass protection against four man pressure or a nano blitz look. Pair this play with Pivot Dig and DBL Ins from the same set to keep the defense guessing on route depth while showing the same initial receiver stems. Use this on second and medium to second and long situations where the defense expects a quick game concept, since the dig takes a beat longer to develop and needs a clean pocket.
