Playbooks
Mtn PA Fk Toss is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Split Pro Near that opens with a fake toss to the HB, selling the run action from 21 personnel before working into deep vertical routes off the mountain concept. The fake toss is designed to hold linebackers and slow safety rotation, buying time for the mountain route stack to develop downfield against man or single-high zone coverage. The primary read progression starts with the deepest mountain route on the backside, then works down to the intermediate breaking route, with the checkdown to the released back or TE serving as the last resort if the shot routes are covered.
Read the linebacker flow at the snap. If they bite hard on the fake toss and flow to the play side, the deep mountain route should be wide open behind them. Identify single high versus two high shells before the snap. Single high man coverage (Cover 1 or Cover 3 man) is where this play hits hardest since the safety has to respect run action first. Watch for a user controlled safety sitting in the deep middle third. A disciplined user who does not bite on the fake toss can rob the deep mountain route and turn this into a pick six opportunity for the defense. Key the corner's press or off alignment on the play side. Press man corners who get beat off the line create the easiest completion window for the deep shot route. Watch for a delayed blitz or contain rush off the edge. Defenses that recognize the toss fake late and bring a linebacker on a delayed blitz can collapse the pocket before the mountain route fully develops, so have a quick throw answer ready.
Use this on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and short) when you have already established the HB Toss or Outside Zone run game so the fake toss action actually sells to the defense.
Check safety depth before the snap. If you see two high safeties sitting deep, the mountain stack route can still work against off man corners, but be ready to check the play if you see clear zone drop rotation to the play side.
Hot route the underneath crosser to a sit route against zone heavy defenses to give yourself a quick outlet if the shot play does not develop in time.
Pair this play with Mtn HB Toss and Mtn Counter earlier in a drive so linebackers key on the toss action and bite hard, making the play-action fake far more effective when you finally call Mtn PA Fk Toss.
Avoid calling this on 3rd and long since the play action fake eats up clock in the pocket and if the shot routes are covered you are relying on a checkdown that likely will not get the sticks.