Playbooks
Quick Reference
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Breakdown
X Dig is a shotgun dropback pass out of Split Pro Offset Wk with 21 personnel that isolates the X receiver on a hard dig route sitting over the middle of the field. The X releases outside then breaks flat across the field on a dig, while the two backside receivers run a deep corner/streak combo to stretch the defense vertically and clear out space underneath, and one back or slot man runs a shallow drag/out to the left. Underneath, the offset back and TE stay in to protect on a five man slide, giving the quarterback time to let the dig develop. This is primarily a man beater since the dig route creates natural separation against trailing corners, but it also holds up against zone if the QB reads the dig into the vacated middle void. The primary read progression starts with the dig from the X, then works to the flat/drag route underneath as an outlet, and finally to the streak/corner combo if the middle is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sits shallow in a hook zone he can undercut the dig route before it crosses the field. Watch for a deep safety rotating late into a two high shell, this is the biggest red flag that the dig window will close quickly. Identify man coverage on the X receiver pre-snap by checking if the corner is aligned tight with inside leverage, this tells you the dig has a clean angle to separate. Post-snap, track any user-controlled defender flashing into the shallow crosser's lane since a jumped underneath route forces the QB to hold the ball and eat pressure. Cover 3 with a sitting curl-flat defender can squeeze the dig throwing lane, so respect the sink of that zone defender before pulling the trigger.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre-snap since the dig route thrives when there is no extra defender sitting in the deep middle third.
Use motion or a quick pre-snap read on the slot defender to confirm man versus zone before the snap, then trust the dig against man coverage every time.
Hot route the underneath drag into a flat route if you see a Cover 2 shell to give your QB a faster outlet against the shorter zone drops.
Pair this play with HB Power O or Read Option from the same set to keep defenses honest on early downs, then dial up X Dig on second and medium once the defense starts loading the box.
Best used on second or third and medium to long since the dig needs time to develop and the deep shots behind it punish aggressive underneath jumps.
