Playbooks
Mesh Spot Rails is a man beater built around a classic mesh concept underneath paired with rail routes attacking the sideline vertically to stretch the field. The mesh crossers create natural traffic to rub off man defenders while the spot route sits down in the shallow zone as a hot read against pressure, and the rail routes climb the numbers to hold safeties and cornerbacks deep. Out of Shotgun 22 personnel with two backs in the backfield, the primary read progression starts with the mesh crossers underneath, moves to the spot as a check down against blitz, and finishes at the rail route on the boundary if the corner bites on the shorter routes.
Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest green light, the mesh crossers will consistently beat trail technique and produce YAC opportunities. Watch for a user controlled linebacker sitting in the mesh area, if he lurks the crossing routes hard, check the ball down to the spot route or reset to the rail on the boundary. Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells with linebackers sinking into the shallow crossers will clog the mesh, so identify the flat defender and throw off his leverage. Blitz heavy looks with man coverage behind them are dangerous since the mesh takes time to develop, use the hot routed back as your answer and get the ball out before the rush closes. If the corner presses and shows no deep safety rotation, expect single high man coverage, which is the ideal shell for this play to hit the mesh or rail route for an explosive gain.
Look at the cornerback alignment before the snap, tight press man with no safety help over the top is exactly when the mesh crossers will get free separation off the natural pick action.
If the defense shows two deep safeties in a zone shell, work the spot route immediately since the mesh crossers will run into sitting linebackers in zone coverage.
Hot route the fullback or extra back to a quick flare or check release if you see a blitz look, this gives you a built in answer against nano blitzes and disguised pressure.
Use this on third and medium to third and long since the rail routes need enough field to develop and the mesh takes a beat to clear traffic.
Pair this call with Smash Spot or Texas U-Out from the same set so the defense has to respect both underneath crossing action and sideline breaking routes, keeping user linebackers honest and unable to jump the mesh every snap.