Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Whip Cross is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Spread Y-Flex Wk that creates a natural pick and rub combo to the left while running a deep dig and flat combo to the right. The left side stacks a whip route with an out and a deep drag underneath, all converging near the same window to shake defenders on man coverage, while the right side runs a corner route off a shallow drive to stretch the field vertically and horizontally. This is a man beater built on traffic and natural picks, with the primary read starting on the whip and drag combo working left to right into the flat and corner combo if the underneath windows are taken away.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage with tight press alignment on the outside receivers is the biggest tell that the whip and drag rub concept will spring someone open. Watch the strong safety depth pre-snap, if he sits shallow expect him to jump the drag or whip route and leave the corner route on the right side one on one deep. Post-snap, track any user controlled defender flowing hard toward the trio of routes on the left, that lurk threat is designed to be occupied by traffic so look immediately to the corner route. Zone coverage with a deep half safety rotated to the right side of the formation can take away the corner route, so be ready to check down to the shallow drive or drag underneath. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge opposite the corner route are dangerous since the quarterback has to get through progressions quickly, so identify overload blitzes pre-snap and consider a quick hot route to the flat.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or alignment checks to confirm man coverage before the snap since the left side rub concept only creates real separation against man defenders.
If the defense shows a two high shell, prioritize the corner route on the right side since zone defenders will often bite on the shallow drag underneath it.
Hot route the drag into a shallow cross if you see a linebacker sitting in a hook zone directly in its path, this keeps the timing of the whip and out combo intact.
Best used on second and medium or third and short since the whip and drag combo gets open quickly and the corner route needs time to develop against deeper zones.
Pair this call with Mtn X Replace or Inside Cross earlier in a series so defenses start keying underneath crossers, then hit this play to attack with the deep corner once safeties cheat down.
