Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn HB Cross Screen is a screen pass out of Shotgun Spread Y-Flex with 11 personnel that uses a jet motion piece across the formation before the snap to influence the defense. At the snap the offensive line shows a quick pass set before releasing to wall off defenders, with the HB slipping out to the opposite flat as the true screen target while the two outside receivers on the strong side push vertical releases up the sideline and seam to hold off deep defenders. On the backside a receiver runs a short out breaking away from the formation to clear space, and the QB primary read is the HB screen developing behind the line, working outside in only if the screen is covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a defender spying the HB out of the backfield or a linebacker sitting flat footed at the snap, this kills the screen before it develops and forces you to reads elsewhere. Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with deep zone defenders sinking underneath the vertical routes are vulnerable since those defenders drift away from the screen area. User controlled Mike or Will linebackers who diagnose screens quickly and squat in the flat are the biggest threat, if you see the user defender hesitate and shuffle laterally at the snap, abort the screen read. Man coverage with linebackers matched on the HB is a green light for this concept because those defenders are usually the easiest blockers to seal in space once the screen releases. Heavy blitz packages that send extra rushers up the field play directly into this design, the more defenders that cross the line of scrimmage the more running room the HB gets on the perimeter.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you have a strong indicator of man coverage and a green light for the screen.
Call this on early downs or obvious passing downs against aggressive four man rush teams, the delayed release from the offensive line punishes upfield pass rushers who bite on the initial dropback.
Pair this with Mtn Slot Flags or Y Corner from the same set so defenses cannot sit on the screen after seeing it once, forcing linebackers to respect vertical shots before committing downhill.
If the defense shows blitz pre-snap with linebackers crashing the A or B gaps, trust the screen even more since blitzing defenders run themselves out of the throwing lane.
Hot route the backside out breaker into a deeper comeback against soft zone shells to give yourself a second answer if the screen blocking gets beat.
