Playbooks

Mtn WR Mid Screen

Shotgun·Spread Y-Flex·11
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Air Raid Classic OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Mtn WR Mid Screen is a screen play out of Shotgun Spread Y-Flex designed to get the outfield receiver the ball in space with blockers stacked in front of him. The offensive line and backside receivers release upfield to sell pass before working out to set up a wall of blockers, while the middle WR sits and waits for the screen to develop behind the rush. This is a pure zone and blitz beater, since it punishes upfield rush lanes and aggressive linebacker blitzes that vacate the middle of the field, and the primary read progression is simply getting the ball out quickly to the screen target and letting blocking angles do the work in space.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth and flow pre-snap, since screens like this thrive when the second level is aggressive and crashes hard on run action or drops deep into zone drops without reading the backfield. Key on the defensive line stunt or blitz package, because interior blitzes and delayed pressure packages often have a spy assigned to sit in the screen window and blow this play up for a loss. Check safety alignment before the snap, since two high shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4 give the offense more room underneath because safeties are staying deep instead of crashing downhill. User controlled defenders reading the quarterback's eyes and jumping the screen route are the biggest threat, so this play is most effective when the user is occupied controlling a different assignment like a deep half or a blitzer. Cover 1 and Cover 3 with man match linebackers who bite on the pass rush are the easiest shells to attack, while zone blitzes with a designated screen defender or a Mike linebacker sitting in a hook zone are the toughest matchups.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs or after a big blitz to slow down aggressive pass rush tendencies and make the defense respect the middle screen game. Identify pre-snap if the defense is showing Cover 3 or Cover 1 with man coverage on the outside, since those shells create the widest running lanes once the screen sets up. Avoid throwing this into zone blitz or heavy inside blitz packages that key on screen action, since those defenses often have a spy or lurk defender sitting right in the screen lane. Pair this with Mtn HB Cross Screen or Mtn FL Screen earlier in a drive to condition the defense to bite on run fakes and outside flow, then hit this mid screen when linebackers start flowing hard to the perimeter. Use pre-snap motion or a hot route check to a hitch on the backside if you see Cover 0 pressure, since the screen needs time to set up and getting sacked kills the play.

Other Plays in Spread Y-Flex