Playbooks
Breakdown
QB Zone is a designed quarterback run out of the Shotgun Spread Y-Flex 11 personnel set, built off an inside zone blocking scheme up front. The offensive line steps in unison to the play side while the QB reads the zone flow and either sticks to the called direction or cuts back based on the leverage of the play side end and linebackers. There is no route concept on the diagram beyond the receivers running off their defenders, so this is purely a run play designed to get the quarterback downhill with zone blocking clearing running lanes, and the primary read is the play side C gap before working back to the cutback lane if the defense over-flows.
Defensive Reads
Watch the play side defensive end and edge defender before the snap since a wide or crashing alignment tells you whether the cutback lane or the called gap will be open. Key the middle linebacker depth and flow, if he overpursues the play side gap the cutback lane opens up for a big gain. This run gets shut down by disciplined gap sound fronts and defenses that assign a spy or designated QB contain defender on the edge. Look for user-controlled defenders staying home in the backfield rather than flowing with the line, since that signals the CPU or opponent recognizes the QB run threat. Blitzes that bring extra defenders through the play side gap can blow this up quickly, so identify pre-snap blitz indicators like walked up linebackers or safeties creeping into the box.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs like first or second and short to medium yardage when defenses are keying on the HB and selling out against outside runs. Check the box count before the snap and if the defense is in a light box with only six or fewer defenders, this is a green light run all day. Use pre-snap motion or shifts sparingly since QB Zone works best when the defense is not tipped off to a designed QB run look. Pair this with Read Option and Inverted Veer from the same set so the defense has to respect multiple mesh point run threats out of an identical shotgun alignment. Sequence this with RPO Zone Peek or RPO Alert Screen to punish linebackers who crash down too hard on the zone action.
