Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn X Post lines up in Shotgun Spread Y-Slot with 11 personnel and uses pre-snap motion into a mountain (bunch-style) look before the ball is snapped. The backside X receiver runs a deep post to attack the middle of the field, while the two receivers on the play side run a deep out and a corner-breaking route that clears the flat and occupies the underneath zone or man defender. On the near side, the slot receiver runs a shallow drag under the coverage, giving the quarterback a checkdown option if the post is not open. This is primarily a man beater built to exploit single-high safety looks, with the post route designed to split the safety and any trailing man defender while the drag and out routes stretch the field horizontally to hold off zone defenders. The primary read progression starts with the deep post, works down to the corner/out combo away from the play, and ends with the underneath drag as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the free safety alignment: if he sits deep in the middle of the field, he is the primary threat to the post and must be manipulated with eye discipline or a hard fake elsewhere. Watch the cornerback over the X receiver at the snap; if he presses or shows outside shade, the post has a favorable angle against man coverage. Post-snap, key any user-controlled defender dropping into the middle third or lurking in the deep hole, since that defender can undercut the post route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Zone coverages with two deep safeties (Cover 2 or Cover 4) can bracket the post and force the quarterback to check down to the drag route underneath. Watch for blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the quick drag route becomes the emergency release valve against pressure before the post has time to develop.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Attack single-high safety shells with the X post since the safety has to choose between the post and the deep out breaking route on the opposite side.
If the corner shows hard outside leverage on the X receiver at the snap, expect the post to have a clean angle to the middle of the field.
Use this play on second or third and medium situations where the defense is likely to sit in zone coverage, since the drag route gives you a safe underneath outlet against soft zones.
Pair this play with Y Stick or Slot Stick earlier in a drive to condition the defense into cheating toward shallow routes, then hit the deep post for an explosive gain once safeties bite up.
