Playbooks

HB Swing

Shotgun·Spread·10
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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

HB Swing out of Shotgun Spread 10 personnel is a checkdown and screen hybrid concept built to get the running back the ball in space with a wall of blockers releasing in front of him. The line and any attached receivers work to get outside leverage, turning this into a de facto perimeter run play through the pass game, and it functions as a strong zone beater since it attacks flat defenders and underneath linebackers who are dropping into intermediate zones instead of squatting on the swing route. The primary read progression starts with the swing route to the HB out of the backfield, then climbs to any shorter hitch or drag route working underneath as the checkdown if the flat defender sits on the swing.

Defensive Reads

Identify the flat or curl to flat defender pre snap, if that defender is sitting shallow with outside leverage the swing will be there immediately Watch for a user controlled linebacker flying downhill on the snap to jump the swing route, this is the primary defensive counter and it kills the play if timed correctly Cover 3 and cover 4 zone shells with soft flat defenders are the most vulnerable since those defenders are reading run first and get to the swing route late Man coverage with no underneath help defender lurking is exposed because the HB simply outruns a linebacker to the boundary with blockers already in place Bring a nano blitz or edge pressure with a spy assigned to the HB to shut this down, disciplined defenders who stay home on the swing rather than biting on the fake will force the quarterback to hold the ball longer than the design intends

Usage Tips

Use this play on second or third and short when you need a high percentage completion with YAC upside rather than forcing a deep shot

Check the flat defender pre snap, if a linebacker or slot corner is sitting outside the tackle box the swing will get squeezed so consider hot routing your outside receiver into a quick out to occupy that defender

Against man coverage user the HB immediately after the catch since blockers will have a numbers advantage on the perimeter, this is a legit man beater when linebackers are forced to run with slower defenders in space

Pair this with HB Middle Screen and HB Slip Screen in your play calling sequence to keep defenders guessing between inside and outside screen concepts off similar backfield action

Call this against aggressive blitz packages since the swing route gets the ball out immediately and turns a would be sack into positive yardage

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