Playbooks

WR Mid Screen

Shotgun·Spread·10
Screen PassWr ScreenPass Play
Likely unavailable in the playbook builder
This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

Air Raid Classic OffenseOffenseFranchise Offense Gun ScreengameOffense

Breakdown

WR Mid Screen is a quick-developing screen pass out of Shotgun Spread 10 personnel designed to get the ball to a slot or outside receiver in space with blockers set up in front of him. The offensive line and adjacent skill players release to form a wall, baiting the pass rush upfield while the receiver settles into a pocket of space underneath. This is a blitz beater and zone beater at its core, since it punishes aggressive man pressure and overly deep zone drops that leave the middle of the field soft. The primary read is the screen receiver himself: the quarterback works a quick one, two count and delivers as soon as the blockers get set, so there is no real progression beyond confirming the screen is not sniffed out.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, check linebacker depth, if they are sitting shallow near the line of scrimmage they can read and jump the screen before blockers get set. Watch for defensive ends and outside linebackers with contain responsibility, disciplined edge defenders who stay home instead of rushing hard will blow this play up immediately. Post snap, identify any user controlled defender spying the backfield or sitting in a flat zone, since a smart user will bait the screen and jump the route for a pick six. This play struggles against Cover 3 sky or cloud looks where the flat defender is disciplined and reads screen action quickly. This play thrives against Cover 1 or Cover 0 man pressure looks where defenders bite hard on the pass rush and turn their backs to the screen receiver.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs or after a big pass play to slow down an aggressive pass rush that is pinning its ears back off the snap.

Check the defensive line width before the snap, if you see wide nine techniques or edge rushers cheating outside, this screen has a huge alley to develop.

Use this play as a changeup after running Four Verticals or Y Cross to bait linebackers into staying deep in coverage, then hit the screen underneath while they are retreating.

If the defense shows blitz with linebackers creeping to the line, this is one of the best answers in the playbook since blockers are already releasing to the second level.

Avoid calling this against disciplined zone teams that keep linebackers shallow and squeeze passing lanes, since those defenders can read screen quickly and blow it up for a loss.

Pair this with HB Slip Screen or HB Cross Screen in the same drive to condition the defense to respect multiple screen looks, then counter with a play-action shot play once they start crashing hard on screens.

Other Plays in Spread