Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Cross Wheels out of Shotgun Tight Doubles sends both outside receivers on vertical seams while the two inside slot receivers work a wheel and crosser combo underneath. The near slot receiver runs a shallow drag across the field, and the TE releases into a wheel route up the sideline off the same motion, creating a natural pick and rub against man coverage. This is a man beater concept, with the primary read being the TE wheel against a linebacker or slot corner, working back to the crosser as the secondary option if the wheel gets picked up.
Defensive Reads
Watch the slot defender at the snap: if he sinks with the wheel route immediately, the offense likely has a clean man beater and you need help over the top. Key the linebacker depth before the snap, since shallow linebackers get stressed by both the crosser and the wheel release from the same side. Look for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the shallow middle zone, as that defender can jump the crosser and force the quarterback to hold the ball longer. Identify press man on the outside receivers, since their vertical routes are less of a factor against Cross Wheels and safeties can afford to cheat toward the TE wheel. Zone coverage with a flat defender who can carry the wheel route vertically is the biggest counter, especially in Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells with disciplined pattern matching.
Usage Tips
Attack this play on early downs or third and medium when you expect man coverage or man match concepts.
Pre-snap, check for a slot corner or linebacker aligned over the TE since that is the defender you are trying to beat with the wheel route.
If you see a two high shell with soft zone, hot route the outside vertical routes into hitches or comebacks to sit in the open zone windows underneath the safeties.
Use the crosser as your answer versus press man or if the wheel gets jumped by a lurking safety, since the drag clears low and away from the trash.
Pair this play with Curl or DBL Stick from the same set to keep the defense honest, since the pre-snap alignment looks identical and forces linebackers to guess between shallow crossers and vertical wheel routes.
