Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench out of Shotgun Tight Offset TE is a five man route concept built on double bench routes to both sides, with the outside receivers running vertical stems that break flat to the sideline at roughly ten yards. The inline TE runs a deep dig that breaks hard across the middle from left to right, giving you a crosser to attack zone voids while the two bench routes stretch the sideline underneath. The HB releases up the middle on a vertical seam as the checkdown or man beater against linebackers who cannot stay in phase. Primary read progression starts with the TE dig working over the middle, then works to either bench route based on which side the flow opens up, and ends with the HB seam as the outlet against man coverage.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety alignment before the snap, since two deep safeties suggest Cover 2 or Cover 4 which invites the bench routes to work the sideline but makes the TE dig risky against underneath zone defenders. Watch the flat defenders at the snap, if they immediately widen to the bench routes that confirms zone drops and opens the crossing dig behind them. Identify any linebacker who walks up over the slot or TE, since that usually signals man coverage or a potential blitz that leaves the HB seam wide open against a mismatched defender. Beware of user controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field, they can jump the TE dig route if the quarterback holds the ball too long before releasing it. This play struggles against disciplined Cover 3 with a strong middle linebacker sitting in the curl to flat zone, since that defender can rob the dig route while safeties cap the bench routes deep.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait linebackers and confirm if they are spying the HB seam before the snap.
Against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, key the flat defenders first because if they widen with the bench routes it opens a throwing lane for the TE dig behind them.
Against man coverage, the HB seam is your friend if the defense shows Cover 1 or Cover 0 with a linebacker matched on the back, since he has no help crossing the field vertically.
This play pairs well with Rams Y Out or Slot Outs in your play calling sequence, since those plays hit the flats quickly and set up defenders to overplay the sideline before you come back with the deeper dig on Bench.
Best called on second and medium to long or third and medium, where defenses are more likely to sit in zone drops that Bench is designed to split with the crossing route.
