Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench out of Shotgun Tight Open sends both outside receivers on out routes that break to the sideline at a shallow depth, while the inside slot to the boundary side runs a deep dig that cuts across the field from the far hash. The backside also has an underneath route breaking outside as a check option near the line. This is a zone beater built to attack the flat and hole defenders with high low stress, since the outs sit underneath cover 3 or cover 4 zone drops while the dig works behind linebackers into the vacated middle. Primary read starts with the dig coming across the field, then works to either out route based on which flat defender widens or sinks.
Defensive Reads
Watch for cover 3 sink from the flat defenders, since the outs will be there but the dig behind them is the bigger explosive play. If you see two deep safeties presnap in cover 4 or cover 2, the outs become the quicker answer since the dig has to fight through more traffic. User controlled linebackers sitting in the hole or spying the middle will jump the dig route, so be ready to check down to either out if that defender flashes early. Man coverage with no help over the top shuts this down quickly since none of these routes are true man beaters, so audible or hot route before the snap if you see man alignment. Watch for a blitz look with the middle vacated, since the dig sits in soft grass if linebackers crash the pocket instead of dropping.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to second and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells like cover 3 or cover 4.
Presnap, identify if the corners are playing off or bailing at the snap, since that tells you whether the outs will be sitting ducks or open windows.
Hot route the backside underneath route into a deeper crosser if you see man coverage, since the base concept is more effective against zone.
Combine this with Bench Return or Bench Swirl-Return in your play calling sequence to keep defenders guessing on which route breaks where.
If the defense adjusts to jump the dig after seeing it once, come back with Bench Z Spot or Bench Dig Pivot to hold linebackers and open the same window differently.
