Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Read out of Shotgun Tight Slot Open (11 personnel) shows a play-action shot play with two vertical shots and a shallow crosser underneath. The outside receiver runs a deep corner route while the inline TE and slot both push vertical, with the TE breaking into a deep post/seam (red route) as the designed shot, and the flanker running a comeback/drift across the middle from the numbers to the opposite hash for an underneath outlet. The offensive line and backfield sell run action off the play fake to hold linebackers, making this a man beater against single high looks: the primary read starts with the deep seam/post from the TE, then works to the corner route breaking to the boundary, with the shallow crosser as the checkdown against zone drops or if the shot routes are covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch the safety depth before the snap: if both safeties are sitting deep in a two high shell, they can help squeeze the TE's post route and shut down the primary read. Key on linebacker run fits after the snap, since defenses that stay disciplined and do not bite on the play-action fake will get a hat in the shallow crosser's window and take away the checkdown. Identify man coverage indicators like corners pressed on the outside receiver, since this play is designed to exploit man to man matchups on the deep seam and corner routes. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in a deep third or playing a lurk technique over the middle, as that defender can jump the TE's post route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Against zone blitz packages or Cover 3 buzz looks, the flanker's underneath drift route becomes the quickest answer, so a smart defense will rally a linebacker to that shallow zone immediately after the snap.
Usage Tips
Use PA Read on early downs (1st and 10, 2nd and short) when you have already established the run game out of Tight Slot Open to keep linebackers honest on the fake.
Check pre-snap for single high safety alignment before the snap, since this play hunts one on one matchups on the TE's deep seam/post against linebackers or safeties who bite on the run fake.
If you see two high safeties (Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells), hot route the corner route into a deep out or shift your first read to the shallow crosser to avoid throwing into a squeezed window.
Pair this call with HB Draw and RPO Peek Slant from the same set so the defense has to respect both the run and the RPO game before you dial up the PA shot, disguising your intentions pre-snap.
Against aggressive user blitzers flying downhill on run fakes, trust the quick play-action timing and get the ball out to the TE seam before the pocket collapses, since the fake should buy an extra half second.
