Playbooks
Breakdown
Scissors is a crossing-route concept out of Shotgun Tight Slots HB Wk that gets its name from the two receivers on the left side crossing paths on the snap. The outside receiver runs a corner route while the slot receiver crosses underneath into a deep post, creating a natural rub against man coverage, while the right side runs a simple out and go combo and the HB releases into a swing route for a checkdown. This is a pass play built as both a Cover 2 beater (the post attacks the seam between safeties) and a Cover 4 beater (the crossing action stresses zone match rules), with the primary read starting on the post/corner crossing combo before working to the backside vertical and finally the HB in the flat.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the safeties are aligned two-high or rotated to one-high, Cover 2 shells are the primary target for the post route sitting in the seam. Watch the cornerback over the outside receiver running the corner route, if he sinks too deep trying to cover the post he opens up the corner route behind him. Post-snap, key the flow of the middle linebacker, if he widens to cover the crossing routes he vacates the middle of the field for the post to sit down in. Look for a user-controlled safety sitting in the deep middle as a lurk threat, this defender can jump the post route if the quarterback stares it down too long. Against Cover 4, read the outside cornerback's leverage on the corner route, if he stays flat-footed at the snap the vertical corner route can win over the top before the safety rotates over.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safeties before the snap, if they are showing two-high and staying deep this is your green light for the post-corner crossing combo since that seam window opens up against Cover 2.
Hot route the HB swing into a pass block on money downs if you are worried about a nano blitz, this keeps a check-down valve while giving your quarterback extra protection to let the deep routes develop.
Against man coverage, trust the natural rub created by the crossing routes on the left side, the defender trailing the post often gets picked off by the corner route defender.
Use this play after running Mesh Spot or Stick Switch earlier in the drive, defenders who bite on shorter combos will get burned by the double move nature of the crossing post against Cover 4 match zones.
Best called on second and long or third and long when you need to attack a soft two-high shell, avoid calling this into aggressive Cover 3 buzz looks since the deep corner route can get overplayed by an underneath robber.
