Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Shot Portland is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Tight Slots 11 personnel. Off the play fake, the outside receiver runs a deep post/vertical seam up the numbers while the slot receiver next to him runs a shallow drag under it that leaks to the opposite flat. On the backside, one receiver runs a corner route breaking outside and the other receiver runs a checkdown out to the boundary. The primary read starts with the deep vertical route off the play fake, then works down to the crossing drag underneath if the safety jumps the post, with the backside corner route as a late window shot against zone rotation.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap: if they bite hard on the run fake, the crossing drag route will be wide open in the void they vacate. Key the safety over the vertical route, if he stays deep and reads the quarterback's eyes he can undercut the post and take away the top read. Man coverage on the outside receiver is where this play hurts the defense most since the vertical route can win one on one once the corner opens his hips. Zone coverage with a hard flat defender jumping the drag route forces you to the backside corner route as the answer. User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow crossing lane are the biggest threat to this concept, so if you see a defender spying the middle instead of biting on the fake, expect the drag to be covered and move to your secondary read.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs or second and short so the play fake actually holds linebackers and safeties for a beat. Check the safety depth pre snap: if you see two high safeties sitting deep, the play fake alone won't open the post, so prioritize the drag route underneath instead. If you get a single high look, trust the vertical route up the seam because the play fake should hold the middle linebacker. Hot route the backside checkdown into a quick out if you are facing a hard edge blitz so you have a release valve away from pressure. Pair this call with Mtn PA Slide or PA Seam earlier in a drive so the defense starts respecting the play fake, which sets up the deep shot on Portland later in the same series.
