Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Dig HB Option is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Tight Y Off Wk that stresses the middle of the field with a dig sitting behind an option route out of the backfield. The outside receiver runs a deep vertical to clear the corner and safety while the far side receiver works a corner post to hold the boundary defender, and the slot runs an in and up to occupy underneath zone defenders and create a natural rub for the dig. The HB releases into an option route off the formation, giving the quarterback a built in checkdown against blitz looks, and the primary read starts with the dig against zone before working down to the HB option versus man pressure.
Defensive Reads
Watch middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sits shallow and does not carry the dig you have a clean throwing window over the middle. Identify if the defense is running a Cover 3 sky or buzz look, since a hard flowing curl to flat defender can jump the option route out of the backfield. Key the strong safety on the corner post, if he bites on the vertical clear out route the dig has even more room to sit behind him. User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow zone are the biggest threat to this concept, so if you see a defender spying the middle of the field before the snap expect him to squat on the dig or the option route. Man coverage with a blitz is the best counter for the offense here since the HB option becomes a quick answer, but zone blitzes that bring five and drop a linebacker into the dig window can take away both the primary and secondary reads.
Usage Tips
Use this on second and medium to long when defenses sit in zone shells since the dig sits right in the honey hole between linebackers and safeties. Check safety depth pre snap, if both safeties are deep and rotating late this is a great dig throw before the underneath defenders can wall it off. Hot route the HB option to a flat route if you see man coverage with no underneath help, this turns him into a quick outlet against blitz pressure. Pair this play with Smash Drag or Smash X-drag from the same set so defenses cannot key on the dig every snap, then come back to Dig HB Option once the defense starts jumping shallow crossers. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells the dig sits down in the intermediate window, so throw with anticipation as soon as the receiver crosses the linebacker level.
