Playbooks
At a Glance
Overview
Trey Offset is Shotgun's trips-heavy 11 personnel look that stacks three receivers to one side with the HB offset to the weak side of the backfield. That offset alignment matters more than it sounds: it changes your run fits (Buck Sweep and HB Counter pull toward the trips side, Inside Zone and Outside Zone hit away from it) and it gives you a clean release path for the back on HB Slip Screen and Mtn Swing Screen without needing a motion. Compared to standard Trey or Trey Open sets, the offset back sells run action harder from the same alignment, which is why the RPO package here is deeper than almost anything else in Shotgun.
Strengths
- Five separate RPO concepts (RPO Buck Sweep Alert Screen, RPO Zone Alert WR Screen, RPO Alert Buck Screen, RPO Alert Screen, RPO Zone Alert Stick) let you punish a light box or a loaded box from the same pre-snap picture without changing formation.
- Trips alignment creates natural leverage conflicts for Cover 3 and Cover 6 flats defenders, and Spot Wheel plus Levels Sail attack the same defender in opposite directions off the same read.
- Dagger and Shot Slot Post are elite three high and single high beaters when you clear the deep middle with the vertical and drop the dig underneath, and PA Post Shot gives you the same look off run action.
- The SLWR tag means your slot receiver is aligned inside the numbers with a free release, so hot routing him to a slant or drag against man coverage is a near automatic win versus a slower nickel or SS.
- Gadget tag plus Reverse Pivot and the screen package (HB Slip Screen, Mtn Y Screen, Mtn Swing Screen) forces opponents to respect misdirection, which slows aggressive edge pressure.
Weaknesses
- The offset back is on one side only, so blitzes from the opposite edge get a free lane and you have to slide protect or block the back manually to fix it.
- Trips to one side leaves the isolated backside receiver with zero help, and a user-controlled defender pressing that X shuts down half your read progression on Dagger, Fade Smash, and China Y Cop.
- Heavy Cover 2 Invert and quarters looks with a hard corner take away the smash and wheel concepts, and the RPO screen alerts get run down immediately by a user in the flat.
- The run game is limited to zone and one pull scheme, so opponents who commit an inside blitz or crash the front will stall Inside Zone and Read Option without much counter beyond Outside Zone.
- Overusing the RPO alerts becomes readable fast in high level play because the pre-snap look never changes, letting good users bait the screen throw for a pick.
Usage Tips
Read the box before every RPO snap: five or fewer defenders in the box means hand it off on RPO Zone Alert Stick, six or more means take the alert screen or stick route.
On third and medium, run Stick or Spot Wheel and check the flat defender's leverage. If he widens with the wheel, the spot route sits wide open in the vacated hole.
Use Dagger on second down after showing run, and user the dig receiver yourself so you can time the throw when the vertical clears the deep middle safety.
Hot route the slot receiver to a slant or drag against any man coverage indicator (defender squatting directly over him with his back to the sideline) to get an easy chunk gain with the SLWR advantage.
Pair Outside Zone and HB Counter early to force the front to flow, then hit PA Cross Switch or PA Post Shot off the same look for the explosive play.
Keep HB Slip Screen and Mtn Y Screen in the rotation specifically against nano blitz users. The screens turn their pressure into positive yardage.
