Playbooks

Mtn WR Choice

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Quick Reference

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Breakdown

Mtn WR Choice is a man beater built around the mountain point receiver running a choice route where he can break in, out, or sit down based on the leverage of the cornerback covering him. The trey open bunch look off the line stresses man defenders with natural picks and rub potential, while the backside receiver and slot work as secondary options against zone drops. Blocking is a standard 5 man protection out of shotgun with the HB releasing late as a checkdown, so the primary read progression starts with the mountain choice route, then works to the underneath crosser or the HB out of the backfield if the choice route is taken away.

Defensive Reads

Watch the flow of the cornerback on the mountain receiver at the snap, if he opens his hips early to jump the inside break you should expect the choice route to convert to an out and adjust your throw timing. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with no bracket on the mountain receiver are the shells this play beats most consistently because the choice route exploits the natural rub and leverage conflict against a single defender. Cover 4 or Cover 2 with a flat defender sitting underneath the choice route can shut this down, since the sit option has nowhere to settle if the zone defender stays disciplined. Post snap, key any user controlled defender flashing down into the mountain stack, this usually signals a lurk or blitz meant to jump the choice route or crash the mesh point, so be ready to check to the backside or dump to the HB. If the defense shows a two high shell presnap and rotates to man coverage after the snap, expect the choice route to still win against a trailing corner, but be patient since the throwing window comes late.

Usage Tips

Presnap identify if the corner on the mountain receiver is playing inside or outside shade, since that leverage determines which way the choice route will break and where the throwing window opens.

Look for single high shells like Cover 3 or Cover 1 before the snap, since the choice route's natural rub against man coverage creates easy separation versus those shells.

If you see press man with no safety help over the top, hot route the mountain receiver to a slant or speed out to attack the leverage immediately instead of letting the choice route develop.

Use this play on early downs to keep the defense honest, then follow it up later in the set with Mtn Spot Y Corner or Mtn PA Flood to attack the same personnel look with a different concept once the defense starts jumping the choice route.

On third and short, trust the choice route sit down option against zone since the receiver can settle in the void underneath linebackers.

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