Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
QB Power out of Shotgun Trey Open HB Str is a designed QB run that pulls the backside guard to lead through the hole while the offensive line down blocks to seal the point of attack. The HB aligned in the backfield kicks out or arc releases to handle the edge defender, giving the QB a gap to follow the pulling guard downhill. This is a run play with no route concept to read, so the primary progression is simply the pre-snap box count and the post-snap alignment of the pulling guard as the lead blocker into the hole.
Defensive Reads
Check the box count pre-snap, if the defense has six or fewer in the box this play has a numbers advantage for the offense. Watch the backside defensive end and outside linebacker, if they stay home on the QB the pulling guard's lane gets clogged fast. User the backside contain defender since the design relies on the edge being sealed or kicked out by the HB. Look for linebackers scraping over the top quickly, a fast flow read means the defense has diagnosed the pulling guard and will fill the hole before the QB gets vertical. Stacked boxes with an extra safety rotated down are the best way to shut this down since it removes the gap advantage the QB run is designed to create.
Usage Tips
Count the box pre-snap and only run this into light boxes of six defenders or fewer since the QB is your extra gap threat.
Use this on early downs in run heavy sequences to keep the defense honest before mixing in RPO Zone Alert Smoke or RPO Alert Smoke from the same set.
Watch for the pulling guard's path and stay tight behind him instead of bouncing outside, since the blocking scheme is designed to hit downhill.
Pair this with Read Option and Inside Zone from the same formation so linebackers cannot sit on one specific run scheme.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz looks with extra defenders walked into the box since the QB has no answer once the numbers are outmatched.
