Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Z Spot out of Shotgun Trey Open Offset is a classic Spot concept with a jet motion tag added to the backside receiver. At the snap the backside X runs a short jet motion across the formation while the three receivers to the trips side run the Spot combination: the outside receiver runs a corner route stretching the deep third, the inside slot runs a bench/hitch settling at the sticks, and the TE releases into the flat off a quick angle. Underneath, the HB slides out on a checkdown flat route while the line blocks pass protection, making this a zone beater designed to attack Cover 3 by flooding the deep, intermediate, and short flat levels on one side. Primary read progression is corner to bench to flat, working high to low based on the flat defender's leverage.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the corner and safety alignment on the trips side, a deep half safety shaded over the number two receiver signals zone coverage that this Spot concept is designed to exploit. Watch the flat defender (corner or overhang linebacker) after the snap, if he widens with the corner route the bench route will be wide open underneath. Man coverage is exposed if the defender assigned to the motion receiver follows him across the formation, this creates a natural pick opportunity and a clean look for the corner route. Cover 3 with a hard-charging blitz off the edge can be an issue since the HB checkdown may be the only answer, get the ball out quickly or expect pressure to disrupt the corner and bench timing. User-controlled defenders who lurk in the intermediate zone (sitting on the bench route landmark) will bait quarterbacks into an easy pick, so recognize a linebacker sinking to that spot and go back to the corner or flat instead.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone, if the motion defender follows across the formation you are facing man coverage and should switch your first read to the corner route working against a trailing defender.
Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells, key the flat defender's depth: if he sinks with the corner route, hit the bench route sitting underneath for an easy completion at the sticks.
This play is best called on second or third and medium since the bench route settles right around the sticks and gives you a high percentage conversion option.
Pair this with Mtn Four Verticals or Mtn Inside Cross from the same set so the defense cannot sit on the Spot concept once they start keying the corner and bench combo.
If you see press man on the outside X before motion, consider hot routing the corner route to a fade to take advantage of a blitz-heavy look, since the flat defender may be pulled away by the jet motion action.
