Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
WR Mid Screen out of Shotgun Trey Open Offset lines up three receivers to the trips side with the outside receiver running a vertical clear route while the middle receiver sits and works back to the sideline as the screen target. The offensive line shows a hard pass set before releasing to wall off defenders and lead the receiver upfield, giving this the classic screen blocking scheme with linemen climbing to the second level. This is a zone beater designed to punish aggressive pass rushes and drop-heavy zone looks, with the primary read being the mid screen receiver first, then the vertical clear-out route only if the screen is jumped by a defender sitting underneath.
Defensive Reads
Watch for defensive linemen or edge rushers who consistently crash upfield, since the screen exploits that aggression by letting them run themselves out of the play. Identify if the defense is in zone coverage with linebackers dropping deep, because that opens up the underneath space the mid screen receiver works into. Key on the flat defender or nickel corner pre-snap, if they are sitting tight to the trips formation they can jump the screen and blow it up for a loss. Post-snap, track any user-controlled defender spying the backfield or reading the quarterback's eyes, as smart user play will bait the screen and undercut the throwing lane. This play struggles against disciplined man coverage with contain rushers and against defenses that show a delayed blitz or scrape exchange, since those looks keep enough bodies in the box to stop the screen before it develops.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see the defense showing pressure pre-snap or a heavy zone drop shell, since the screen thrives against fast interior rush and off-coverage cushions.
Hot route the backside or clear-out receiver into a shorter route if you see a spy or a defender staying home on screens, this prevents the play from getting blown up by disciplined linebackers.
Use pre-snap motion or check the trips side alignment to confirm the defense has not rotated extra defenders into the flat where the screen is designed to hit.
Pair this with HB Slip Screen and PA Read in the same set to keep defenders honest against both perimeter screens and play-action shots, forcing user defenders to guess.
Throw this on early downs like first or second and medium to avoid predictable screen tendencies on third and long, and always account for the catch and release timing so you do not get sacked if the screen is sniffed out.
