Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Levels Switch out of Shotgun Trey Open (11 personnel) shows a switch release on the trips side, with the inside slot receiver crossing underneath to the flat while the outside receiver runs a deep in behind him to create natural traffic against man coverage. On the backside, the TE runs a deep in from the boundary and the lone WR runs a shallow drag under everything, giving the quarterback a two level read from that side as well. The HB releases out of the backfield on a check release swing to the flat as a checkdown, with the offensive line in a straight pass protection look. This is a levels concept built primarily as a man beater using the switch release to shed defenders through natural picks, and the primary read progresses from the deep in breaking route on the trips side down to the underneath crosser, then over to the backside dig/drag combo if the trips side is taken away.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check corner alignment on the trips side: tight man coverage on the switch release receivers is exactly what this concept is designed to exploit. Post-snap, key the underneath linebacker or nickel defender responsible for the shallow crosser, since a hesitant or late-reacting defender there opens up the switch release completely. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in a lurk position over the deep in route, as a smart human defender can jump that route and bait a turnover if the quarterback stares it down too long. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells, safeties rotating late can cap the deep in routes, so the backside dig and drag become the real threat and defenders should widen underneath to take those away. Zone blitzes that bring extra rushers off the edge can disrupt the timing needed for the levels routes to develop, so an aggressive edge pressure package is one of the better answers to this concept.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap such as corners lined up tight on the trips receivers, since the switch release is designed to create natural rubs against man defenders trailing in coverage.
Use the switch release to bait a linebacker or nickel defender into a pick, then hit the receiver who breaks open behind the traffic on the deep in route.
If the defense shows Cover 2 or Cover 4 with safeties deep, work the backside dig and shallow drag combo since the trips side levels concept can get squeezed by an underneath zone defender sitting on the crosser.
This play works well on second and medium to second and long, since it takes a couple seconds to develop and needs the pocket to hold up for the levels routes to separate.
Pair this with Curls or Y Stick HB Angle from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and levels concepts, and use PA Read or PA Slot Under later in a series to freeze linebackers once they start jumping the underneath crossers.
