Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
WR Mid Screen out of Shotgun Trips HB Wk sets up a bubble style screen to the trips side, with the inside slot receiver sitting up as the throw target while the outside receivers wall off and the offensive line releases to build a wall of blockers in front of him. The HB stays home to check the edge before releasing, giving the quarterback a quick outlet if the screen is covered. This is a pure screen play designed to beat aggressive man pressure and blitz packages, since the blockers are moving to the perimeter as soon as defenders bite on the pass rush. The primary read is the mid screen receiver first, with the outside trips receivers as a second read if the defense sniffs it out and jumps the throwing lane.
Defensive Reads
Watch for user controlled defenders sitting in the throwing lane immediately after the snap, since a spy or a linebacker who reads screen quickly can blow this up for a loss. Keep an eye on flat zone defenders in Cover 2 or Cover 3, since a corner or safety sitting in the flat can jump the screen before the blockers get set. If the defense shows a delayed blitz or contain rush that stays home instead of crashing upfield, this play loses its blocking advantage and should be avoided. Look for linebackers cheating outside pre-snap, which signals the defense may have scouted the screen tendency and will squeeze the mid screen throwing lane. Nano blitzes or interior pressure that gets home before the receiver turns upfield are the biggest threat, so check leverage and defensive line alignment before calling this against a stacked front.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see man coverage indicators pre-snap, such as corners lined up tight on the trips receivers with no safety help rotating to that side.
Use this against overload blitzes or aggressive Cover 0 and Cover 1 looks since the linemen releasing outside will neutralize extra rushers before they get depth.
Hot route the backside single receiver into a quick hitch or slant if you expect the defense to have seen this screen on tape, giving you a second answer without tipping your hand.
Pair this with HB Slip Screen and Bubble Screen in the same set to condition the defense into overplaying screens, then hit them with Verticals or Four Verticals off a similar presnap look.
Best used on early downs or in obvious pass rush situations like third and long, since it turns a would be sack into a manageable gain against overpursuing fronts.
