Playbooks
Mtn Fake Screen Wheel is a play-action screen concept out of Shotgun Trips TE Flex Close WK that sells a quick screen to the backfield before releasing a receiver on a wheel route up the sideline. The offensive line and backfield action fake the bubble or HB screen to freeze linebackers and pull defensive backs downhill, opening the wheel route as the vertical shot behind the fake. The primary read progression starts with the wheel route against man coverage or a blown zone rotation, then works back down to the underneath fake screen action and any shallow crosser as the checkdown if the wheel is capped over the top.
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is in man or zone by checking corner depth and whether a linebacker is shaded toward the screen side, since aggressive screen defense linebackers will bite hard on the fake and vacate the wheel lane. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, which signals man coverage underneath and tells you the wheel route is live against a cornerback with no help. Post-snap, track the flow of the linebackers toward the fake screen action, if they crash down hard the wheel route should be open in the void they vacate. This play struggles against zone shells with a deep half or deep third defender sitting over the top, since that safety can simply carry the wheel route vertically without biting the fake. Beware user-controlled defenders spying the backfield or sitting in a lurk technique near the flat, as a disciplined user linebacker can jump the fake screen read and undercut the wheel route before it develops.
Use this play when the defense has shown aggressive screen recognition or heavy zone drops on earlier snaps so the fake actually holds linebackers and flow defenders.
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap like a corner or nickel shaded outside with no safety help over the top, since the wheel route wins hardest against man beaters with no deep help.
If the defense shows two high safeties, hot route the wheel runner to a quicker breaking route or check to the underneath fake screen concept to avoid throwing into a deep zone beater situation.
Pair this call with Mtn HB Swing or HB Slip Screen earlier in a series so the defense starts biting on backfield action, then punish that tendency with the wheel route for an explosive gain.
Best used on early downs or in play-action passing situations like second and medium when defenders are still respecting the run fake and flowing toward the fake screen action.