Playbooks
Return PA Deep Sail is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Trips TE Flex Close WK designed to attack teams biting on the run fake with a sail concept to the field. The play-action freeze holds linebackers just long enough for the deep out or corner route to break open against man coverage, while the underneath flat route serves as a zone beater and check down against soft zone shells. Primary read progression starts with the deep sail route to the trips side, works down to the intermediate curl or comeback breaking off that same concept, and ends with the flat or check release route as the last resort against pressure.
Read the flat defender first, if he bites hard on the play fake or widens to the run the deep sail route behind him is wide open for an explosive gain. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, that usually signals man coverage underneath and tells you to attack the deep out or corner route with your primary receiver. Identify Cover 3 by the deep third defenders sitting still at the snap, this coverage struggles with the sail concept because the flat and deep routes stress the same quarter of the field. Look for a linebacker spying or a nano blitz off the edge, if the defense sends extra pressure without respecting the run fake you need your check down or flat route ready immediately. Diagnose Cover 2 shells by cornerback depth pre-snap, if corners sit at five to seven yards expecting to jam and sink, the deep sail route can still win over the top if the safety is late getting to his zone drop.
Use this on early downs or second and medium when the defense has not seen your run action yet, since the play fake needs credibility to freeze linebackers and safeties.
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties sitting deep the sail concept still works because it stretches the flat defender and forces a horizontal to vertical conflict.
Hot route the backside receiver into a quick slant or drag if you diagnose man coverage across the board, this gives you a rhythm throw if the play fake does not fully sell.
Pair this call with Inside Zone or HB Power from the same set earlier in a series so the play fake actually influences linebacker run fits and opens passing lanes on this shot play.
Avoid calling this against heavy blitz packages unless you have a hot route or slide protection dialed up, the play fake delays your quarterback's ability to get the ball out against pressure.