Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Charger Wheel out of Shotgun Trips TE Flex sends the flexed TE on a deep dig that turns over across the field, the inside trips receiver on a corner route breaking outside deep, the middle trips receiver on a deep out that clears the flat, and the outside trips receiver on a wheel route from the backfield area working up the sideline as the vertical release. The single receiver to the backside runs a deep in from a shallow drag that crosses the field working away from the trips, giving a built in outlet against man leverage. This is a man beater built to isolate the wheel route on a linebacker or slower defender while the corner and dig stretch the deep third, with the primary read progression going wheel first, then dig, then corner route, and backside crosser as the last resort checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Key the flat defender and any linebacker assigned to the backfield release since the wheel route is designed to beat exactly that matchup in man coverage. Watch the single high safety rotation before the snap, if he stays deep middle he can help over the top on the wheel and take away the explosive shot. In zone coverage, sit the underneath defenders on the dig and deep out combo since those routes settle in soft spots against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells. If the defense shows Cover 2 with two deep safeties, the corner route from the inside trips receiver becomes the best answer since it attacks the seam between the safeties. Watch for a nano blitz off the edge, since the backside crosser is the quickest answer to beat pressure before the wheel route develops.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap like a linebacker walked up over the backfield release area since the wheel route wins big against linebackers who cannot match speed up the sideline.
Use the backside crosser as your hot route answer versus a hard blitz look since it clears away from pressure and gives a quick underneath answer.
Sequence this play with HB Slip Screen and HB Angle from the same set so linebackers stay honest on flow to the backfield before you hit them with the wheel route beating a blitz.
Call this on second and long or third and medium when you expect man coverage since the dig and corner combo occupies underneath defenders while the wheel stretches vertically.
If the safety rotates over the top of the trips side pre-snap, check to the backside deep in route since that man coverage indicator usually means the wheel route will get help over the top.
