Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
HB Slip Screen out of Shotgun Trips TE Flex sends the three trips receivers deep to clear space, with the two inside receivers running vertical stems and the outside receiver breaking across the field on a deep in, while the flexed TE releases vertical then cuts back across the middle to occupy underneath defenders. The offensive line slips off their blocks and flows out to the HB, who leaks out of the backfield to the flat as the screen valve. This is a classic screen play designed to bait blitzers and beat aggressive man coverage or overloaded pass rush looks, with the primary read being the HB out of the backfield first, and the crossing routes underneath serving as a delayed checkdown if the screen is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a linebacker or safety sitting flat-footed near the line of scrimmage instead of dropping, since that is a spy keying the screen before the snap. If the defense shows man coverage with corners pressing the trips receivers, the underneath crossers become secondary reads once the screen lane is taken away. User-controlled defenders who stay square in the backfield and slow-play their rush are the biggest counter to this play, so avoid it against opponents who consistently pattern-match screens. On the snap, key the defensive line's leverage: if they crash upfield hard, the lineman release lane opens wide for the HB. Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells with linebackers who scrape hard to the flat can undercut the screen, so check for late linebacker flow before committing to the throw.
Usage Tips
Call this play when you see safety rotation or pre-snap blitz indicators like linebackers creeping to the line or a nickel corner showing edge pressure.
Use it on early downs or as a changeup after running Inside Zone or Outside Zone from the same set to keep defenders honest against run fits.
Let your linemen fully release before throwing, do not rush the screen or you will throw into a lineman's back.
Pair this call with HB Draw and HB Angle in your play-calling sequence to condition the defense into biting on backfield action, then hit them with play-action shots like PA Fork or Mtn Fork H Choice.
Avoid calling this against disciplined zone defenses that keep linebackers at home, since spy defenders or scrape exchanges will blow it up before it develops.
