Playbooks

Fake Screen Wheel

Shotgun·Trips TE Offset Wk·11

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 4 playbooks

Bears OffenseOffenseRavens OffenseOffenseNFL Live Bears OffenseOffenseNFL Live Ravens OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Fake Screen Wheel is a play-action screen counter out of Shotgun Trips TE Offset Wk designed to bait aggressive defenders and linebackers who key on screen action. The backfield sells a routine HB screen, then the running back releases upfield on a wheel route into the vacated flat or seam area, while the trips side occupies coverage with route stems that hold defenders. This is fundamentally a man beater because it exploits linebackers and safeties who bite on screen motion and lose the wheel in man coverage, and the primary read progression is to peek the wheel first off the fake, then work to the trips underneath options if the wheel is not open.

Defensive Reads

Watch the linebacker depth pre-snap, if a linebacker is shaded toward the screen side and playing shallow, they are the exact defender this play is designed to freeze and beat vertically. Check for man coverage indicators like a defender aligned tight on the running back, since man coverage on the backfield is the biggest tell that the wheel will win. Post-snap, look for a lurking defender who reads through the backfield fake instead of biting, that is the sign this play call is dead and you should reset to the next call. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with aggressive linebacker flow are the shells this play beats most consistently because the flow opens the wheel lane. Disciplined zone shells like Cover 4 or Cover 2 with linebackers sitting in hook zones shut this down since they will not chase the fake and will cut off the wheel route early.

Usage Tips

Call this play when you have already established a real screen game earlier in the drive, ideally pairing it with HB Slip Screen or Return Sprint TE Screen so defenders are conditioned to jump the screen fake.

Use it on early downs like first or second and medium when defenders are more willing to sell out on run and screen action rather than sitting back in zone.

Before the snap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage with a linebacker or safety walked up near the backfield, since that defender is your primary target to beat with the wheel.

If you see a soft zone shell or two deep safeties sitting back, hot route the wheel runner into a quicker option or check down to the trips side instead of forcing the fake.

Sequence this play after running actual bubble or peek concepts like RPO Peek Slant or RPO Read Bubble so linebackers start flowing hard on any backfield action, setting up the wheel to break wide open.

Other Plays in Trips TE Offset Wk