Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Cheat Inside Zone lines up out of Shotgun Trips TE with the HB offset in the backfield and the offensive line executing a zone blocking scheme that flows toward the play side. The diagram shows the outside receiver on a vertical route up the sideline while the interior blocking creates zone run lanes, giving the QB the option to hand off or read the edge if the defense overcommits to the perimeter route. This is a zone run play with a built in cheat element, meaning the ball carrier and blockers work combo blocks at the point of attack while the deep route occupies a defender to open running lanes underneath.
Defensive Reads
Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap. If he is creeping downhill pre-snap, this play can get gashed for negative or minimal yardage against a stacked box. Identify single high versus two high safety shells. Single high alignments leave more run support underneath, so this play works best against two high shells with light boxes. Key the play side defensive end and outside linebacker leverage. If they crash hard inside on the zone flow, the cutback lane opens up behind them. User controlled defenders sitting in the hole or spying the mesh point can blow this play up, so avoid calling it when the defense shows an obvious inside run key look. Watch for a corner blitz or edge pressure package, since Cheat Inside Zone relies on the offensive line holding up long enough for the back to find his crease.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs like first and second down when the defense is likely to sit in base personnel and respect the run.
Check the box count before the snap. If you see six or fewer defenders in the box, this is a green light to hand it off immediately.
Use the vertical route from the outside receiver as a decoy to hold the deep safety, then attack the natural cutback lane if the defense flows too hard to one side.
Pair this play with Read Option Bubble or RPO Zone Alert Bubble in the same set so the defense has to respect both the inside run and the perimeter throw out of an identical formation look.
Against aggressive linebacker blitzes, trust your zone blocking to seal gaps and look for the cutback rather than forcing the play back to the called side.
