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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Orbit TE Middle Screen is a screen pass out of Shotgun Trips TE that uses a pre-snap orbit motion from the backfield to disguise the throw and get a numbers advantage in the middle of the field. The offensive line sets up a delayed release to let defenders crash upfield before the interior linemen climb out to wall off the screen lane for the tight end. This is a zone beater at its core since it exploits linebackers dropping into their zone drops and defensive linemen selling the pass rush, so the primary read is get the ball to the TE on the delayed release as soon as he sits in the vacated middle void, with the orbit motion man as a checkdown outlet if the screen is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Identify if the defense is running zone coverage with linebackers dropping to their landmarks, this is the ideal shell for the screen to hit clean since nobody is spying the box. Watch for a defensive lineman or linebacker assigned to spy or crash the screen immediately after the snap, if you see a player with sunk hips staying home in the middle of the field this is designed to blow up the concept. Check safety alignment pre-snap, a single high safety cheating toward the trips side can signal a Cover 3 rotation that leaves a linebacker isolated on the TE in the screen lane. User a linebacker or spy defender and key the interior offensive line, if you see linemen releasing upfield instead of engaging the rush that is your trigger to abandon the rush and squat on the middle screen. Man coverage with underneath defenders trailing receivers tends to shut this down fast since the TE has no time to set up blockers, so look for press man alignment on the outside receivers as a pre-snap key to blitz or jump the throw.
Usage Tips
Call this on second and medium to third and short when the defense shows heavy zone drop coverage since the void it attacks is created by linebackers dropping instead of spying the screen.
Watch pre-snap for Mike linebacker depth and if he is sitting shallow with eyes on the backfield, expect this screen to get sniffed out so consider audibling to a different concept.
Use the orbit motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, if a defender follows the motion man across the formation you are likely facing man coverage and should switch to a boundary beater instead of this screen.
Pair this play with Orbit RPO Zone Alert or Orbit Cross Screen earlier in a series so the defense sees the same orbit motion trigger man reactions, then hit this middle screen when they start jumping outside routes.
Once the ball is thrown, immediately user the TE and follow the wall of blockers, patience through the initial traffic is more valuable than trying to outrun the first level of defenders.
