Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Shot Wheel is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Trips TE that hides a wheel route from the inside slot receiver behind two vertical stretch routes on the outside. Off the run fake, the backside receiver runs a corner/vertical to occupy deep coverage while the two trips receivers work a flat-to-corner combo that clears the sideline for the wheel man to climb up the boundary. This is a man beater at its core, designed to spring the wheel route against man coverage when a linebacker or slot corner gets picked off on the underneath traffic, with the primary read progression going from the deep outside vertical to the wheel route breaking open late.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify the defender aligned over the slot receiver running the wheel, if it is a linebacker or slower nickel corner this play is live for a big gain. Post-snap, watch for a user-controlled defender sitting in a lurk position underneath the wheel route, since a smart user defender can jump this route if the quarterback stares it down. Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone shells with disciplined deep defenders tend to shut this down because the flat defender can carry the wheel route vertically without help needed. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the ideal matchup, especially when the defense blitzes and leaves the wheel isolated against a slower defender. Watch linebacker blitz packages, since a delayed blitz can collapse the pocket before the wheel route fully develops, forcing an early checkdown or throwaway.
Usage Tips
Use this shot play on early downs or in play-action heavy sequences when the defense has been softened by inside zone or QB Zone runs from the same Trips TE set.
Look for man coverage indicators pre-snap such as a corner or safety shaded outside the wheel route runner, since this play struggles against sticky zone shells.
If the defense shows two high safeties, consider hot routing the backside vertical into a comeback or checking down to the shallow crosser if the wheel gets jumped.
Sell the run fake with the RB by holding the play-action animation as long as possible before climbing the pocket, this freezes linebackers and widens the passing lanes.
Pair this play with PA Boot Shot or PA Counter Go in the same set to keep linebackers guessing on run fits while still threatening deep shots off similar backfield action.
