Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
WR Mid Screen out of Shotgun Trips is a quick-hitting screen designed to get the ball to the inside slot receiver in space. The three receivers to the trips side converge with the outside receivers blocking downfield while the middle slot man sits up as a lead blocker for the screen target coming across, and the outside numbers receiver releases upfield to hold off the corner. The primary read is immediate: the QB looks to the trips side and delivers the screen to the middle receiver as soon as the blockers set up in front of him, this is a zone beater that punishes teams sitting back in soft zone coverage and overpursuing linebackers on the initial drop.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for linebacker depth and alignment, if the linebackers are crowding the line expecting run or blitz, this screen can gash them once they flow away from the throw. Identify zone shells like Cover 2 or Cover 3 where the underneath defenders drop on the snap, this gives the blockers a clean runway to set up in front of the screen receiver. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in a lurk spot near the trips side, a smart user player can jump the screen route and blow it up for a loss. Man coverage with press corners at the line is a warning sign since the outside blockers may struggle to disengage in time, leading to negative plays if the screen is not blown up early. Post-snap, key on defensive line penetration up the middle, if the interior line gets immediate pressure before blockers release, the screen timing collapses and the QB needs to find the hot route outlet instead.
Usage Tips
Call this against soft zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4 where linebackers drop deep and give up the underneath area immediately after the snap.
Use it on early downs or after a run play to catch aggressive linebackers flowing hard downhill and out of position to defend the screen.
Hot route the backside single receiver into a hitch or slant if you suspect man coverage so you have a quick outlet if the screen blockers get beat.
Pair this with 60 Go or Four Verticals from the same Trips look to keep defenses honest on deep shots, then dial up WR Mid Screen once they start playing off to respect the vertical routes.
Avoid calling this into aggressive man blitz packages unless you have hot routed an outlet, since blitzing corners and nickel defenders can blow up the screen before the blockers get set.
