Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Post Wheel Shallow is a trips-side pass concept out of Shotgun U Off Trips with 12 personnel. The backside X runs a post to stretch the deep middle, the outer trips receiver breaks out and up on a wheel route to attack the sideline vertically, and an inside trips receiver runs a shallow cross underneath to clear space and give the QB a quick outlet. This is a man beater at its core: the wheel route is designed to isolate a linebacker or nickel defender in man coverage and win on the vertical break, while the post occupies the deep safety and the shallow cross serves as a rhythm throw against blitzes or when the wheel is blanketed. Primary progression starts with the post shot to the deep middle, works to the wheel route up the sideline, and checks down to the shallow cross as the outlet.
Defensive Reads
Check the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety means the post has a clear runway to the middle of the field while two deep safeties will squeeze that window. Key the defender responsible for the trips slot receiver, if it is a linebacker trying to run with the wheel route up the sideline that is your green light to trust the corner route developing over the top. Watch for user controlled defenders sitting in the flat or sinking into a lurk position, since a smart user can jump the shallow cross or undercut the wheel route if they diagnose the concept early. Zone coverage with sunk linebackers and deep half safeties can clog both the shallow cross and the post, forcing the wheel to be the only viable window against zone shells. Be wary of nano blitzes or overload pressure from the defensive line, since the shallow cross needs a beat to develop and can get erased by an immediate interior rush before the QB can react.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two deep safeties since the post route only has room to work against single high shells. Look at the alignment of the defender over the trips slot receiver running the wheel, if it is a linebacker or slower nickel defender you have a mismatch and should target that route early in your progression. Use the shallow cross as a built in answer to pressure since it develops fast and gives the QB a release valve if the post and wheel are covered downfield. On third and long, prioritize the post route against single high looks, but on third and short lean on the shallow cross for a easy conversion. Pair this play with PA Post Shot or Deep Post Corner from the same set to keep the defense guessing on shots downfield, and mix in RPO Read Flat or RPO Alert Bubble to slow down aggressive linebacker blitzes before coming back to this concept.
