Playbooks
Deep Choice out of Shotgun Wide 5wr is a five-wide option route concept built to stress zone shells with a choice route on the outside receiver, who reads the coverage and breaks in, out, or up the seam based on the defender's leverage. There is no run blocking to speak of since this is a full empty formation, so protection comes from a five or six man slide with the backfield vacated. The primary read progression starts with the choice route based on the numbers advantage, then works to the underneath option routes from the slot receivers if the defense rolls a safety over the top or the choice gets covered.
Watch the free safety pre-snap, if he cheats to one side of the field that tells you which way the choice route is likely to break based on where the help is. Key the corner's press or off alignment at the snap, tight press with no safety help usually signals man coverage and a chance to beat him vertically with the choice route. Identify if a linebacker or nickel defender is sitting in the passing lane where the choice route wants to settle, since a well disguised zone can bait you into a checkdown throw right into a lurking defender. Look for late blitz pressure off the edge since the empty backfield offers no extra protection, if you see a user-controlled defender creeping toward the slot pre-snap it may be a nano blitz designed to collapse the pocket before the choice route develops. This play struggles against disciplined Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells where the corner sinks with the choice route and the safety stays deep, taking away both the vertical break and the shorter option underneath.
Pre-snap, check the safety alignment before the snap to determine if you are getting one high or two high, since the choice route's break depends entirely on how much cushion the corner is giving.
If you see man coverage indicators like corners aligned tight with no safety help over the top, hot route the choice receiver to a fade or go so he can win vertically instead of settling into a shorter break.
Against zone shells, especially Cover 3 or Cover 4, let the choice route sit down in the soft spot between the deep third and the underneath zone defender for an easy pitch and catch.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium situations where you need a chain mover but still want a shot at a big gain if the defense misjudges the coverage call.
Pair this with All Curl or Stick from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick underneath answers and this deeper option concept, forcing linebackers to respect both route depths.