Playbooks
Fake Bubble Slant is a play-action style pass out of the Shotgun Wide 5wr set that uses a bubble screen fake to the slot to hold underneath defenders before releasing a full slant package across the field. The line sells run action briefly before dropping into pass protection, and the slant combo attacks the void left by flowed linebackers and off man corners. This is primarily a man beater that also punishes zone defenses that jump the bubble fake, with the primary read starting at the boundary slant and working inside to the shallow crossing slants if the first window is closed.
Check safety depth before the snap, since two high safeties signal zone drops that can be exploited if the underneath defenders bite on the bubble fake Watch linebacker spacing at the snap, if they crash hard toward the fake bubble action the slant lanes open up immediately behind them Cover 3 with an aggressive flat defender is vulnerable here because that defender is baited by the fake, leaving the slant window clean Man coverage with press corners can shut this down quickly if the corner reads the slant stem and undercuts the route before separation is created User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow zone are the biggest threat, since they can bait the quarterback into a errant throw right into their coverage lane
Look for the bubble fake to freeze linebackers before committing to your slant read, especially against defenses that show aggressive flow to the flats
Use this play on early downs like first or second and short to medium yardage since the run fake carries more weight when defenses respect the ground game
Hot route the backside slant into a quick out if you see the corner sitting hard on the route to eliminate the anticipated jump
Pair this play with RPO Bubble QB Draw earlier in a drive so defenses start keying run action, then punish that same look with Fake Bubble Slant for the slant window
Motion a receiver pre-snap to identify man versus zone before the snap, since the slant concept only works cleanly if you diagnose the coverage shell in advance