Playbooks
RZ Dusty is a red zone staple out of Shotgun Wide Trips HB WK that attacks the shrunken field with a dedicated pick and separation concept designed to free up a receiver in the tightest window of the field. The trips side works a combination of a shallow settling route and an over the middle crosser to confuse man defenders while the backside receiver runs a corner or fade to occupy the boundary. This is primarily a man beater built to create a natural rub, so the primary read progression starts with the trips side settle route in the flat or middle of the field before working to the backside isolation route if the underneath defenders sink or trail tightly.
Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest green light for this play since the natural pick concept forces defenders to fight through traffic Watch for a robber or lurking linebacker sitting in the shallow zone underneath the crossers, that defender can undercut the settle route if he reads your eyes early Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with squatting corners can shut this down by jumping the shallow route before it develops, so be ready to reset to the backside isolation route If the defense shows blitz with man coverage behind it, expect a rub route to win quickly since defenders in man have no help fighting through the pick Zone blitzes that bring five rushers while dropping a linebacker into the shallow hole are the toughest counter, so key on late linebacker rotation after the snap
Call this play inside the 15 yard line where space compresses and natural picks become nearly impossible for man defenders to fight through
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties bail into deep quarters look immediately to the settle route since the middle will be softer
Use motion or a quick glance at the slot corner leverage to decide whether to hot route the outside trips receiver into a speed out if he is playing tight press man
Pair this with HB Angle Screen and Quick Slants in the same set to keep defenders honest against inside leverage before dialing up Dusty when you sense a blitz call
Throw with anticipation on the shallow crosser because red zone throwing windows close fast, do not wait for the receiver to fully separate