Playbooks
At a Glance
Overview
Wing Flex Offset is a 12 personnel Shotgun set that trades the balance of standard two tight end looks for an asymmetric alignment: one tight end wings tight off the tackle while the other flexes out into the slot, with the back offset next to the quarterback rather than directly behind him. That offset back is the tell defenses have to respect, because it declares a protection side and a free release side at the same time. Unlike Shotgun sets that spread both tight ends wide or keep them both attached, Wing Flex Offset lets you run gap scheme concepts (Power O, 0 1 Trap) out of a spread look while still presenting three legitimate route runners to the field.
The flexed tight end is the entire point of the package. Against base personnel, that player is covered by a linebacker or a box safety, and every Mtn concept in the set is built to attack that leverage. Mtn Bench Spacing, Mtn Mesh Spot, and Mtn Empty Slants Stick all funnel the flexed tight end into the intermediate window where the mismatch shows up immediately. When the defense counters with nickel or dime, the run game becomes the answer, and Inside Zone, Inside Zone Split, and Y Lead Read Opt punish light boxes with the wing serving as an extra gap blocker.
The set carries an unusually deep screen package for a two tight end grouping. Jailbreak Screen, Mtn Jailbreak Screen, Mtn Empty Jailbreak Screen, and PA Jailbreak Screen give you four different shells of the same concept, which means you can pair aggressive downfield shots like PA Double Post, Four Verticals, and Mtn Cross X Post with a built in answer for blitz heavy opponents. The Gadget tag reflects that flexibility: this is a set where the same formation look produces gap runs, vertical shots, and screens without ever tipping personnel.
Strengths
- Mtn Mesh Spot and Mtn Drive HB Trail are elite man beaters, the mesh rub frees the crosser while the trail route stacks behind traffic and forces defenders to fight through bodies at full speed.
- Four verticals and Stick Nod Vertical stress Cover 3 and Cover 4 down the seams, and the flexed tight end running a seam against a linebacker is a free completion against any single high shell.
- The four jailbreak screen variants give you an instant blitz punisher, and mixing PA Jailbreak Screen in after running Power O or Inside Zone freezes second level defenders long enough for the screen to spring.
- Mtn Bench Spacing and Ohio Spacing flood zone coverage with horizontal stretches at three different depths, making them reliable chain movers against Cover 2 and Cover 3 on third and medium.
- Motioning the wing tight end across the formation reveals man or zone pre snap, and you can leave him in to block or release him into the flat with a hot route depending on what the rotation shows.
Weaknesses
- The offset back declares your protection side before the snap, and experienced opponents will bring pressure from the opposite edge where the wing tight end has to win one on one against a defensive end.
- Empty variants (Mtn Empty Jailbreak Screen, Mtn Empty Mesh Go's, Mtn Empty Slants Stick) leave you with five blockers against six rushers, so any A gap overload or nano blitz gets home before the deeper concepts develop.
- Against man coverage with a user in the hook zone, the shallow crossers and spot routes in Mtn Mesh Spot and Mesh Spot get jumped constantly, and the timing based throws turn into pick six opportunities.
- Two tight end personnel means your outside receivers are often the second and third options on the depth chart, so pure isolation routes on the boundary lack the speed to beat press man consistently.
- Heavy screen usage builds an obvious tendency, and once the opponent starts dropping the defensive end into the screen lane, the entire jailbreak package stops functioning.
Usage Tips
Read the alignment over the flexed tight end first. Linebacker means throw it, safety means check the leverage, and cornerback means the defense is in nickel and you should be running Inside Zone or Power O instead.
On third and five to eight, Mtn Bench Spacing and Slants Y Stick are your highest percentage calls, and hot routing the back to a flat route gives you a safety valve if the underneath zones squeeze.
Save PA Double Post and Mtn RZ X Post for after you have established the run, because the play action hold only works when the opponent has committed a user defender to the box.
Motion the wing tight end before the snap on run downs to shift the front, then check into Inside Zone Split or 0 1 Trap to hit the gap the linebackers just vacated.
Against consistent blitz pressure, alternate between the jailbreak screens and Wheel Post Drag, the drag route sits right in the vacated hook zone and the wheel punishes any safety who rotates down.
Plays (27)
0 1 TrapTrap, Run Play, Power Run
Double CrossCrosser, Pass Play
Four VerticalsFour Verts, Pass Play, Cover 2 Beater +1
Inside ZoneInside Zone, Run Play, Zone Run
Inside Zone SplitInside Zone, Run Play, Zone Run
Jailbreak ScreenScreen Pass, Wr Screen, Pass Play
Mesh SpotSpot, Mesh, Pass Play +2- Mtn Bench Spacing
Mtn Cross X PostPost, Motion, Pass Play +1
Mtn Deep FloodFlood, Motion, Pass Play +1- Mtn Drive HB Trail
- Mtn Empty Jailbreak ScreenScreen Pass, Wr Screen, Motion +1
- Mtn Empty Mesh Go'sGo, Mesh, Motion +2
- Mtn Empty Slants StickSlant, Stick, Stick Concept +2
- Mtn Inside Zone
- Mtn Jailbreak Screen
- Mtn Mesh Spot
Mtn RZ X PostPost, Motion, Pass Play
Ohio SpacingSpacing, Pass Play, Cover 3 Beater +1
PA Double PostPlay Action, Post, Double Posts +3
PA Jailbreak ScreenPlay Action, Screen Pass, Wr Screen +1
PA SlidePlay Action, Slide, Pass Play
Power OPower, Run Play, Power Run
Slants Y StickStick, Stick Concept, Pass Play +1
Stick Nod VerticalStick, Stick Concept, Pass Play
Wheel Post DragPost, Wheel, Drag +1
Y Lead Read OptRead Option, Run Play
