PA Slide is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Wing Slot Offset with 12 personnel that shows a max protect look with the play fake selling the run before releasing a three level route stretch. The diagram shows the outside receiver running a deep vertical up the sideline, the inside slot receiver breaking into a corner route toward the top of the screen, and the running back sliding out to the flat on the checkdown after the fake. Blocking is heavy with both tight ends and the offensive line staying in to protect against the pass rush, making this a deep shot play designed to punish zone coverage that bites on the run fake. The primary read progression starts with the deep corner route, works down to the vertical if the safety rotates over the top, and checks down to the sliding back in the flat as the outlet.

Defensive Reads

Pre snap, identify single high versus two high safety shells since single high leaves the deep middle vulnerable to the corner route while two high can help over the top on both vertical routes. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they crash hard on the run fake the window for the corner route and the sliding back opens up immediately. Key the flat defender or nickel corner since they are responsible for the sliding back out of the backfield, if they widen too early the intermediate window behind them opens for the corner route. This play struggles against disciplined zone drops where the deep safety stays home and the underneath linebackers do not bite, since the corner route and vertical both get taken away and the checkdown becomes the only option. Man coverage with press corners and no run blitz support can shut this down quickly since the max protect leaves fewer receivers to win one on one against physical press technique, so avoid calling this into aggressive man blitz packages.

Usage Tips

Run this on early downs in run heavy personnel packages so the linebackers and safeties respect the play fake and bite downhill.

Check safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety shell means the corner route can attack the void behind the linebackers while two high shells push you toward the sideline vertical.

Hot route the tight ends into quick releases if you anticipate a blitz since the max protect look already has extra bodies in, freeing you to adjust one blocker into a shallow drag as an extra outlet.

Pair PA Slide with Inside Zone or Duo out of the same formation earlier in a series so the defense keys run action and commits to the box, setting up the play fake to hit for a big gap over the middle.

Use this on second and short or first and ten to maximize the effectiveness of the run fake since defenses are more likely to trigger their run fits on early downs in those situations.

PA Slide

Quick Reference

In 6 playbooks

Receiver routes

Read progression

Breakdown

Defensive Reads

Usage Tips

Other Plays in Wing Slot Offset