Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 15 playbooks
Breakdown
Z Close PA Flood is a play-action flood concept out of Shotgun Wing Slot Offset that stretches one side of the field vertically with three levels. Off a play-fake to the backfield, the outside receiver runs a deep corner/go route, the inline TE releases up the seam, and the near flat receiver stems out to the flat, creating a high-low-low flood read against zone drops. This is a classic Cover 3 beater since it overloads the flat defender and deep third corner with three vertical stems to one side, and the primary read progression goes deep corner to seam to flat based on how the curl-flat defender and deep third corner rotate.
Defensive Reads
Read the flat defender first after the snap since his decision to sit or widen tells you whether the corner or seam route will be open behind him. Watch the deep third safety or corner alignment pre-snap since soft outside leverage corners are vulnerable to the deep corner route beating them over the top. Key linebacker depth before the snap, shallow linebackers crashing the run fake open up easy seam and flat throws underneath the coverage rotation. This concept struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties who can rob the deep corner route, so expect the seam or flat throw to be the answer versus those shells. Be alert for a user-controlled defender sitting in the flat or robbing the seam route, since a smart user rover can jump the intermediate throw if you stare down your first read too long.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or manageable third downs when you have already established the run game, since the play-action fake needs linebackers biting downhill to fully sell.
Pre-snap, identify single-high shells like Cover 3 or Cover 1 since the flood concept overloads the boundary or field side deep third and forces a difficult conflict for the flat defender.
If the defense shows two-high safeties pre-snap, consider audibling into a different concept from this set like Four Verticals or PA Double Post since flood concepts lose value against two deep safeties who can rob the corner route.
Hot route the backside receiver into a shallow drag or hitch as a checkdown against man coverage if the flood side gets clouded by a corner playing outside leverage.
Pair this play with Z Close Toss or Z Close Duo earlier in a drive to get defenders keying run flow to the same personnel look, then hit them with the PA Flood shot once linebackers start creeping up.
