Playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn PA Cross runs play-action out of Shotgun Wing Slot Wk with 12 personnel, using a run fake to sell the linebackers and safeties before working a deep crossing route from the backside. The diagram shows the deep crosser sitting as the primary read, working from the play side across the field over the middle, with a corner route breaking to the boundary from the tight end aligned closest to the formation, a deep vertical stem from the outside receiver on the play side, and a quick out toward the sideline from the backfield or motion man underneath. The blocking scheme is play-action pass protection with the line selling run action to hold the front seven, making this a man beater against linebackers who bite on the fake and a zone beater against defenses that vacate the middle level in run support.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and count defenders in the box, since a heavy box with safeties creeping down signals run support that plays directly into the play-action deep cross. Key the middle linebocker or Mike at the snap, if he steps up on the run fake before reading pass, the deep crosser will have a clean throwing lane behind him. Watch for a user-controlled defender spying the crosser's route from the snap, which signals the defense recognizes the concept and is sitting in a passing lurk to jump the throw. Against Cover 3 or Cover 1, the crosser beats the deep middle void, but against Cover 4 or Cover 2 with safeties staying high, expect the crosser to be capped and look to the underneath out route instead. Blitz packages that send extra rushers up the middle can disrupt the play-action fake and force an early throw, so identify overload blitzes pre-snap and be ready to get the ball out to the flat quickly.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone before the snap, since a defender following the motion man across the formation confirms man coverage and opens up the deep crosser against a trailing linebacker.
Sell the run fake by holding the play-action animation the full duration before climbing the pocket, especially against aggressive defensive tackles that crash hard on inside zone looks.
Target the deep cross against single high safety shells like Cover 1 or Cover 3, since the crosser exploits the seam vacated by the middle linebacker flowing to the run fake.
Hot route the underneath out route into a quick flat conversion versus Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells to give yourself a quick outlet if the safeties stay deep and take away the crosser.
Pair this play with Mtn Inside Zone and Mtn Buck Sweep earlier in a series so the defense keys run first, then call Mtn PA Cross to punish linebackers stepping up on the fake.
