Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Ohio Spacing out of Shotgun Wing Stack is a five man spacing concept built to stretch zone defenses horizontally at multiple depths. The backside receiver runs a deep vertical to hold the safety while the inline pattern on the left flattens into a shallow cross underneath. On the play side, the tight end sits down in a quick out breaking route in the flat, another receiver hooks up in the intermediate zone, and the wing back releases on an angle route into the boundary flat. This is a zone beater designed to attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 by putting a defender in conflict at every level, and the primary read progression starts with the flat route, works up to the sit route in the hook zone, then climbs to the deep vertical if the underneath windows are taken away.
Defensive Reads
Read the flat defender first, since if he sinks with the sit route or crashes on the shallow cross, the flat throw to the angle route out of the backfield is wide open. Key the hook to curl defender who has to choose between the intermediate sit route and the flat, and if he widens with the flat route the sit route sits down in a soft window for an easy pitch and catch. Watch the deep third or deep quarter defender on the backside, since if he bites on the shallow cross or gets caught peeking into the backfield, the vertical route behind him is a home run shot. Against Cover 3 look for the middle linebacker's depth in the hook zone, because a shallow drop leaves the sit route open, while an aggressive blitz creates natural spacing voids everywhere underneath. Beware disguised Cover 1 or Cover 0 pressure with a spy, since man coverage with extra rushers can jump the shallow cross and the angle route before the quarter back has time to climb the progression.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify whether the safeties are showing two high or rotating to single high, since this concept is at its best against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with defenders spaced out horizontally.
If you see man coverage with no natural pick help, consider audibling into a different concept from the set like Mesh Spot or Stick, since spacing routes lose value against tight man coverage without natural rub potential.
Use the shallow cross on the backside to influence linebackers and open throwing lanes underneath, especially versus teams that like to sit zone defenders in short hook areas.
This play shines on third and short to third and medium since the underneath spacing routes settle in soft spots for easy completions before defenders can close.
Pair this call with Four Verticals or Double Cross later in the drive so defenses that key on the shallow spacing routes get burned over the top once they start jumping underneath throws.
