Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench out of Shotgun Wing Tight Nasty is a double bench route concept with a deep dig away from the boundary. Both outside receivers run bench (out and up) routes breaking hard to the sideline before climbing vertically, while the tight end on the strong side runs a deep dig that settles across the middle, and the running back releases into a check release flare underneath. This is a zone beater that attacks the flats and hi lo's the outside cushion, with the primary read progression starting at the strong side bench route, working to the dig sitting down in the middle of the field, then checking down to the running back if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Cover 3 defenders sitting in the deep third will struggle with the bench routes climbing vertically along the sideline, so throw to the top of the bench route before the corner can recover. Watch for a user controlled linebacker sinking into the underneath middle zone, since he can jump the dig route if you stare it down too long. Cover 2 corners playing a hard outside shade will get beat over the top on the bench route once it turns upfield, so lead the throw to the boundary. If the defense shows a two deep shell with linebackers blitzing, the running back's flare becomes the answer valve against pressure. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest counter to this concept, since the bench routes have limited separation against a physical corner playing press.
Usage Tips
Look for two high safety shells pre snap since the bench routes exploit soft outside coverage from Cover 2 and Cover 4 defenders playing off.
Hot route the running back into a wheel or seam if you diagnose man coverage from a linebacker, since the flare route alone will not create enough separation against man.
Use this play on second and medium or third and short so the underneath flare and dig become live checkdown options against zone drops.
Pair Bench with HB Punch out of the same set to keep defenders honest against the run action before hitting them with the same formation on a pass play.
Snap count and motion the tight end pre snap to get a free read on whether the defense rotates into man or stays in zone before the ball is even snapped.
