Playbooks

Escort PA Slide

Shotgun·Wing Tight·13

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Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetWing Tight

Personnel

131 RB · 3 TE · 1 WR

In 4 playbooks

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Breakdown

Escort PA Slide is a play-action pass out of Shotgun Wing Tight 13 personnel that uses run action to hold linebackers before releasing receivers on a slide protection concept underneath. The blocking scheme uses the extra tight ends and back to sell the run fake, giving the quarterback time to work a shallow crossing route combined with a slide/flat concept that stretches the underneath zone horizontally. This is primarily a zone beater, designed to attack sagging linebackers and hole defenders in the middle of the field, with the primary read starting on the slide route working to the flat before progressing to the crosser sitting down against zone coverage.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, look at the linebacker depth and alignment, if they are stacked tight to the line expecting run, this play action concept will hold them just long enough to open the slide route. Identify single high versus two high safety shells before the snap, single high man coverage leaves the slide route open against man defenders who bite on the run fake, while two high zone leaves seams for the crosser. Post-snap, watch for a user controlled linebacker sitting in a lurk spot in the shallow middle zone, this is the primary defender who can jump the crosser and disrupt the timing of this concept. Blitz packages that send extra defenders off the edge can be a problem since the slide protection is built to hold up interior rushers, not edge pressure, so check for overload blitzes pre-snap and be ready to get the ball out quickly. Cover 3 with an aggressive flat defender can take away the slide route quickly, so if you see the corner sink hard into the flat pre-snap, prioritize the crosser instead as your first read.

Usage Tips

Call this on early downs like first and second and short to medium yardage when the defense is expecting run based on your personnel grouping and prior play calls.

Use the run fake from Inside Zone or Escort Inside Zone Split earlier in the series to condition linebackers to bite on the play-action, then hit them with this play once they start crashing downhill.

Check the middle linebacker depth before the snap, if he is sitting shallow or showing blitz, the slide route to the flat will be open quickly against man or zone.

Hot route the backside receiver into a deeper crossing route or dig if you diagnose a two high shell that leaves extra space intermediate, this adds a answer against split safety looks.

Pair this in a sequence with PA X Curl or PA Double Post to keep the defense honest on play-action reads, forcing linebackers to respect multiple run fakes before they can trigger downhill.