Playbooks

HB Mid Zone

Shotgun·Wing Trio·11

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

Raiders OffenseOffenseNFL Live Raiders OffenseOffense

Breakdown

HB Mid Zone out of Shotgun Wing Trio is a true zone blocking run play designed to attack the interior gaps with a decisive downhill cut. The offensive line flows laterally on the zone track, sealing backside defenders while creating a natural cutback lane if the frontside gap gets clogged. This is not a man or zone beater in the passing sense, it is a run scheme, and the primary read progression for the ball carrier is playside gap first, then cutback lane if the frontside linebacker or defensive tackle wins their block.

Defensive Reads

Watch linebacker depth pre-snap, if they are stacked tight to the line expect an aggressive run fit that can be gashed by the cutback Identify one high versus two high safety shells, one high alignments often signal extra run support in the box which favors a cutback read Post-snap, key the playside defensive tackle and outside linebacker, if they get sealed by the zone blocking scheme the ball should hit downhill immediately Beware of user-controlled defenders flowing hard downhill pre-snap, this often signals a run blitz or gap shoot that can be countered by patience and setting up the cutback This play struggles against disciplined 46 fronts or heavy run blitz packages where defensive linemen shoot gaps rather than reading zone flow, so avoid calling it into a stacked box with no play-action counter

Usage Tips

Use pre-snap motion or a quick glance at the box count to confirm you have a numbers advantage before snapping this play

Attack this play against base 4-3 and 3-4 fronts with light boxes, especially when the defense shows two high safeties pre-snap

If the defense shows an overloaded box with eight or more defenders near the line, consider audibling to Stick or Mesh Spot to punish the aggression through the air

User the fullback or TE blocker manually at the second level to spring extra yardage on the cutback lane

Pair this play with RPO Peek Y Pop or RPO Zone Peek on early downs to keep linebackers honest and force run fits versus pass reads

Best called on first and second down in normal distance situations where defenses have not yet committed to a pass shell

Other Plays in Wing Trio