Playbooks
WR Mid Screen out of Shotgun Wing Trips WK Nasty Mug is a designed screen play that gets the ball out quickly to a receiver working to the middle of the field behind a wall of blockers. The offensive line and adjacent receivers sell pass protection or drift into position to seal off pursuing linebackers, creating a lane for the ball carrier to work downhill after the catch. The primary read is the screen receiver himself since this is a predetermined throw, but the quarterback still has to feel pressure off the edge and get the ball out on time before blitzers close the window.
Check for a Mug or overload front pre-snap since heavy blitz looks make this screen extremely effective against overzealous user blitzers. Identify zone shells versus man coverage, this play works against both but is deadliest against man since defenders turn their backs to run with receivers instead of reading the backfield. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sit back in zone drops and read the quarterback's eyes they can jump the screen and blow it up for a loss. Look out for a user-controlled defender staying home in a spy or lurk technique in the middle of the field, that player can single-handedly diagnose and destroy this concept. Track edge rushers, if they are disciplined and hold contain instead of crashing upfield the blocking wall will not seal properly and the screen will have nowhere to go.
Call this play against aggressive defensive playcalling when you expect a blitz, since screens punish overpursuit and empty backfields. Watch for defenders crashing hard off the snap pre-snap, that is your green light to trust the screen and let it develop. Use hot routes sparingly here, the design already accounts for blockers releasing, so avoid moving the screen receiver or you will kill the timing. Pair this with Four Verticals or Slants X-Go earlier in a series so the defense respects vertical shots, then dial up WR Mid Screen to slow down a defense keying on your fast breaks. Best used on second or third and short to medium yardage when defenses are more likely to bring extra pressure looks like a nano blitz or Mug front pressure.