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Breakdown
PA Crossers runs a play-action pass out of Shotgun Wing Trips Wk Nasty that opens with a run-fake to hold the linebackers before the quarterback works the crossing routes. The two receivers on the left run deep crossers stacked at different levels, with the red route breaking underneath from the boundary and settling in the middle as a shallow drag, while the far outside receiver on the right runs a deep vertical to stretch the safety. The nasty wing to the flat clears the underneath zone and gives the quarterback a checkdown outlet if the crossers are covered. Primary progression starts with the deep crosser attacking the middle of the field, works down to the shallow drag as the man beater, and finishes with the flat route as the last resort against zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch the middle linebacker at the snap, if he bites hard on the run fake the deep crosser will be wide open crossing his face. Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets shredded by the two crossing routes rubbing off each other. Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells with a hard flat defender squeezing the drag route can take away the easy underneath completion and force a low percentage deep shot. Look for a user lurking in the shallow crosser lane, this play struggles against a spy or a rat in the hole sitting right in the crossing lanes. Blitz packages that bring five or six rushers can beat the protection before crossers develop, so check the offensive line count pre-snap against heavy pressure looks.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or second and medium when defenses are still respecting the run fake from Wing Trips Wk Nasty.
Check safety depth before the snap, if you see two high safeties sitting deep the crossers will have room to work underneath before the deep vertical clears them out.
Against man coverage, key the shallow drag first since the natural rub from the crossing routes creates instant separation.
Pair this with Outside Zone or Inside Zone Split earlier in a series so the play fake actually freezes linebackers on this call.
Hot route the flat runner into a quick out if you see a corner sitting low in a cloud zone look to bait a throw underneath.
