Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Mtn QB Zone lines up out of Shotgun Wing 12 personnel with a pre-snap motion man crossing the backfield before the snap, giving the offense a numbers advantage on the play side. This is a designed QB run using inside zone blocking rules up front, with the offensive line stepping in unison toward the play side and the QB reading the zone runner's path off the double team at the point of attack. There is no route concept to speak of since this is a QB designed run, so the primary read is the QB's pre-snap and post-snap look at the defensive front to decide whether to keep the ball on the zone track or work through the mesh point.
Defensive Reads
Watch the box count before the snap, if the defense has seven or more defenders in the box this run gets clogged quickly and should be avoided. Key the play side linebacker's gap fill, if he stays home and reads the zone flow instead of crashing, the cutback lane disappears. Look for a defender chasing the pre-snap motion man, this confirms man coverage on the perimeter and usually means the box is lighter inside. User-controlled defenders sitting in the alley or spying the QB will shut down the keep read, so check for a spy alignment at linebacker depth before the snap. Overload blitzes from the play side edge can beat the zone blocking scheme outright, so if you see a nano blitz look pre-snap consider audibling to a quick pass instead.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone coverage based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Run this out of neutral downs like second and short or first and ten when the defense is base personnel and not stacked heavy in the box.
Pair this with Mtn QB G Down and Read Option in the same set to keep the defense guessing on whether the QB is keeping or handing off, since all three share similar zone blocking shells.
If the defense shows a light box with six or fewer defenders, trust the zone track and let your O-line work their double teams before cutting.
Use QB Zone or Inside Zone as a play-action changeup later in the series once the defense starts crashing hard on the QB run threat from this look.
