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Quick Reference
Not in any team playbook.
Breakdown
Pats HB Screen out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Close is a designed screen pass to the running back who releases to the backside flat while the offensive line sets up a screen wall in front of him. The trips side runs a clear-out combo with a deep vertical, a corner route, and an out breaking route to drag coverage away and open the screen lane, while the backside receiver runs a deep comeback to hold the corner. This is a zone beater designed to bait aggressive pass rushers and underneath zone defenders upfield, with the primary read being the HB screen first, then working to the trips side sit routes if the screen is jumped by a defender.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth before the snap, if he is sitting shallow near the line he is likely keying the backfield and can blow up the screen immediately. Watch for a defender spying the quarterback or hanging in a shallow zone near the box, since that is the biggest threat to jump the HB screen route. Identify if the defense is in man coverage across the trips side, because the clear-out routes will pull defenders away and open natural running room for the back. Against zone coverage, look for a linebacker or safety sinking into the screen lane rather than fanning to a route, this tells you the play is scouted and you should look off to the trips concepts instead. Check cornerback leverage on the backside comeback route, an aggressive cover 2 or cover 3 corner sitting on the sideline can undercut that throw if the screen is not there.
Usage Tips
Call this on early downs or after you have shown quick pass or inside run tendencies so the defense bites on the play fake and rushes upfield.
Check the box count before the snap, if the defense shows six or more defenders crashing downhill this screen has a huge alley to develop.
Hot route the backside comeback into a hitch or shallow drag if you see man coverage press up top, since the comeback can get jumped by a sinking corner.
Pair this call with Inside Zone and HB Power from the same set so defenses respect the run fake and widen their pursuit lanes, making the screen blocking easier to execute.
Avoid throwing this into a delayed blitz or spy look, since a linebacker sitting at depth can jump the screen before your blockers get set.
