Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn HB Out lines up out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Nasty with a pre-snap motion that sweeps the HB out of the backfield to the boundary side, converting into an out route breaking to the sideline off the mesh point. On the trips side, the two outside receivers run deep mountain (vertical to comeback/dig) routes that clear out the intermediate zone while the inner slot receiver breaks underneath on an in cut, and the backside receiver runs a shallow out. This is a man beater built around the HB out isolation against a linebacker or nickel defender in space, with the trips concept flooding one side vertically to hold safeties and open the underneath crossing throw as the true first read.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker or nickel defender responsible for matching the HB motion pre-snap since a slow trigger or missed assignment there is an easy explosive gain on the out route. Read the safety depth on the trips side before the snap: two deep safeties tip zone coverage and should push your eyes to the underneath crossing routes, while a single high safety suggests man coverage and favors the HB out isolation. Post-snap, key the flow of the middle linebacker since a quick drop into the underneath passing window can jump the drag or in route and blow up the primary read. This play struggles against aggressive man blitzes with a spy on the HB since the out route gets taken away immediately and there is minimal time for the trips routes to develop. Cover 3 with a hard curl-flat defender sitting on the sideline can also squeeze the HB out route, so be ready to climb the ladder to the trips concept if that flat defender sits low.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap HB motion to identify man versus zone: if a linebacker or safety follows the HB across the formation, you have a clean man beater matchup to exploit with the out route. Against zone shells, work through the trips side mountain routes since the vertical stems will stretch the deep zone defenders and open passing lanes underneath for the drag or in route. Hot route the backside out into a quick hitch versus heavy blitz looks to give yourself a quick throw outlet away from pressure. This play pairs well with Mtn X Drag and Mtn Y Pivot in the same set since all three use similar motion and route stems, letting you keep defenders guessing on which route breaks where after the snap. Best called on second or third and medium since the sideline out routes give you a reliable stick-the-marker throw with a built-in vertical shot if the defense bites on the underneath routes.
