Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Dig Cross out of Shotgun Y Off Trips Wk lines up three receivers to the trips side with a single receiver backside. The backside X runs a vertical release up the sideline, the trips side stacks a deep crossing dig that sits at intermediate depth from the far side of the field, a shorter cross underneath from the middle trips receiver that settles outside, and the inside slot releases on an angle route out of the backfield area to the flat. This is a man beater built on natural picks and rub concepts from the trips bunch, with the deep dig as the primary read against zone drops and the shallow cross as the answer versus man coverage leverage.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sits shallow and does not widen with the crosser the dig window stays open behind him. Watch for a user controlled safety rotating down late, that is the biggest threat to jumping the deep dig route. Against man coverage, key the trips side defenders for natural rub interference, if they get picked up in the wash the shallow cross and angle route come open immediately. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can squeeze the shallow cross, so look to reset the read to the dig sitting behind the underneath zone. Blitz heavy fronts that send extra rushers off the trips side leave the angle route uncovered, so check down quickly if you see pre-snap movement toward that side.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high, since the dig route wants to sit in the void behind linebackers in zone and split defenders in man.
Use the angle route out of the backfield as your check down against blitz looks, especially when the defense brings pressure off the trips side.
Hot route the backside X vertical into a comeback or hitch if you are facing single high safety help over the top, since the deep shot is low value against a true one-high shell.
Pair this play with Slot 2 Buc or Curls Combo in the same set to keep defenses guessing between shallow crossers and deeper dig concepts, forcing linebackers to widen their drops.
Best called on second and medium to second and long, since the dig needs time to develop and the sticks favor the intermediate crossing route over the shallow options.
