Playbooks
Breakdown
Duo out of Shotgun Y Off Trips lines up with three receivers bunched to one side and a single receiver isolated backside, with the HB set next to the QB in the backfield. The diagram shows a double team block at the point of attack designed to displace the defensive tackle, with the offensive line covering down and driving vertically before climbing to the second level for the linebackers. This is a downhill power run scheme, not a man or zone beater in the passing sense, and the primary read for the ball carrier is to press the double team block and read the first climbing linebacker to decide between the cut lane or bouncing outside.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is in a two high shell or single high, since two high alignments often mean lighter boxes that favor this downhill run. Watch the linebacker depth, if the second level defenders are sitting shallow and stacked tight to the line, they can beat the climb block before the double team finishes. Key the play side defensive tackle, if he is a heavy anchor run stuffer, the double team may not generate enough displacement and the runner should be coached to bounce outside instead of pressing the hole. Look for a user linebacker flowing hard downhill immediately after the snap, as this is the primary threat to blow up the timing of the second level climb. Nano blitz packages that stack extra defenders in the A or B gap pre-snap are the biggest counter to this play, so check for unusual defender alignment right before the snap.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and short to keep the defense honest against your Trips formation passing concepts. Check the box count pre-snap, if the defense has six or more in the box against 11 personnel, consider audibling to a quick pass instead. Use the trips side alignment to bait safeties into rotating away from the run fit, then attack the vacated gap. Pair this with RPO Duo Alert Glance from the same set so the defense has to respect both the run action and the glance route off the same look. Mix in HB Slip Screen and Fake Screen Wheel afterward to punish defenses that start crashing hard on the double team block.
