Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn PA Flood is a play-action flood concept run out of Shotgun Y Trio Offset Wk that uses jet motion across the backfield to sell the run before the QB pulls and works a three-level flood to one side. The diagram shows a deep corner route stemming outside off the play-action fake, a crossing dig from the opposite side that breaks into the same flood zone, and an out route sitting underneath at the sticks, while the motion man works a shallow drag from the opposite hash for a checkdown or backside outlet. This is a classic Cover 3 beater that overloads one half of the field with three route levels, and the primary read progression goes deep corner first, then down to the intermediate dig, and finally to the underneath out or the drag if the flood side is taken away.
Defensive Reads
Single high safety alignment pre-snap is a green light for the deep corner route since the flood concept overloads the boundary against Cover 3 and Cover 1 shells. Watch the cornerback's depth at the snap, if he sinks deep to cover the corner route the intermediate dig and underneath out will be wide open in the vacated zone. Two deep safeties pre-snap signal Cover 2 or Cover 4, which can still be attacked but requires a quicker progression to the underneath out or drag before the flood defenders rally. Post-snap, key the flat or curl defender's zone drop, if he sprints out to the flood side too aggressively the crossing dig will sit in a soft window behind him. Man coverage that follows the jet motion across the formation exposes a lurk threat on the drag route, so be ready to check down quickly if the linebacker mirrors the motion man in man-match coverage.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you are almost certainly facing man coverage and should look to hit the drag or leverage the flood against a single high safety.
Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 quarters shells, trust the flood concept and read high to low starting with the corner route, since the deep defender in a three level flood cannot cover all three routes on that side.
This play hits hardest on second and medium to second and long or first down situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells and the play-action fake has time to develop.
Pair Mtn PA Flood with Mtn Outside Zone or HB Power O out of the same Y Trio Offset Wk set so the run action sells before you call this shot, forcing linebackers to respect the run fake and widening throwing lanes.
If the defense shows heavy blitz pressure pre-snap, hot route the underneath out into a quick flat route or check to the drag as a built-in blitz beater since the play-action fake will hold linebackers just long enough for a quick release.
