Playbooks
Breakdown
PA Post Cross Shot is a play-action shot play out of Shotgun Y Trips Wk that hits the play fake before sending the outside trips receiver on a deep post while the middle trips receiver runs a crossing route underneath heading back across the field. The backside X runs a short out breaking to the sideline as a safety valve, giving a three-level stretch on the play side. This is a man beater designed to shot the post over the top while the crosser picks off any trailing man defenders, with the primary read progression going deep post first, then working down to the crossing route if the safety rotates over the top.
Defensive Reads
Read the free safety at the snap, if he stays flat footed or bites on the play fake the post route will win over the top. Watch for two high safeties rotating down into a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell, which forces the crosser to become the primary target instead of the post. Key the linebacker depth on the play fake, aggressive run fits leave the crosser wide open in the middle of the field. User the deep safety yourself in man to man situations to jump the post route timing before the ball is thrown. Watch for a lurking linebacker or nickel defender sitting in the crosser's window, since a zone shell with underneath lurk help can take away the shot and force a checkdown to the out route.
Usage Tips
Call this play on early downs or in shot situations when you want to test a single high safety look before the defense adjusts its shell.
Check pre-snap for two deep safeties versus one, since a single high safety struggles to defend the post and crosser combo simultaneously.
If the corner presses the post route receiver, hot route him to a slant to counter aggressive press man coverage.
Pair this call with Empty Post Cross or Empty Post Dagger from the same tree to keep the defense guessing between empty and Y Trips Wk personnel looks while running similar post concepts.
Use the backside out route on the X as your checkdown if the deep shot is not there, especially against zone drops that sink underneath the post.
