Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Boot is a play-action rollout out of Singleback Ace Slot 12 personnel that pulls the QB to the right off a fake handoff. The backside TE runs a deep crosser all the way across the field while the frontside TE releases on a corner route up the sideline, with a shorter out route underneath from the slot and the HB checking down on a flat route into the boot direction. This is a man beater built to attack overpursuing linebackers on the play fake, and the primary read progression starts with the corner route up top, works down to the deep crosser sitting behind linebackers in zone, and finishes with the flat route as the checkdown when the pocket collapses or the boot lane closes.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for two deep safeties versus single high, since a single high safety struggles to cover both the corner route and the deep crosser once he commits to run support. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the play fake, the crosser and flat routes will have wide throwing lanes behind them. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled defender spying the boot side, since a disciplined spy or contain defender can shut down both the QB run threat and the flat route simultaneously. Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed by the corner route, so look for cornerbacks pressed on the TEs with no deep safety rotation. Cover 3 zone drops can be an issue if the flat zone defender sits and reads the boot instead of biting on run action, so watch for late zone recognition from the underneath defenders.
Usage Tips
Sell the run fake with the RB by not immediately hot routing him, since linebacker eye discipline on the play fake is what opens up the crosser and flat underneath.
Use this against teams that load the box versus your run game, since the play action freezes linebackers and safeties who are keying run fits.
Check the flat route first in obvious man coverage against a fast slot corner blitz, since the HB can outrun a late-arriving blitzer to the edge.
Pair this with HB Dive Lt, HB Power O, and HB Zone Alert Bubble in the same play calling sequence so defenses start biting on run keys before you dial this up on second or third and manageable.
On third and medium, prioritize the corner route since it clears out over the top of underneath zone defenders and creates a natural sideline throw window.
