Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Verts out of Singleback Ace Slot 12 personnel shows a play-action fake to the HB followed by four vertical stems designed to stretch the field. Both outside receivers and the slot receiver push straight up the seams while the inline TE runs a shallow drag underneath as a check down and the offensive line sells run blocking before sliding into pass protection. This is a classic Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater built to attack single high and two deep shells with vertical speed, and the primary read progression starts with the seam route to the play side, works to the deep middle vert against Cover 2 hole defenders, and finishes with the drag underneath if the safeties stay deep.
Defensive Reads
Identify single high safety alignment pre-snap, since Cover 3 leaves the deep middle vulnerable to the inside seam if the free safety bites on the play-action fake. Watch for two deep safeties splitting the field evenly, which signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tells you to target the vertical seams in the honey hole between the corner and safety. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker or nickel defender dropping into the drag route zone, if he sits shallow the outside verts will have more room to work against the corners. Beware of man press coverage on the outside receivers combined with a robber safety, this alignment can jump the seam routes and force an interception if the quarterback does not recognize it quickly. Look for blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge, since the play-action fake can be exposed by a fast defensive end who reads through the mesh point and collapses the pocket before the verts develop.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safeties before the snap, if both safeties are sitting deep at 10 to 12 yards you are likely looking at Cover 2 or Cover 4 and the seams will be your friend against the natural cover 2 hole.
Use the play-action fake fully by holding the fake button or letting the animation play out to freeze linebackers and buy the verts extra time to develop against zone drops.
Hot route the drag route into a deeper crossing route or spot route if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since the base drag is more of a zone beater checkdown than a true man beater.
This play works best on second and long or third and long situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 2, and it should be avoided against aggressive man blitz looks unless you have a hot route ready.
Pair PA Verts with Slants or Stick from the same set to keep the defense honest on early downs, then dial up PA Verts once you bait linebackers into sitting shallow on quick game concepts.
