Playbooks
Seattle out of Singleback Bunch Base 21 personnel is a play-action shot play built to attack single high safety looks with a deep shot to the bunch side. The bunch alignment creates natural rub routes that pick off man defenders while the backside develops a dig or crosser as a hot read against zone drops. Primary read starts with the deep shot receiver off the bunch, then progresses to the intermediate crosser if the safety rotates over the top.
Look at the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety tells you the deep shot has a numbers advantage against man coverage. Watch the cornerback depth on the bunch side, if he is playing tight man technique the rub concept should spring the deep route open. Post snap, track any user controlled defender flowing toward the bunch, that lurk player is often trying to jump the crosser or the flat route. If the linebackers stay disciplined and do not bite on the play fake, expect a quick underneath rally that kills the deep shot window. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties shut this play down hard since the deep bunch route runs into help over the top, check to a run or a shorter concept if you see two high pre-snap.
Check for single high safety pre-snap since this play is designed to isolate the deep bunch receiver against a lone defender over the top.
Use motion or a hot route on the backside receiver to create a quick outlet if the play fake does not get the linebackers to bite.
Best called on early downs like first and ten or second and short so the fake actually influences run fits and linebacker depth.
Pair this with H Zone Str or HB Counter earlier in a series so the defense respects the run action and bites harder on the fake.
Avoid throwing into the bunch against known man teams that like to bracket bunch sets with a robber, since the rub can get jumped by a sitting linebacker.