Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Cheat Deep Corner is a play-action shot play out of Singleback Bunch X Nasty that uses a pre-snap motion piece to cheat toward the boundary before the ball is snapped. Off the play fake, the deep red route breaks upfield outside for a corner route, the yellow route works underneath from the opposite side across the field, and the white route runs a deep dig crossing the middle of the field while the cyan route checks down to the flat as the outlet. Primary progression is the deep corner route first for the big play shot, working down to the crossing dig, and finally to the underneath flat route as the checkdown against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Watch the safety alignment before the snap since a single high safety cheating toward the boundary is often keying the corner route and will jump it in zone drops. Check cornerback depth and press versus off alignment, because a corner playing off with outside leverage struggles to close on the deep corner route once it breaks toward the sideline. Track the play-action linebacker reaction since linebackers biting hard on the run fake create a wide throwing lane for the deep dig route crossing the middle. User the deep half safety to the corner side to jump the route and force the quarterback into the checkdown or the crossing dig underneath. Beware of cover 2 shells with two deep safeties, since a defender sitting in the flat and a safety rotating over the top can squeeze the corner route and force a risky throw.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify man versus zone coverage since a defender following the motion man confirms man coverage and opens up the deep corner route immediately.
This play hits best on second and long or third and long when defenses sit back in zone shells expecting a checkdown, since the corner route can split the safety and corner in cover 3 or cover 4 looks.
Hot route the flat route to a quick out if you see the cornerback sitting low in a cloud coverage look, taking away the easy checkdown but opening space underneath.
Pair this play with PA Boot Corner Post or PA Cheat Wheel Post in your play-calling sequence so the defense cannot key on the same shot concept every time you break the huddle from Bunch X Nasty.
If the safety rotates hard to the corner route pre-snap, come off it early and work the deep dig crossing route since it will have room in the vacated middle of the field.
