Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA X Out Cross runs off a play-action fake from Singleback Bunch X Nasty, with the offensive line showing run blocking to sell the handoff before pass protection sets. Out of the bunch look, one receiver runs a deep out breaking toward the sideline, a second bunch receiver runs a crossing route underneath working from the strong side across the field, and the backside receiver runs a deep comeback breaking back toward the quarterback. The primary read starts with the deep out to the flat side, then works to the crosser sitting down in the void underneath as the checkdown against zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth immediately after the snap, if they step up hard on the run fake you have a clean throwing window to the crosser. Check safety alignment pre-snap, single high shells tell you the comeback route on the backside has one-on-one leverage against the corner. This play struggles against aggressive Cover 3 sink drops since the flat defender and the deep third defender can squeeze the out route. User-controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow zone can jump the crosser, so have a plan to reset to the deep out or comeback if you see a defender spying the middle. Man blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can beat the protection before routes develop, so identify overload blitz looks pre-snap and consider a hot route or quick throw to the crosser as your answer.
Usage Tips
Sell the play-action fake by holding the ball on the mesh point for an extra beat before committing to your dropback, this freezes linebackers and opens the crosser underneath.
Use this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and medium when defenses are still respecting the run out of Bunch X Nasty personnel.
If you see two deep safeties pre-snap, hot route the crosser to sit down in the middle of the field instead of continuing across, this creates a natural man beater against banjo coverage.
Pair this play with HB Dive or Inside Zone Split earlier in a series so the play-action fake carries real weight and linebackers bite on the run action.
Against man coverage, key the deep out first since it forces a leverage decision from the corner, then come back to the comeback route on the backside if the out gets jumped.
