Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Boot from Singleback Bunch is a play-action rollout that pulls the quarterback to the boundary side away from the bunch alignment. Off the fake handoff, the QB boots outside the pocket with a flat route in front of him for the quick outlet, while the deep receiver from the bunch releases vertically up the sideline as the primary shot route. Underneath, the backside receiver runs a deep out breaking away from the formation and a middle route sits underneath as a checkdown, giving the QB a full field-flooding progression from deep sideline to flat on the roll. This is a play-action man beater designed to exploit linebackers biting on the run fake, and the read progression starts with the vertical sideline shot, works down to the deep out, and finishes with the flat route as the built-in checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Identify single high safety shells pre-snap since the deep sideline route wins easily against Cover 3 or Cover 1 if the corner bites on the play fake. Watch for the strong safety or linebacker flowing hard downhill at the snap, that flow confirms the defense is selling out on the run fake and opens up the deep out and flat combo. Beware of Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties sitting still, this shell caps the vertical shot and forces the QB into the shorter flat or out routes. Track user-controlled defenders spying the boot lane, a smart user will shadow the QB roll to jump the flat route or contain the edge, so have a checkdown ready underneath. Respect fire zone blitzes that bring a linebacker off the edge into the boot side, since this can collapse the pocket before the deep routes develop, forcing a quick decision to the flat.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs like first and second and ten to sell the run fake convincingly since defenses respect the Singleback Bunch run game in this set.
Check the strong safety and outside linebacker depth pre-snap, if they are creeping up to play the run, take the shot down the sideline immediately off the boot.
Hot route the flat route to a quick out or drag if you see the corner sitting low in a zone shell, this removes the natural pick and gets the ball out faster against a blitz.
Use the rollout mechanics to buy time against exotic pressure, roll away from the nano blitz side by checking protection or motioning pre-snap if you suspect an overload look.
Pair this with HB Slam or Duo out of the same set to keep linebackers honest, then call PA Boot Slide or PA Boot Over on the next snap once the defense starts flowing hard to the run action.
