Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
TE Hook out of Singleback Bunch is a quick pass concept built off a five man protection with three receivers releasing from the bunch alignment. The backside X runs a clear out route to the boundary while the bunch generates a hook from the TE (sitting down in the middle void), a corner/out from the outside bunch WR, and a deep out from the inside bunch WR working to the opposite sideline. This is primarily a zone beater that attacks the middle hook/curl zone with the TE while stretching the flat and deep out to horizontally stress a zone shell, though the quick timing also gives it man beater utility versus off coverage. Primary read progression starts with the TE sitting in the underneath zone, then works to the flat/out combo if the middle is taken away.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a linebacker sitting directly over the bunch pre-snap, that is your indicator he is keying the TE hook and will jump the throw as soon as the ball is snapped. If the defense shows Cover 3 with a curl/flat defender near the bunch, expect that defender to widen with the out route and leave the TE hook void open in the intermediate middle. Man coverage with a linebacker matched on the TE is the easiest read, sit him down and throw with anticipation before the linebacker can close the cushion. Watch the deep safety rotation post-snap, if he rotates hard to the trips side he is taking away the deep out and forcing you to live with the TE hook underneath. A disguised blitz with the Mike stepping up pre-snap is the biggest threat, since it removes the shallow hook defender and lets an underneath zone defender or spy sit right on the TE's route.
Usage Tips
Use this on third and short to third and medium since the TE hook sits right in the sticks against zone drops.
Check the pre-snap defensive alignment for a single high safety, that usually signals zone coverage and opens up the TE sitting in the hook zone as your first read.
If you see two deep safeties with corners playing off, hot route the TE to a quick out or speed him up to beat a potential Tampa 2 or Cover 4 shell before the underneath defenders can wall him off.
Pair this with HB Slam or HB Draw out of the same Bunch look to keep defenses honest against the quick pass tempo and freeze linebackers before dropping into coverage.
Sequence this with PA Boot or PA Cross Switch later in a series once you have shown the quick TE Hook a few times, since defenses will start jumping the underneath routes and open up the play-action shot.
