Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Bench is a classic double sideline stretch concept out of Singleback Deuce Close 12 personnel, built to attack the flats and space the field horizontally. Both outside receivers run bench routes, sitting down at the sticks and turning to face the quarterback while the inside receivers on each side run corner routes vertically up the seams, and the backside X runs a deep dig crossing the field underneath the corner. The QB progression starts with the field-side bench route into the corner behind it, then works back to the backside dig, giving a clear high-low read on either edge of the defense.
Defensive Reads
Presnap check both safeties, if they are deep and split it signals two-high shell and the corner routes have single coverage up top which favors the offense. Watch the flat defenders and outside linebackers at the snap, if they sink too fast into the flat the bench route sitting at the sticks will be wide open behind them. Key the middle linebacker depth, a shallow drop or blitz look opens up the backside dig for an explosive gain across the middle. Man coverage with underneath lurk defenders sitting near the sticks is the biggest threat to this play since it clogs the bench route's landing spot. Cover 2 with disciplined corners jamming the bench route at the line and squeezing the corner route is the shell that shuts this concept down the hardest.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify if the defense is showing zone or man by checking corner depth, if corners are sitting inside at 5-7 yards expect zone and the bench routes will sit in the soft spot underneath.
Use this on third and medium to short since the bench routes settle in at the sticks and give the QB an easy completion window against zone drops.
If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route the backside dig into a deeper crossing route or work the corner route immediately since bench routes struggle to separate against tight man.
Pair this play in sequence with PA Post Dig or PA X Deep Out from this set so the defense has to respect the vertical shots off similar formation and personnel before you come back to the shorter bench concept.
Against Cover 3 look to the bench route on the side away from the rolled up corner first, since that flat defender often has to choose between the corner route and the sit route.
