Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
HB Blunt Dive lines up the HB directly behind the QB in Singleback Deuce 12 personnel, with both TEs stacked tight to the formation for extra beef at the point of attack. The red route shows the HB taking a direct downhill dive through the interior gap, hitting the hole hard off the mesh point with no lateral hesitation. This is a straight run play designed to attack a gap-scheme blitz or light front, with the primary read being the initial crease inside the tackle box before the HB has to make a one-cut decision based on flow.
Defensive Reads
Watch for linebacker depth at the snap since shallow backers sitting on the dive can blow this up before the HB reaches the line. Identify if the defense is in a base 4-3 or 3-4 front because heavier fronts with extra bodies inside will clog the interior gap this play needs to hit. Check for run blitzes or nano blitzes coming from the A or B gaps pre-snap, since this play has minimal reach ability to adjust if defenders shoot those gaps immediately. Look at safety alignment, if both safeties are deep in a two-high shell there is more room underneath since one is not cheating into the box. User-controlled defenders sitting in the hole or crashing down hard on the mesh point are the biggest threat to this concept, so avoid calling it into stacked box looks.
Usage Tips
Use this out of obvious run down and distance like 3rd and short or 2nd and 2 to keep defenses honest against a heavier personnel look. Check the defensive line spacing pre-snap and if you see a 1-technique or bubble at the nose, this play hits fast before linebackers can flow. Pair this with PA Power O or Pats HB Dive from the same set so defenders keying run have to respect multiple gap schemes off similar action. Against teams that stack the box with 8 defenders, hot route a TE into a quick flare or check the play altogether since this dive has no answer for numbers advantage. Mix in Counter Y after running this a few times to punish linebackers who start crashing downhill too aggressively on the dive read.
