Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Dig out of Singleback Deuce (12 personnel) sells the run fake before releasing a five man route concept designed to attack the middle of the field. The backside receiver runs a deep dig across the field while the frontside stacks a deep post/vertical clear-out over a shallow crosser and an underneath flat route, with a check-release back sitting in the shallow zone. This is a play-action man and zone beater: the dig sits down in soft zone windows against zone coverage, and the crossing traffic underneath creates natural rubs against man coverage. Primary read progression starts with the deep dig coming across the middle, then works down to the shallow crosser and check-release option if the dig window is closed.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth immediately after the snap. Linebackers who bite hard on the play-action fake and step up will open a massive throwing lane for the dig route. Identify single high safety looks pre-snap. This indicates man coverage or a Cover 3 shell, both of which the crossing routes are designed to defeat with natural picks. Key the underneath zone defenders on the shallow crosser and flat route. If they sink too deep into their zone drops, the shallow crosser becomes an easy checkdown against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells. This play struggles against disciplined Cover 2 or Cover 4 defenses where the safeties stay deep and refuse to bite on the fake, since the dig has to be thrown into tighter windows underneath two deep defenders. User-controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field can jump the dig route if the quarterback telegraphs the throw, so look off the deep safety before committing to the dig read.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or in second and medium situations where defenses respect the play-action fake and bite on the run look.
Check the safety depth pre-snap. Two deep safeties sitting at 10 plus yards signal a soft zone shell that opens the dig window immediately after the fake.
If you see man coverage indicators like a single high safety with corners in press, trust the crossing traffic to create natural separation on the dig and shallow routes.
Hot route the check-release back into a deeper option route against teams that spy or blitz the middle, since the play action fake can be a beat slow to develop against fast pressure.
Pair this with HB Dive or Power O earlier in a series to sell the run fake convincingly, then come back to PA Dig once the defense starts crashing linebackers downhill on run reads.
