Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Inside Cross out of Singleback Doubles Y Open lines up two receivers to the left, a lone receiver to the right, and a back and TE tight to the formation. The left outside receiver runs a deep dig that sits over the middle after clearing the linebackers, while the inside receiver on that side pushes a vertical seam to clear space underneath. The back releases into the flat and turns it into a swing/wheel look, the TE runs a shallow drag underneath the dig, and the backside receiver runs a corner route breaking to the sideline. This is a man beater built around the deep dig and shallow drag creating a natural rub, with the primary read progression starting at the dig, working down to the shallow drag, and checking the corner route or flat release as the outlet.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap since a shallow drop signals zone coverage and a fast drop into the flat or blitz alignment signals man or pressure. Watch the safeties pre-snap for two-high shells, which tell you Cover 2 or Cover 4 will bracket the deep dig and force you to rely on the shallow drag instead. Post-snap, look for a user-controlled defender sitting in the middle hook zone since this play is vulnerable to a lurking linebacker who can jump the shallow drag or the dig route. Against Cover 3, the dig route should sit down in the soft spot behind the underneath zone and in front of the deep third corner. If the corner on the backside routes route sinks hard, that signals man coverage and the corner route should win on a hard out break for a quick outlet.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage by looking for tight press corners and linebackers shaded over the TE, since the drag under the dig creates natural traffic that man defenders struggle to fight through.
Against zone shells, hot route the shallow drag deeper to sit in the hole behind underneath zone droppers and in front of the deep dig.
Use this play on second or third and medium when you need a chain-moving in-breaking route that also has a home run shot on the dig against Cover 3 rotation.
Pair this with Y Cross Flood or Mtn Stick N Nod earlier in a series so defenders start keying quick underneath routes, then hit Inside Cross to attack over the top with the dig.
If the defense shows blitz pre-snap, check into the flat release or swing route as a quick answer since the drag and dig both take time to develop.
