Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Stretch out of Singleback Doubles sells outside zone action with a play fake to the HB before working a three level pass concept to the play side. The backside X runs a deep corner route stemming off the boundary, the TE releases from an in-line look on a shallow drag underneath, and the frontside slot runs a quick out at the sticks while the play side WR runs a deep vertical up the numbers off the same stem, creating a natural high low with the corner route and out route stacked underneath the go. This is a play-action shot play built to punish zone defenses and safeties who bite on the run fake, with the primary read starting on the deep corner route and working down to the flat out if the corner is capped.
Defensive Reads
Watch the play side safety at the snap, if he steps up hard on the run fake the corner route is live for a big play over the top. Identify Cover 3 by the deep third alignment, the corner route will need to split the deep defenders so look to bait the flat defender before throwing the corner if the window is tight. Against man coverage, especially Cover 1 or Cover 0, key the underneath linebacker assigned to the drag route since a blitz off the edge can collapse the pocket before the deep route develops. Beware of a hard edge blitz or contain defender crashing down on the run fake, since this can disrupt the play-action timing and force an early, inaccurate throw. If the defense shows two deep safeties presnap and holds them post snap, this is a strong indicator of Cover 2 or Cover 4, favor the flat and drag routes underneath rather than forcing the corner route into coverage.
Usage Tips
Run this early in a series once you have established HB Stretch or Inside Zone from the same personnel so linebackers and safeties respect the run fake and step up.
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties rotate down to run support or a single high safety cheating toward the box this play has a clean shot window over the top.
Hot route the shallow drag into a deeper crosser against man coverage if you diagnose Cover 1 or Cover 3 press, since the drag can get picked easily but a deeper crossing route creates more separation against trailing defenders.
Use the flat route as your checkdown against Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells where the corner route will be squeezed by a deep half safety, take the easy completion and move the chains instead of forcing the shot.
Pair this play in sequence with HB Stretch and Tight Zone Wk to keep the defense guessing between the run and the play-action shot, since the mirrored zone action makes it very difficult for defenders to key run versus pass presnap.
