Bingo Cross is a five man route play out of Singleback Tight Doubles 11 personnel that stacks vertical stems on the outside with a deep crosser working from the backside receiver all the way across the field. The X and TE run outside vertical releases up the numbers while the deep crosser slices underneath them to the opposite sideline flat area, and the RB stays in as a check release option releasing on a short in cut underneath the line of scrimmage. This is a man beater built to exploit natural picks: the crosser drags across the formation to lose man defenders in traffic while the two verticals stretch the deep coverage vertically. Primary read progression starts with the deep crosser working left to right, then climbs to the vertical routes on the far side if the crosser is taken away, with the RB check release as the outlet valve versus pressure.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment, a two high shell that rotates late can jump the crosser and undercut the throw. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow linebackers sitting in the crosser's lane will squat and bait a turnover if the quarterback stares down the drag route too long. Post-snap, identify any user controlled defender flying downhill toward the crosser's route, that lurk threat is the biggest risk to this concept. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can take away the RB check release, forcing the quarterback to climb the progression to the outside verticals. Man coverage with no help over the top is the ideal shell to attack since the crosser will consistently separate through traffic against trailing defenders.

Usage Tips

Look for single high safety shells before the snap since the two verticals on the outside will stress a Cover 3 or Cover 1 defense that has to bracket both sidelines.

Use the deep crosser as your first read against man coverage because it naturally picks off trailing defenders working through the formation traffic.

Hot route the RB into a wheel or flat route if you diagnose zone coverage underneath to give yourself an extra vertical stretch on the boundary.

Pair this play with PA Boot and PA Sprint HB Flat from the same set to keep defenses guessing between traditional drop back reads and play action rollouts.

Best called on second and long or third and medium since the deep crosser and verticals take time to develop and need the quarterback to hold the ball.

Bingo Cross

Quick Reference

In 7 playbooks

Receiver routes

Read progression

Breakdown

Defensive Reads

Usage Tips

Other Plays in Tight Doubles