Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Rams Pivot Dig out of Singleback Tight Y Off Flex lines up in 11 personnel with the outside receiver running a pivot route that sits down and works back across the middle into a dig, the backside X releasing vertically up the seam and breaking outside on a deep corner route, the inline TE running a quick out to the flat on the play side, and the HB checking release out of the backfield on a wheel up the sideline. This is a man beater built around the pivot to dig combo, since the pivot route's stick and break back is designed to create separation against tight man coverage while the wheel from the backfield attacks man defenders who stay attached to the HB. The primary read progression starts with the pivot to dig coming across the middle, then works to the flat route underneath, and finally checks the deep corner and wheel if the defense rolls coverage away from the middle of the field.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety depth before the snap, two deep safeties suggest Cover 2 or Cover 4 that can squeeze the dig route, while one high safety often means Cover 3 or man coverage that the pivot route is designed to exploit. Watch the flat defender assigned to the TE's out route, if he sits and jumps the route early, that opens a window behind him for the dig to settle in. Key the linebacker responsible for the middle hook zone, since a lurking user controlled linebacker can rob the dig if he reads quarterback eyes fast enough. Man coverage with inside leverage on the pivot receiver gets beaten badly by the double move nature of the route, so blitz packages that bring extra rushers while staying in man are the most vulnerable to this concept. Zone blitzes that bring five and drop a corner into the shallow zone can undercut both the pivot and flat routes, forcing the quarterback to hold the ball and check down late to the wheel.
Usage Tips
Attack this play on second and medium to third and medium when the defense is likely to play man coverage. Check the cornerback leverage pre-snap, if the corner over the pivot receiver is playing tight and inside, the pivot to dig has room to sit down in the void behind him. Use motion or a hard count to confirm man versus zone before the snap, since the pivot route loses value against soft zone shells that can squat on the break. Combine this play with PA Boot Slide or PA Deep Out from the same set to keep linebackers honest on run action before hitting them with the dig over the middle. If the user drops a defender into the shallow zone to rob the dig, work the HB wheel route as a home run answer against man leverage linebackers. Pair this call with Shallow Cross earlier in a drive so the defense starts biting on quick underneath throws, opening up the deeper dig route later.
