Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Ctr Shot is a play-action shot play out of Singleback Wing Pair Heavy 12 personnel that sells a center run fake before attacking the deep half of the field. The two receivers to the play side run a levels-style concept underneath, with one dragging shallow across the formation and the other running a deep crosser that settles as a pivot route, while the outside receiver takes the top off the coverage on a vertical seam. The clear-out vertical opens a window for the crosser, making the deep in-breaker the primary read off the play-action fake, with the shallow drag as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Key the middle linebacker at the snap, if he steps up hard on the run fake the crosser and seam will both open behind him. Versus Cover 3, the deep crosser sits in the natural hole between the flat defender and the deep middle third defender, making this a strong zone beater. Watch for a user-controlled safety spying the crosser, since a rangy user defender can undercut the deep in-breaking route if the quarterback stares it down. Cover 2 shells with capped safeties can take away the vertical seam, so be ready to check down to the shallow drag against two deep defenders. Man coverage with an aggressive blitz off the edge is the biggest threat to this play since the shot concept takes time to develop and the offensive line is committed to the run fake blocking scheme.
Usage Tips
Run this out of early down situations like first and ten or second and medium so the play-action fake actually holds linebackers and safeties.
Check the safety depth pre-snap: if you see a single high safety rotate away from the vertical route, throw the seam immediately off play-action.
Use the shallow drag as your hot route answer versus overload blitzes since it clears fast underneath and gives you a built-in blitz beater.
Pair this with Mtn Power O or Mtn HB Plunge earlier in the drive so the run fake actually sells and defenders bite on the center run action.
If the defense shows two-high shells, work the deep crosser over the middle since it settles in the void between the hashes.
