Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA X Burst Hvy is a heavy personnel play-action shot play out of Singleback Wing Pair designed to hit explosive plays over the middle and deep outside once the defense bites on the run fake. The play-action carries an X receiver on a deep burst route (vertical seam or corner breaking route) while underneath routes hold linebackers and flood zones to occupy shallow defenders, with extra blockers from the 13 personnel package providing a strong play fake and pass protection punch. The primary read progression starts with the deep burst route on the X to see if the play-action freezes the safety, then works down to the intermediate crosser or flat option if the top is capped, and finally checks down to the underneath outlet against a hard blitz.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety rotation before the snap, if both safeties bail deep into a two high shell before the snap the play-action fake loses value and you should check into a quick game beater instead. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the run fake this play is designed to exploit that vacated middle of the field with the burst route. Identify man coverage by looking for the corner shadowing the X receiver off the line, since the deep burst route with play-action leverage is a strong man beater against man coverage that bites on the run fake. Key the weak side linebacker or nickel defender for a lurking user blitz off the edge, heavy personnel formations often bait aggressive user blitzes and the quarterback needs a quick protection check if that defender crashes unblocked. Watch for zone drops from underneath defenders sinking into the passing lanes, if the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone drops with linebackers sitting in the hook zones the underneath check down options will be tighter and the deep burst becomes the primary answer.
Usage Tips
Sell the run fake by pairing this call after running 26 Duo or HB Inside Zone from the same Wing Pair look so linebackers and safeties start cheating downhill before you hit them with the play-action shot.
Check the safety depth pre-snap, if you see a single high safety sitting at 10 yards or deeper he is reading run action and the play-action burst has a better chance to freeze him for the deep shot.
Against two deep shells, hot route the X burst into a deep comeback or adjust the intermediate route into a deep in to attack the seam between the corner and safety zones.
Use max protect adjustments on third and long or in shot situations when you have time to let the deep route develop, since the heavy personnel already gives extra protection but the play still needs a full protection count against exotic blitz packages.
Sequence this play after Power O or HB Counter Wk to keep linebackers reading run keys, then hit the X burst play-action shot when the defense starts stacking the box.
