Playbooks
Breakdown
PA Boot Slide is a play-action bootleg out of Singleback Wing Slot 12 personnel that pulls the QB away from the play call fake to attack the flat and intermediate window on the same side. Off the run fake, the backside receiver runs a deep crosser toward the far sideline while the two receivers on the boot side stack a deep vertical seam and a shallow crosser underneath it, giving the QB a high low read as he rolls out. The primary progression starts with the shallow crosser sitting in the flat as the immediate outlet, then climbs to the deep seam runner if a linebacker or safety jumps the underneath route, making this a solid man beater against aggressive linebacker flow and a zone beater against defenses that widen out to cover the flat.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap: if they crash hard on the run fake, the shallow crosser and flat route will be wide open behind them. Key the flow of the strong safety, since Cover 3 shells that rotate him to the boot side flat will take away the underneath crosser and force a throw to the deep seam. Identify man coverage by checking if defenders turn their backs to the QB on the play fake, which signals a green light to hit the shallow crosser immediately. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in the shallow flat or lurking the crossing route, since this indicates the user is baiting the quick throw to jump the route. Against Cover 2, the deep seam route will need to split the safety and corner, so only throw it if the safety bites on the underneath crosser first.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs when you have established the run game so linebackers respect the play fake and bite on the boot action.
Check the middle of the field pre snap: if the safety rotates hard to the boot side, hot route the deep crosser into a comeback to sit in the void behind him.
Roll the QB out with purpose since the play design already moves the pocket, so avoid holding in the pocket and instead get depth on the rollout to open passing lanes.
Pair this with PA Boot Y Sail or PA Boot TE Leak in the same game plan so the defense cannot key on one boot concept, forcing linebackers to hesitate on run fits.
Against man coverage, take the shallow crosser quickly since it naturally picks off trailing defenders, especially versus Cover 1 or Cover 3 man variants.
