Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Fork runs off a play-action fake from Singleback Wing Stack 12 personnel, selling the run look before the quarterback works a vertical stretch on the backside. The two inside receivers fork away from each other at the top of their stems, one breaking outside on a deep out and the other stemming into a corner/flag route, while the fullback or TE releases underneath on a shallow crosser to the opposite flat and a check-down runs a short drag underneath everything. This is a play-action man beater designed to attack overaggressive linebackers and safeties who bite on the run fake, with the primary read progressing from the fork routes at the top of the screen down to the crossing route and finally the underneath check-down.
Defensive Reads
Read the safety alignment before the snap since a single high safety cannot rob both fork routes and will get stressed vertically. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the run fake it confirms man or aggressive zone drops that this play is designed to exploit. Key the flat defender on the crossing route side, a squatting corner or linebacker sitting on that route will jump the throw and create a user pick six opportunity. Two-high safety shells with disciplined linebackers who sink into their zone drops shut this down since they can cap the fork routes and rally to the shallow crosser. Blitz packages that bring extra pressure off the edge can beat this quickly since the fork routes take time to develop, so a hard edge rush or nano blitz forces a rushed or errant throw.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs like first or second and short to mid distance so the run fake actually holds linebackers and safeties. Check pre-snap for single high shells since the fork concept isolates the deep out and corner route against a lone safety who cannot cover both verticals. If you see man coverage, hot route the crossing route into a deeper in-cut to sit behind linebackers who bite on the play-action. Pair this call with HB Dive or HB Power O earlier in a series so the defense keys run fits, then hit PA Fork once they start crashing downhill. Against zone shells, work the underneath drag and crossing route since the fork routes will be capped by two-high safety help.
