Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
PA Sprint HB Flat sells the run fake before releasing three routes off play-action sprint action. The backside X runs a deep vertical up the seam, the TE works a shallow drag into a corner route breaking outside near the numbers, and the HB slips out to the flat underneath while a checkdown crosses the middle of the field short. This is a play-action shot play designed to attack zone defenders who bite on the run fake, with the deep corner route as the primary read against single-high safety looks and the flat route as the quick answer versus zone drops or blitz pressure.
Defensive Reads
Watch for a single deep safety pre-snap, that tells you the corner route has a soft window to work with against Cover 3 or Cover 1 shells. If both safeties are deep and split wide in a two-high look, expect the deep vertical and corner route to be covered, force the quarterback to the flat or checkdown. Key the linebackers at the snap, if they step up hard on the play-action fake it opens the underneath crosser and flat route for easy completions. Watch for a user-controlled defender spying the flat or sitting in a shallow zone lurk, that threat can jump the HB route and turn it into a pick six. Look for edge pressure or a delayed blitz off the sprint side, since the quarterback has to set his feet after the play-action fake, a well-timed blitz can disrupt the whole progression before routes develop.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs like first and ten or second and short so the play-action fake actually holds linebackers and safeties for a beat.
Check the safety alignment pre-snap, if you see one deep safety cheating to the play side, throw off the fake to the corner route sitting behind him.
If the defense shows two-high shell or you see linebackers sinking hard into zone drops, dump it quickly to the HB flat route before the pocket collapses from edge pressure.
Hot route the underneath crosser to a hook or sit route against man coverage teams that like to run with backs out of the backfield.
Pair this with HB Dive and Inside Zone earlier in a drive to get defenders keying run fits, then dial up this play-action shot when you see linebackers creeping into the box.
