Playbooks

PA U-drag Wheel

Singleback·Wing Tight·13

Play Action Wheel Drag Pass Play

Likely unavailable in the playbook builder

This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Diagram coming soon

Quick Reference

FormationSingleback

SetWing Tight

Personnel

131 RB · 3 TE · 1 WR

In 2 playbooks

Franchise College Pro OffenseOffense MUT KO Offensive Mastermind OffenseOffense

Breakdown

PA U-drag Wheel is a play-action pass out of Singleback Wing Tight 13 personnel that uses run-fake mesh to hold linebackers before attacking the flat and the deep sideline. The U (utility) motion man runs a drag route underneath while the wheel route works vertically up the sideline off the same fake motion, creating a natural man beater since the drag pulls a linebacker or safety before the wheel guy stacks and runs past him. The primary read progression starts with the wheel route against man coverage (look for a linebacker or slower defender matched up), then works down to the drag route as the checkdown against zone drops, with the play-action fake designed to hold second level defenders and slow the pass rush.

Defensive Reads

Pre-snap, check safety depth: two deep safeties suggest Cover 2 or Cover 4, which puts a flat defender in position to jump the wheel route early. Watch the linebacker assigned to the U man at the snap, if he bites hard on the play-action fake or the drag, the wheel route behind him is wide open for an explosive gain. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled lurk defender sitting in the flat or shallow zone, since a smart human defender will sit on the drag and rob the wheel if he reads the concept. This play struggles against Cover 3 sky or Cover 4 with disciplined flat defenders who can pattern-match the wheel route, so avoid forcing the deep throw into that shell. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the U man's side is the green light: press man or Cover 1 with a linebacker matched up in man is where this play hits explosive plays over the top.

Usage Tips

Run this from run-heavy personnel groupings so the play-action fake actually influences the linebackers and safeties, especially if you have already established HB Inside Zone or HB Power O earlier in the drive from this same formation.

Before the snap, identify if a linebacker or slot defender is aligned over the U man since that mismatch is what the wheel route is designed to exploit against man coverage.

If you see Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells, hot route the drag into a deeper crossing route or bench the wheel read and work the drag as your primary since the flat defender may carry the wheel in zone.

Use this on early downs (1st and 10 or 2nd and medium) when defenses are more likely to sell out on stopping the run, since obvious passing downs invite heavier zone shells that clog the wheel lane.

Pair this play in sequence with PA Boot Left or PA Roll Lt from the same set to keep the defense guessing between play-action rollouts and this straight drop, forcing linebackers to respect the run fake every snap.