Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn PA Boot is a play-action bootleg out of Singleback Wing 12 personnel that shows a run fake to the backfield before the QB rolls out behind a naked boot action. The route diagram shows two vertical seam/corner routes breaking outside from the middle of the formation, a third receiver running an out-and-up style corner route from the numbers, and a flat route from the wing TE that sits underneath as the boot outlet. Primary read progression starts with the flat route off the boot for the quick access throw, then works to the deep out-breaking route on the play side, and finally to the far side corner route if the pocket holds up on the rollout.
Defensive Reads
Watch for user-controlled defenders spying the quarterback on the rollout since Mtn PA Boot loses value fast if the edge is contained. Cover 3 and Cover 1 with an overhang defender flowing hard to the boot side can erase the flat route and force a difficult throw into the deep corner. If linebackers stay disciplined and do not bite on the run fake, the underneath flat route will be covered immediately and the quarterback has to hold the ball longer, so contain rushers become a problem. Two high safety shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4 tend to shut down the deep out-breaking route on the play side, so shift the primary read to the far side vertical route instead. Blitzes off the backside edge away from the boot are the biggest threat since the offensive line is often selling run and the quarterback has no easy escape lane.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs like 1st and 10 or 2nd and short so the run fake actually threatens linebackers and safeties.
Check for single high safety pre-snap because the boot action away from that safety opens up easy throwing lanes on the play side corner and out routes.
Hot route the flat route into a deeper route against teams that spam underneath zone drops if you are not getting anything easy near the line of scrimmage.
Pair this with straight run calls like 26 Duo or HB Power O earlier in a series so linebackers start keying run fakes and bite on the play action.
Roll to the side with the two stacked vertical breaking routes when facing man coverage since the leverage on the boot creates natural separation against trailing defenders.
