Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
TE Attack out of Singleback Wing 12 personnel is a Four Verts variant built around a play-action shot concept. The play diagram shows both outside receivers running straight Go routes up the sideline, the backside TE releasing vertically into a Post, and the inline TE running an angled route that breaks flat before turning upfield into a deep Corner. This is a man and Cover 2 beater that stresses the deep half or the safety over the top, with the primary read progression starting at the Corner route breaking outside the numbers, then working to the Post crossing the deep middle, and finally to the Go routes on the perimeter if the safeties bite on the shorter breaking routes.
Defensive Reads
Identify single high versus two high safeties before the snap since this play is designed to punish Cover 2 shells with the Corner and Go combination stretching the deep quarter. Watch the flow of the play side safety after the play-action fake, if he steps up to help in the run fit the Post route behind him becomes an explosive gain. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the biggest vulnerability for this play, so if you are on defense, disguise press man with a deep half safety rotated to the play side TE to take away the Corner route. Zone defenses with linebackers sitting in shallow hook zones can be beaten easily since none of these routes work underneath, so if you are defending against TE Attack, get depth quickly with your safeties and avoid biting on the play fake. On defense, user the deep half safety and lurk toward the sideline number to jump the Corner route since that is the quarterback's first read and most contested throw against Cover 2.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a hard count to bait the safeties into showing their shell before the snap so you know whether you are attacking Cover 2 or single high safety looks.
The Corner route from the inline TE is your first read against Cover 2 since it settles into the honey hole between the corner and safety, so key on that defender immediately after the play fake.
If the defense shows Cover 3 or a single high safety, work the backside Post since it crosses into the vacated middle of the field once the safety widens to help on the Go route.
Call this on early downs or in shot situations like second and long where defenses may sit back in zone, and pair it in sequence with PA Verts Y Dig or Sluggo Seam to keep defenders guessing on your play-action shots from this same formation.
Hot route the far outside Go route into a Comeback if you see press man corners jumping the vertical stem, since Four Verts concepts are vulnerable to aggressive man press without a hot adjustment.
