Playbooks
PA Cross Dig is a play-action pass out of Singleback Y Off Trio Close that uses the run fake to freeze linebackers before attacking the middle of the field with a crossing dig route. The dig sits down in the intermediate zone while a crosser clears underneath, creating a natural high-low read against zone coverage and a pick element against man coverage. Your primary read progression starts with the dig breaking across the field, then works down to the crosser if the dig window is closed, with the deep shot available if the safety bites on the play fake.
Read the safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety cheating toward the dig route side signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and tells you the crosser underneath will be open. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they bite hard on the run fake and step up, the dig has a clean throwing lane through the vacated middle zone. Identify Cover 2 shells by two deep safeties sitting at depth, this coverage can squeeze the dig late so be ready to check down to the crosser or the checkdown route. Look for a spy or blitzing linebacker off the edge, since the play action rollout timing can get disrupted if the protection does not account for a delayed blitzer. Beware Cover 4 or match quarters looks where the safety who reads the dig route can undercut it, in that case work the crosser or hot route to a man beater based on the corner leverage.
Use this on early downs in the 5 to 12 yard range where defenses expect run action from Trio personnel, since the play fake carries more weight when the defense respects the run tendency.
Check the linebacker depth pre-snap, if the Mike and Will are sitting shallow expecting run support, the dig will have a clean throwing lane once it crosses the middle.
Against man coverage, the crosser working underneath the dig creates natural traffic that rubs off man defenders, so trust the window even if it looks tight.
Pair this call with Y Shallow Cross or Mesh earlier in a series so the defense starts keying underneath crossers, then hit them with the deeper dig window for a bigger explosive play.
Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or hitch against Cover 2 shells to give yourself a checkdown if the safety rotates over the top of the dig.