Playbooks
PA Verticals out of Singleback Y Off Trips is a play-action shot play designed to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells with four vertical stems flooding the deep part of the field. The play fakes a hand off to sell the run fit, drawing linebackers and safeties up before the outside receivers and slot from the trips side stack up the seams and sidelines vertically. Your primary read progression starts with the deep safeties: if they bite on the play fake or widen late, work from the trips side seam route to the backside go, using the numbers advantage to isolate a corner or find the void between the two deep safeties in Cover 2.
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense shows two high safeties or rolls to single high after the motion or shift, since this dictates which vertical route will have the softest window Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard to defend the play fake, the middle of the field opens for the seam routes before the safeties can rotate over Post-snap, track any user controlled safety playing lurk or robber technique in the middle of the field, since a heads up defender sitting on the deep middle can jump the inside seam route Beware disguised Cover 1 or Cover 0 blitz looks that show two high pre-snap then rotate down, since the extra rusher can collapse the pocket before your route stems clear the linebackers This concept struggles against aggressive press man coverage with deep safety help over the top, or against a well timed blitz package that beats the play fake and forces an early throw
Check the safety alignment before the snap and confirm you have a two high or single high shell since this play is built to exploit both Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenders who bite on the run fake
Use play action rollouts sparingly with this call since the design wants a full drop back look, so pair it in sequence with PA Boot Rt to keep defenders honest on the edges
Hot route the backside outside receiver into a deep out or comeback against aggressive corners playing press man to give yourself a quick answer if the safety help rotates late
Call this on early downs or after establishing HB Power O and Off Tackle so linebackers step up on run fakes, opening bigger throwing lanes for the four verticals
Against Cover 3, target the seam route in the honey hole between the flat defender and deep third safety, and against Cover 2, throw off the safety's hips to whichever vertical he does not commit to