Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Slot Wheel is a play-action shot play out of Singleback Y Trips TE Slot with 12 personnel that sells run action before attacking the seams and boundary. The trips side runs a deep in, a corner route, and a wheel route out of the backfield look, while the backside receiver runs a deep dig across the middle and the inline TE releases on a short check into the flat. The primary read starts with the wheel route working up the sideline as your man beater against linebackers or safeties who bite on the play fake, then progresses to the deep dig on the backside if the wheel is capped, with the corner route serving as a zone beater against two high shells that vacate the flat.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since a single high safety leaves the wheel route in a lot of one-on-one grass against a linebacker. Watch for linebackers cheating toward the line of scrimmage on run fakes, since that flow is exactly what the wheel route exploits for explosive plays. Post-snap, identify any user-controlled defender flying downhill on the run fake, because that opens a running lane for the wheel man once he clears the line. Cover 3 with a fast flowing linebacker to the wheel side can shut this down if the defender sinks and reroutes the wheel route before it stems vertically. Zone blitzes that bring pressure while dropping a safety into the deep half can take away both the corner route and the wheel, forcing the quarterback into the backside dig read.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage or linebackers cheating up on run action before the snap, since the wheel route is designed to torch any defender who bites on the play fake.
Use motion or a hard count to confirm if the defense is playing man versus zone, then hot route the flat TE into a quicker outlet if you see a blitz look.
This play pairs well with HB Dive or Power O out of the same set, since the run action tunnel vision on early downs sets up defenders to overreact to the fake later in the drive.
Best called on second or third and medium when defenses are more willing to sell out on the run, giving the wheel route room to break open downfield.
If the corner route gets jumped by a deep safety, come back to the backside dig for a chunk gain over the middle of the field.
