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Breakdown
PA Slide out of Split Backs 3WR (20 personnel) opens with a play-action fake to sell the run and hold the linebackers before the pocket sets. The backside receiver runs a deep out that breaks toward the sideline, the outer slot runs a corner route stemming vertically before bending to the boundary, and the inner slot works a deep dig that crosses the middle of the field into a flat route from the backfield, giving you a high low read from deep to short. This is a play-action man beater that stretches the field horizontally and vertically at once, with the primary read progression starting at the corner route, moving to the deep crossing dig, and finishing with the underneath flat as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Man coverage defenses struggle most with the corner and deep out combination because those routes attack the sideline and force defenders to run through traffic near the line of scrimmage. Cover 3 with a deep middle defender can be vulnerable if the crossing dig route sits down in the soft spot between the hook zone and the deep third, so watch for a linebacker who bites hard on the run fake and opens up that window. User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow middle are the biggest threat to the flat route and the underneath portion of the dig, so if you see a defender sitting and reading the quarterback's eyes, hold the ball and work the deep corner route instead. Pre snap, check for safety rotation toward the trips side. If both safeties bail deep before the snap it signals zone coverage and you should target the intermediate dig route over the middle. Cornerback press alignment on the outside receiver running the corner route is a strong indicator of man coverage, which means the deep out and corner routes have a clear one on one advantage if the fake holds the second level defenders.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs or second and medium when the defense is keying run action off the split backs look, since the play fake needs a defense that respects the run to fully open throwing lanes.
Check the safety alignment before the snap. Two high shells with soft corners favor the deep out and corner combo, while single high safeties leave the crossing dig open against man coverage underneath.
Hot route the flat route to a shallow drag or spot if you are facing zone heavy defenses that sit linebackers in the underneath passing windows, since the built in flat can get clogged against Tampa 2 or Cover 3 sink.
Pair this call with Curls Read Special or Slants earlier in a series so the defense starts jumping shorter routes, then hit them with PA Slide once they bite on the play fake and vacate the deep middle.
Against aggressive blitz teams, use max protect adjustments or keep the backfield in to block since the play action fake takes time to develop and a fast interior blitz can collapse the pocket before the corner route breaks.
