Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Spacing HB Wheel is a classic spacing concept out of Strong I Wing Close, using a 22 personnel grouping to disguise what is actually a pass-heavy horizontal stretch play. The backside receiver runs a deep go route to clear space, the outside receiver on that side settles into a shallow hitch, and the slot runs a quick out to sit in the flat, while the HB releases out of the backfield on a wheel route up the sideline against the flow of the formation. The tight end works a short flat/spacing route underneath, giving the quarterback a five-level horizontal progression from the wheel route down to the shallow hitch. Primary read progression starts with the HB wheel against man coverage or a blown assignment, then works down through the flat and hitch routes underneath as spacing beaters versus zone.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high safeties, since this play is built to exploit the flat defender's conflict against both Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells. Watch the linebacker or nickel defender assigned to the HB out of the backfield, if he widens too fast to cover the flat route he will lose contain on the wheel route once the HB turns vertical. Key the cornerback or safety over the backside go route, since a soft zone drop there means the deep throw is unavailable and the quarterback progression will stay underneath with the hitch and flat routes. Look for a user-controlled defender lurking in the shallow zone to jump the tight end's flat route or the slot receiver's out route, since these are the most vulnerable spots for a jumped throw and pick six. If the defense shows a nano blitz or overload pressure look pre-snap, expect the quarterback to need a quick decision, so the shallow spacing routes become the actual answer even though the wheel is the design's home run shot.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment pre-snap to identify if you are facing Cover 3 or Cover 4, since this play is specifically designed to attack both of those shells with the spacing routes and the HB wheel stretching the flat defender vertically.
If you see man coverage on the HB, especially a linebacker matched up, immediately key the wheel route as your first read since it creates a mismatch that most defenders cannot recover from once the HB turns upfield.
Use hot routes to adjust the backside go route into a comeback or dig if you are facing a hard Cover 2 shell, since the deep route can become a low percentage throw against two deep safeties.
Pair this play with PA FB Flat or PA Sprint HB Flat earlier in a series to sell the run action from Strong I, then come back to Spacing HB Wheel once the defense starts sneaking a linebacker down to stop the HB in the backfield.
Best used on second and medium or third and short to medium situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells, since the spacing routes underneath give you easy completions to move the chains even if the wheel is not open.
