Playbooks
PA Power O out of Weak I is a play-action deep shot that sells the Power O run fake before releasing receivers into a vertical stretch. The fullback and offensive line show down blocks and a pulling guard just like the run version, freezing linebackers and drawing up the strong safety before the quarterback pulls it back to pass. This is a man beater and a shot play designed to attack single high and press man coverage, with the primary read progression starting deep outside to the go or post breaking route, then working down to the intermediate crosser, and finally checking to the backside flat or the halfback leaking out of the fake as the checkdown.
Pre-snap, identify whether the strong safety is cheating down into the box, that tells you the defense is respecting Power O and is vulnerable to the play fake. Watch the linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the run fake before recovering, the middle of the field opens for the crossing route. Post-snap, key any user controlled defender dropping into a deep third or playing a lurk technique near the intermediate crosser, that is the biggest threat to this concept. This play struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells where both safeties stay deep and refuse to bite on the run action, since the vertical routes run into help over the top. Blitz packages that bring extra defenders off the edge can beat this play if the offensive line is outnumbered after the fullback and pulling guard commit to selling the run block, so check protection numbers before the snap.
Run this after establishing Power O and HB Gut a few times so the linebackers and safeties start keying run action off the same backfield look.
Check the free safety depth before the snap, if he is sitting at 8 to 10 yards in a single high shell this play has a much better chance of hitting the deep shot.
If the defense shows Cover 3 or Cover 1 with the corner playing outside leverage, hot route the backside flat receiver into a quick out to punish the flat defender who is stuck honoring run fits.
Use this on early downs, first and second and short to medium, since the run fake is more believable and defenses are more likely to bite on the play action.
Sequence this with HB Stretch and Mesh Z-Dig in the same drive so defenders cannot sit on any single tendency and the play action window stays open.