Playbooks
At a Glance
In 2 playbooks
Overview
H U Off is the heavy variant inside Weak I, pairing 22 personnel (two backs, two tight ends) with the fullback offset weak and the H tight end aligned as a wing on the strong side just off the line. Where the base Weak I sets keep both tight ends attached and the backfield stacked, H U Off flexes the wing off the ball, which gives you a legal motion man, a lead blocker on both sides of the formation, and a second-level release for the H against slower linebackers. That single alignment tweak is what turns a pure downhill run set into a play-action and gadget package.
Strengths
- Counter F, H Counter Strg, and HB Gut give you three distinct gap runs from the same look, so pulling direction and point of attack change without changing personnel or formation.
- The offset wing lets you motion the H across the formation pre-snap to diagnose man versus zone, and if the defender travels you already know to attack with TE Flat or TE Drag off the same shell.
- PA Waggle is a legitimate Cover 3 and Cover 1 beater out of a run-first look because the play-action rollout pulls the flat defender up and clears the boundary sideline for a crossing tight end.
- 95 Willie and 94 Will attack the strong side seam and hook window, which punishes single-high shells that rotate hard to your run strength.
- Hook Ins gives you a clean high-low read against zone with underneath sit routes that convert third and medium without asking the line to hold a five-man protection.
Weaknesses
- Only two true receiving threats release quickly on most plays, so any user in the middle of the field can sit on the tight end windows and bait throws into the hook zone.
- Heavy personnel invites the opponent to bring base or goal line packages with extra linemen, and inside blitzes hit the A gaps before the fullback can climb.
- There is no vertical field stretch outside the numbers, so cover 2 corners can squat and Cover 4 safeties can play flat footed with zero fear.
- Play-action rollouts leave you exposed to edge pressure and contain rushers, and a user-controlled defensive end crashing the boot side kills PA Waggle before the read develops.
- Route depth is short across the board, meaning third and long from this set is nearly always a checkdown or a scramble.
Usage Tips
Live in this set on first and second down when the defense shows base personnel with a single-high safety, then let Counter F and HB Gut set up PA Waggle later in the drive.
Motion the H across pre-snap on every third play to read coverage, then audible to TE Flat or TE Drag if you confirm man coverage with a linebacker traveling.
Hot route the fullback to a flat or block depending on your pressure read, and slide protection toward the boot side before calling PA Waggle so contain rushers do not free release.
Use 95 Willie and 94 Will in the red zone when the defense sinks its safeties, since the strong side seam window opens fast against squatting linebackers.
Against heavy blitz users, check to Hook Ins and target the quick sit route, then follow it up with a counter run once the defense stops crowding the box.
