Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
PA Boot from the Weak I H Wing set sells the play-action fake to the backfield before the QB boots out to the flat side, opening up a deep vertical shot off the naked action. Post-snap the H wing on the play side runs a corner/flag route up the seam, the backside receiver runs a deep out breaking at the top of his stem, and the flanker on the boot side runs a shallow drag underneath while a wing/TE chips out on a shorter drag crossing the field. This is a play-action shot play built to punish teams selling out against the run, with the deep flag as the primary read and the crossing drag as the checkdown against zone drops.
Defensive Reads
Watch for man coverage indicators such as corners lined up tight with no safety help over the top, since the flag route will win one-on-one against most trail technique corners. Key the play side linebacker and safety rotation right after the snap: if they crash hard on the run fake, the boot side flag will be wide open in the vacated zone. Identify Cover 3 by a single high safety staying deep middle, which usually leaves the flat defender responsible for both the drag and the flag route, forcing a tough choice. Look for a spy or contain defender staying home on the boot side edge, since disciplined defenses that do not bite on the fake will collapse the pocket and force an early checkdown. Beware of Cover 2 corners sitting on shorter routes and safeties rotating deep, which can jump the flag route if the QB does not sell the fake and hit his landmark quickly.
Usage Tips
Run this on early downs (1st or 2nd and short to medium) when the defense is stacking the box to respect the Weak I run game.
Pair it with HB Power O and HB Gut earlier in a series so linebackers start keying run fits, making the play-action fake to this call hit harder.
Check safety depth before the snap: if both safeties are shading up near the box, the deep flag route will have single coverage and should be your first read off the boot.
Hot route the backside out route into a deeper comeback against Cover 3 shells to widen the window away from the flat defender.
Use the drag route as your answer versus Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells where the corner route gets squeezed by a deep half safety.
