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Breakdown
PA TE Slide runs a play-action fake out of Weak I with a five man protection at the line, selling the run look before opening up three levels off the boot. The TE runs the namesake slide route, working flat across the formation underneath the two crossing routes, while the two outside wideouts run deep crossers in opposite directions to clear out the middle of the field. This is a zone beater at its core, using the TE slide as a hot read against underneath zone drops while the crossing routes stretch zone defenders horizontally and hunt for soft spots in intermediate zones. The primary read progression starts with the TE slide route working left to right underneath, then progresses to the deep crosser breaking toward the boot side, with the far crosser as the last resort if the pocket holds up.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they step up hard on the play fake you have a clean window to the TE slide route working underneath. Identify Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells before the snap since the crossing routes are designed to exploit the seams between zone defenders in these coverages. Man coverage with no safety help over the top can be a problem for the crossers, since press corners can trail the routes step for step across the field. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in a lurk spot near the TE slide route, since a good user player can jump this route and turn it into a turnover if the quarterback stares it down. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can collapse the pocket before the deep crossers develop, so check protection or account for a hot route if you see pressure showing pre-snap.
Usage Tips
Use this on early downs when you have already established the HB Power O or HB Gut from this Weak I Wing set so the linebackers bite on the run fake. Check the middle of the field pre-snap, if you see two high safeties this play action look holds up longer because defenders are more likely to respect the run action. Hot route the backside crosser into a deeper dig if you are facing heavy zone drop coverage and need a window past the second level defenders. Pair this with PA Boot Slide and PA Power O to keep the defense guessing on which direction the play action rollout is headed. Best called on second and short or first down to maximize the effectiveness of the run fake, since defenses are more likely to sell out against the run in those situations.
