NFL PASS CONCEPTS # 6 SHALLOW CROSS

THE SHALLOW CROSS

THIS IS PART 6 OF MY UNIVERSAL ROUTE CONCEPT SERIES. I BELIEVE IN ROUTES IN THE PASSING GAME THAT YOU CAN RUN VS MAN OR ZONE AND TEACH QB THE PROPER READS. YOU HAVE ANSWERS VS ANY COVERAGE.

ROUTE CONCEPTS AND OTHER ARTICLES

#1 DOVER https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/search?q=DOVER+ROUTE

#2 MESH https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2021/12/meshroute.html

#3 SAIL ROUTE https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2021/02/nfl-pass-concept-3-sail-route.html

#4 4 VERTICALS https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2021/02/nfl-pass-concept-4-4-verticals.html

#5  DAGGER https://coachkoufootball.blogspot.com/2022/01/DAGGER.html

#6 SHALLOW CROSS

THE SHALLOW CROSS IS A GREAT ROUTE CONCEPT. IT IS EASY TO RUN AND A QB FAVORITE AT BOTH THE NFL AND COLLEGE LEVEL. 

IT CAN BE RUN WITH THE RB RUNNING A CHUTE ROUTE OR AN OUT AND UP, WHICH YOU WILL SEE CERTAIN COACHES RUN. 

ROUTE CONCEPT #1 

NOW KEEP IN MIND YOU HAVE A TE RUNNING IT OR A WR DEPENDING ON THE FORMATION AND PERSONNEL GROUPINGS. YOU CAN RUN THIS CONCEPT WITH ANY PERSONNEL GROUPING WHICH MAKES IT A GREAT UNIVERSAL PLAY.

WORKING LEFT TO RIGHT, THE #1 WR HAS AN OPTION ROUTE. IF THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD IS OPEN HE WILL RUN A POST. IF IT IS NOT HE RUNS A 9 CUT. THE QB CAN SNEAK A PEAK WITH #1 BUT HE ISN'T THE PRIMARY WR. AT THE PROLEVEL THIS WILL BE AN ALERT THROW. #2 WILL RUN A DIG  ROUTE AND CAN SIT IT DOWN VS ZONE AND # 3 WILL RUN A SHALLOW(CAN RUN THIS WITH #4 WITH A RUB ROUTE OFF #3. RB RUNS A CHUTE TO THE FLAT.

EXAMPLE #1 

VARIATIONS

#2 BRING THE BACK ACROSS THE FORMATION.

#3 RUN AN OUT AND UP WITH THE RB-SMART FOOTBALL GETS INTO THE CONCEPT IN MORE DETAIL.

http://smartfootball.com/passing/bobby-petrinos-shallow-cross-concept-concepts-routes-and-protection#sthash.cvpUhw3s.dpbs

#4 RUNNING THE DIG AND THE SHALLOW CONCEPT TO THE SAME SIDE. BOBBY PETRINO IS A COACH WHO WILL RUN IT THIS WAY. 

Thanks to Chris Brown's article on the NY Times Fifth Down Blog

#5 IS GETTING THE RUB ROUTE VS MAN BY RUNNING #1 OFF OF THE SCREEN BY #2 LIKE DEMONSTRATED BELOW. 

Air Raid Playbook: Shallow Cross - CougCenter

Air Raid Playb

NOW THE READS FOR THE QB:

1. SHALLOW: THE GOAL IS TO THE HIT THE SHALLOW

2. IF THE SHALLOW IS COVERED LOOK TO HIT THE SQUARE IN. 

3.  THE RB

4. SOME TEAMS WILL THROW THE POST IN AS THE #3 READ BUT MANY COACHES I SPOKE WITH WILL USE THE POST AS A PRESNAP ALERT TYPE THROW. 

WASHINGTON ST LEACH

I THINK IT IS AN EXCELLENT ROUTE CONCEPT VS COVER 2 AND YOU WILL OFTEN SEE THE DIG OPEN VS COVER 2

WASHINGTON ST VS COVER 2

Air raid version shallow

COVER 2

IN THE CONCEPT BELOW, THE LB TAKES THE SHALLOW CROSS WHICH OPENS THE DIG. THE WR FINDS THE VOID IN THE ZONE FOR A NICE COMPLETION.

shallow to dig progression.

IN THE NEXT EXAMPLE THE CROSS IS WIDE OPEN SO THE QB THROWS IT. NICE ROUTE EASY COMPLETION.

HERE;S THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD OPEN CONCEPT.

LOOK HOW QUICKLY THE BALL IS OUT. THIS MOF CONCEPT IS SOMETIMES AN ALERT THROW AT THE PRO LEVEL. 

MIDDLE OF THE FIELD OPEN PRE SNAP. QB MAKES A QUICK DECISION AS IT'S COVER 4 WHICH MEANS MIDDLE OF THE FIELD MAY BE OPEN. HE MAKES A GOOD READ AND HITS IT FOR A BIG GAIN.

Here you see the shallow with the  dig window opening up.

Nice job taking a peak and hitting the wide open post route for a touchdown.

HERE'S ANOTHER THROW WHERE THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD IS OPEN.

VS MAN COVERAGE,

YOU WILL OFTEN GET THE SHALLOW OPEN ON MAN AT IS A TOUGH ANGLE FOR THE SAFETY TO GET THERE IN COVERAGE

SEAN MCVAY Y CROSS-

JAMES LIGHT  DOES A NICE JOB LOOKING AT THE CONCEPT WHEN MCVAY WAS WITH THE WFT.

SEE HIS CLIPS HERE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YOMrKgTEGk

MCVAY HAS THE #2 WR RUN A STOP/HOOK PATTERN RATHER THAN A DIG OR SQUARE IN. 

HERE IS THE ROUTE OUT OF 12 PERSONNEL WITH A WING FORMATION

Here are just some of the shallow cross concepts you will see.