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.

NFL Pass Concepts #5 the dagger concept

The dagger concept is a major concept at the NFL level. It has great value because it is an excellent route vs man and zone. It is highly effective vs. both coverages. Some great  qbs such as Rivers, Brady, Mahomes, Wentz and Stafford have made a nice living off this concept.

First the route concept

The route concept is a play side dig by #1 and a post by #2 to run the safety out. The shallow cross comes from the other side with the other wr  with him usually running a vertical corner/deep out route followed by the shallow cross. You will often see teams stack the 2 wr to help get an off man situation like the Eagles do below.

Advantages of the concept:

1. It is good against any zone: cover 2, cover 4, 6 or cover 3 variations.  The read is the same, read the alley player(curl, flat defender. You read the dig to the shallow.  It is also effective vs cover 1 defenses.

2. The safeties and cb are taken care of by the post or skinny post by the #2 wr and this opens the dig window.

3. It is excellent vs man as most teams will run it vs some type of stack formation. This usually creates some type of soft coverage and again the reads are the same. 

4. It is a great route to run with 6 man protection. You can handle most 5 man pressures and the shallow cross is a great man beater if it's a 5 man pressure with man principles. There is no sit down and he usually can get open on the crossing route.

5. When you hit the shallow it allows the wr to catch the ball full speed with room to make more plays in the open field.

Again the route concept below

The reads are the same for both which makes this route so hard to defend.

VS COVER 3

The Patriotts come out in 12 personnel and the Raiders go cover 3 with the single high. The great playaction opens the window for the shallow cross. 

Lbs are playing the run off the play action

Easy read on the shallow 

Here's another example of the route vs cover 3.

Rivers loved this concept with the Chargers, you can see it opening up.

Nice call and the dig is open so he throws it off the alley defender.

Here's 3 clips from The Chargers vs cover 3

Rivers and the Chargers run it vs the Falcons. Nice design, good spacing and easy read for Rivers.

Dig window is closed so he throws the shallow off the curl flat defender.

Nice read and completion.

Here's a few clips of the concept vs cover 3

You will see some completions on the dig as well as the shallow. 

VS COVER 4 

The Eagles vs the Vikings.

Eagles in 11 personnel but split the TE in a flex alignment. They do a nice job running the safety out of there with the #2 wr which opens up the dig window. Again sane read for the QB.  

Nice job as the dig is open as well as the shallow but makes the right read.

Here some clips vs cover 4

vs cover 2

Again the route concept doesn't change and the reads are the same. That's the beauty about running the dig, it's great vs all zone coverages.

Here Tom Brady and the Bucs do a nice job on it.

Same read as it's a universal route.

vs Cover 2 clips

vs cover 1(man)

There are 2 nice options as I see it.

1. When you run the shallow with the tight end because he will often get outside leverage by the nickel db. This puts him in great position leverage wise to beat the Nickel or safety inside.

Cover 1 

TE is getting open.

Good concept as the TE wins the battle on the crossing route.

2. When you get man, you will see teams stack their wr which often leads to off man and you can run your shallow and all your other routes as well from the stack look, (mesh is another common one) This is a great man beater because if the front man runs a good route, it is very hard for the cb to get thru the traffic and be a factor on the shallow crosser.

Again man coverage 

WR gets a great release.

Dig isn't there so take the shallow.

good concept and completion.

Here are some man clips

Jaguars variation of Dagger out of 3x1

The best thing you can do vs 3x1 is take advantage of the cover 4 and 2 read variations where they want to jump #3 vertically.

By rule that happens below