Explosive Plays: Week 5, 2024

Lead Swing, Mesh Traffic, Quads, Crunch, WRs in the backfield, and more in this week's article!

QUADS + MESH TRAFFIC

This play design is so good on so many levels. First, the formation identifies the coverage for the QB: Empty Tight Bunch Quads with the HB as the single WR outside the bunch. This indicates a man coverage pre-snap because a LB has walked out with the HB. It looks to me like Cover 1 with a Bracket on Justin Jefferson as the Strong Safety comes out of the roof to overplay the in-breaking route stem. Regardless, Aaron Jones wins off the line of scrimmage and gets UP for this Go ball.

I like the rest of the passing concept here too. This is a variation of the popular Mesh “Traffic” concept where the Low Shallow Cross coming from the back-side has three rubs across the middle. It’s difficult to tell completely, but it appears to me that the inside WR in the bunch is running a Crosser (Mesh & Climb, similar to a Leak route), the point WR runs the true Hi Shallow Cross (on top of the mesh), and Jefferson (outside WR in the bunch) runs what looks like a Flag route - normally reserved for the outside WR in an inverted Smash concept. He takes a release like he is running a shallow route then bursts up and out as the Low Shallow is crossing from the back-side. I generally don’t like plays that “just don’t work” against certain defenses, and this play is a great example of one that has answers vs. anything. And speaking of plays that need a specific look to work…

WANDA WHAM (CRUNCH)

It took a minute, but Crunch is back in 2024. Thanks to the Dolphins playbook leak over the summer, we now know it as 14-15 Wanda Wham! I still have an issue with this play that based on what I’ve seen, it has to be run to a 3 Technique DT in order for the angles and numbers to work out, but when it does, it’s quite magical.

• Y: Wham 3T

• PST: Block DE out

• PSG: Wham 1T

• C: Climb to PSILB

• BSG: Wham BSDE

• BST: Climb to BSILB

  

The angles really allow the HB to scream through the B gap knowing the hole is going to be there. They get away with needing a specific look because they can audible to or out of this play based on the front. I don’t personally know any high school offensive playcallers that give their QB the freedom to check to totally different plays. Sure, throw the back-side hitch if the CB is 10 yards off, but that doesn’t require changing the entire play for everyone else too.

Paid subscribers can read the rest of the article featuring:

• How are star WRs always seemingly wide open?

• Alternative uses for Lead-Swing concepts

• New twist on Counter

• Red Zone run game

We also have the monthly in-season Q&A coming up this Tuesday, October 15th for premium subscribers. The link to submit questions is below the paywall. Thank you for supporting Wide Zone Warriors!