Defensive coordinators love to tell people that they will let the opposing offenses to nickle and dime them down the field. Their reasoning is offenses will make a mistake and the defense will take advantage.

But defensive coordinators are full of shit.

Because they can’t handle an offense that gets three to four yards a throw on simple key screens. Pretty soon the defensive coordinator will yell at his kids about flying up to the key screens and soon…

…you will be faking the screen and going deep.

Some of My Favorite Locks

Two-Back Push Motion Formation

You knew I was going to show you the fake wide receiver screen from the Two-Back Push Motion formation, didn’t you? Of course you did. You know how much I love this formation. And you know how crazy it drives defensive coordinators.  That’s why it is the perfect formation for the Fake Quick Screen.

Why?

To answer that question let’s put ourselves in the shoes of the defensive coordinator. You are playing against us. You see us come out in this formation and run the Inside Zone with the Comet Screen. We are killing you. Throwing and running the ball at will. Fine. So you start to play games on the back side of the play. You start scrape exchanging and all of that shit you hear Saban do.

That’s cool. We run the Pin and Pull RPO against you.

Then you decide to bring the pressure and lock everyone up man-to-man.

Fine. We run our play-action game against you. And are scoring at will.

And that’s driving you crazy. So you call a time out. You are screaming and yelling at your players to be more aggressive. To make a play and be an athlete. You break the huddle and your kids are fired up. They come out and stop the offense for a loss on a bubble screen.

Fantastic.

Now the kids are feeling it. They are juiced. They are ready to TEAR SOMEONE’S HEAD OFF. And you know what happens the VERY NEXT PLAY?

Your kids are so aggressive they jump the pump fake to the quick screen and let their man free down the field.

TOUCHDOWN!

Wide Receiver Rules

L Receiver - You are running the gift route. Your job is to be the ‘Oh Shit’ route in case something happens.

F Receiver - You are running the Push Motion Comet Screen. When the quarterback pump fakes towards you you will throw up your hands as if you are catching the ball. You are trying to get every defensive back’s eyes on you. You will stop at the bottom of the numbers after you fake the catch and show your hands to the quarterback. You are an ‘Oh Shit’ route in case something goes wrong.

Y Receiver - You are fake blocking the Comet Screen. You must SELL THE BLOCK! Pound your feet and show your hands. When the defender tries to engage you then you will slip by him - either inside or outside - and get on the hash.

R Receiver - You are fake blocking the Comet Screen. You must SELL THE BLOCK! Pound your feet and show your hands. When the defender tries to engage you then you will slip by him - either inside or outside - and get on the bottom of the numbers.

Quarterback’s Thought Process

You will pump fake the Comet Screen to the F Receiver. YOU WILL MAKE SURE YOUR HAND COMES OFF THE BALL TO SELL THE FAKE! You will then reset your feet and go through your progression:

1. Numbers - If you have no defender in the grass area of the numbers route then you will throw him the ball. If you do then you will hitch up and go to your second progression.
2. Hash - If you have no defender in the grass area of  the hash route then you will throw him the ball. If you do then you will hitch up and go to your second progression.
3. Comet Route - You will check the ball down to the F receiver running the Comet route.

 

3 x 1 Formaton

You should be in some form of 3 x 1 over sixty percent of the time. That means you should be running a key screen for a good amount of time in this formation.

Defenses can only stay two-high for so long. Once they start to spin down to take away the key screen then you NEED TO GO TO THE FAKE QUICK SCREEN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN!

Wide Receiver Rules

L Receiver - You are running the gift route. Your job is to be the ‘Oh Shit’ route in case something happens.

F Receiver - You are running the Key 3 screen. When the quarterback pump fakes towards you you will throw up your hands as if you are catching the ball. You are trying to get every defensive back’s eyes on you. You will stop at the bottom of the numbers after you fake the catch and show your hands to the quarterback. You are an ‘Oh Shit’ route in case something goes wrong.

Y Receiver - You are fake blocking for the Key 3 screen. You must SELL THE BLOCK! Pound your feet and show your hands. When the defender tries to engage you then you will slip by him - either inside or outside - and get on the hash.

R Receiver - You are fake blocking the Key 3 screen. You must SELL THE BLOCK! Pound your feet and show your hands. When the defender tries to engage you then you will slip by him - either inside or outside - and get on the bottom of the numbers.

Quarterback’s Thought Process

You will pump fake the Key 3 screen to the F Receiver. YOU WILL MAKE SURE YOUR HAND COMES OFF THE BALL TO SELL THE FAKE! You will then reset your feet and go through your progression:

1. Numbers - If you have no defender in the grass area of the numbers route then you will throw him the ball. If you do then you will hitch up and go to your second progression.
2. Hash - If you have no defender in the grass area of  the hash route then you will throw him the ball. If you do then you will hitch up and go to your second progression.
3. Key 3 screen - You will check the ball down to the F receiver running the Key 3 screen.