Learning to Teach Shallow Cross
With Coach Mitch Johnson
This is a new series where I interview a coach on how he runs a certain concept. The focus of these posts will be to not only dive into the base rules of the play, but discover what makes the play work and what stops the play from working. In this post, we’ll go over how Coach Mitch Johnson, HC at Green Hope HS (NC) teaches the Shallow Cross concept.
Twitter: https://x.com/CoachMMJohnson
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CoachMitchJohnson
There were many nuggets of gold found in this conversation that opened up my eyes and unlocked some roadblocks I’d had with the play, and I hope you can find the same benefit even if you’ve run the play for years.
Intro to Shallow Cross
The Shallow Cross concept is a quasi-quick game drop back passing play that puts the outside overhang in a bind by running a Dig behind his head with a Shallow Cross route coming from the opposite side at full speed and low to the line of scrimmage. The key to the play is creating a lot of space horizontally by stretching the Dig WR wide and creating a lot of space vertically by keeping the Shallow Cross route close to the line of scrimmage. While the play can hit at the Dig or the Post, the goal of the play is to get the ball to the Shallow Cross on the run and give the QB an easy throw that is almost like an extension of the run game.
Drawing
Assignments & Key Coaching Points
X: 10 Yard Post
The Post WR takes a wide split and runs a 10 yard post aiming for the goal post, but does not cross the hash so he can create more space inside between himself and the safety.
H: 10 Yard Dig
The Dig WR takes a wide split and must take an outside release around the overhang (who is most often the primary read since he is in the grass the Shallow Cross is attacking). He has the ability to cut the route short around eight yards and make a speed cut if he has cleared the overhang and feels that quickening the route would limit the next underneath defender (the inside linebacker) from covering him. In turn, if the inside linebackers are playing more heavy on the Shallow Cross, which happens if you run a lot of Mesh, then the Dig can be a little deeper to create even more space. Furthermore, if the inside linebackers are blitzing, then the Dig can shorten his route even more and just get to that vacated space to become friendly to the QB as fast as possible.
Y: Shallow Cross
The Shallow Cross is running on the heels of the DL and does not stop. He can start to throttle down once he gets to the numbers. Once the players get comfortable with the play, then they can start to settle in zone spaces, but the emphasis at first is getting across the field as fast as possible.
Z: 10 Yard Out
The Z cuts his split down to the top of the numbers and runs a 10 yard speed out. This route is a pre-snap read by the QB and not a part of the progression. If the defense is playing Cover 3 where the cornerback is playing inside leverage and getting deep after seeing any vertical threat, then the QB is free to make the decision pre-snap to work this route.
R: Swing
The RB runs a normal Swing route and gets width to pull linebackers out with him. However, if no linebacker is a threat to his route, then he can yell “Ball! Ball! Ball!” and the QB is taught to get him the ball immediately.
Q: Throw the Shallow Cross Until the Defense Takes it Away
This is the basic read:
Pre-Snap: Speed Out
Shallow Cross
Dig
Post
Swing (Check down, or if Speed Out isn’t there he works that route based on his pre-snap decision)
Pre-snap, the QB takes a look at the grass over the Out and determines if the route is viable. He is looking for a no underneath threat either from a safety coming down or a linebacker getting wide. From the cornerback, he is looking for inside leverage and a consistent bail at the snap or as a reaction to a vertical threat from the WR. If the QB is wrong on his pre-snap read, then he should look to get the ball to the RB on the Swing. However, if that isn’t there, he should throw the ball away. A more advanced QB could work the Dig coming across the formation as his number three read if he is comfortable with it.
The QB is thinking Shallow Cross all the way. He is reading the grass where the Shallow Cross will end up and if there is a defender in that grass, then he’ll move on to the Dig. He is taking a three step drop, but should be ready to throw to the Shallow Cross as soon as that WR gets across the center if it’s open. In that instance, the play can feel like quick game. Otherwise, he should be getting as much depth as possible and waiting for the Shallow Cross and Dig to put the overhang in conflict and create a big open space on the edge of the defense.
As soon as the QB sees the overhang start to carry the Dig and turn his back to the QB, the QB is good to hit the Shallow Cross. This decisiveness will give the Shallow Cross WR plenty of time and space to react and get upfield to make a play.
In turn, as soon as the QB sees the overhang come down or stay low in the grass the Shallow Cross is attacking, the QB can immediately start to think Dig. The Dig will open up more when the QB thinks Shallow Cross first because his eyes might bring the defenders down even more toward the Shallow Cross.
The QB will be able to hit the Post route in stride when the safety in an open defensive structure tries to get involved with the dig or gets overtop the post when the underneath Dig and Shallow Cross are covered. The ball should be thrown with middle trajectory (2 ball) and should not be a big post down the middle of the field, but more like a deep slant.
For example, against Cover 2 when there are five underneath players, there is a good chance that the defense will be able to match numbers in the underneath space because of the two corners in the flats. This will make the Shallow Cross difficult to complete since the cornerback in the flat has such outside leverage. Against a closed defensive structure, the Post can be available real skinny if, once again, the defense is able to match numbers quickly on the Dig and Shallow Cross in zone coverage.
A key to being able to get to the Post is the speed at which the QB can and should work through the play. In fact, Coach Johnson says that he thinks of this play as more quick game than drop back because the Shallow Cross to Dig read is more of a 1A/1B read than a 1 to 2 read like in a normal pure progression. The QB is reading that grass and if it’s cloudy at all, then he can get his eyes up to the post as the second read in his progression even though it’s the third route.
Alignment
The alignment of the Shallow Cross WR and the Dig WR are major points of emphasis and vital to making the play work.
Shallow Cross WR’s Alignment
The Shallow Cross WR’s rules are to be within three to five yards of the tackle unless the ball is on the hash since he’ll naturally already be tighter. He needs to be this tight to the OL because of the primary defender being put in conflict. If he is far away, then the overhang will be able to take away the Dig early and this will give time for the inside linebacker to pick up the Dig while the overhand can then fall off to take the Shallow Cross away too.
Dig WR’s Alignment
The Dig WR’s alignment needs to be as far away from the OL as he can take the overhang. Meaning, if the overhang will follow the WR super wide, then the WR needs to get super wide. However, with some overhangs there might be a split that results in diminishing returns. If the overhang won’t go super wide, then going super wide won’t be as effective. Take that overhang as far as he’ll go.
The purpose is the same reason the Shallow Cross WR needs to be tight — this overhang needs to be in conflict and the combination of the Dig WR’s wide split with the Shallow Cross WR’s tight split puts the overhang in a serious horizontal stretch. If the overhang plays the Dig, then there will be tons of grass for the Shallow Cross. And since the Dig’s split is so wide, if the overhang plays the Shallow Cross, then there is a lot of space for the Dig since he got wide from the box where the next underneath defender is (the inside linebacker).
What Makes the Play Work
There are multiples keys to making the play work, but one technique that stands out is the outside release of the Dig. The outside release forces the overhang to cover him because the overhang has no outside, underneath help. Since the overhang has to respect the outside release, he usually turns to carry the vertical to pass it off to a safety and this action creates space for the Shallow Cross route.
If the Dig WR takes an inside release, then he doesn’t put the overhang in conflict because the overhang doesn’t need to cover him — he can just pass the route off to the inside linebackers since these linebackers are inside. Another result of an inside release, though this error can occur without an inside release, is that the Dig can get to 10 yards too quick and get across the field too quick. Again, this makes the jobs of the inside linebackers easier since instead of them having to go search and find the Dig to cover, the Dig is running at them and covering himself.
The wide split and outside release of the Dig WR complements the Shallow Cross route getting across the field fast and staying low to the line of scrimmage. Those two things, speed and low to the line of scrimmage, are so important because they create space. The speed of the WR can flood the zone to the Dig side because if he gets there without someone chasing or by beating someone chasing, then the offense gains numbers to that side of the field. By him staying low to the line of scrimmage, he creates more space between himself and the Dig player that the overhang has to cover.
How the Defenses Defend Shallow Cross
Defenses will try to take away the play by playing tight underneath coverage like in Cover 3 or any pattern-matching concept to take away those windows in between inside linebackers. This creates tight throws and limits space for the Shallow Cross route to catch and get upfield. When the defense plays like this, a good complement is to attack outside through Sail or Y-Cross to get away from the crowded inside and away from the free safety.
Cover 0
Against Cover 0, there is going to be an opportunity to hit the Shallow Cross because the route is a “run away” route that puts a defender in a situation where he has to keep up with speed. This situation gives the Shallow Cross WR the opportunity to create space through speed. Additionally, the Post route becomes attractive because it is also a run-away route and against Cover 0, there is no post-safety.
Cover 1
Against Cover 1, the Shallow Cross is attractive as well because it’s man coverage and the Shallow Cross WR can beat the linebacker over him with speed. However, on the Dig route, if an advantageous matchup exists, then that route can be available to the QB as well.
Cover 2
Against Cover 2, the Post becomes available if the safety gets width and the Post can get into the middle of the field. If the safety isn’t getting width, then the Post route can take it steep and try to get over top the safety. The Dig can become available quickly, but since there are five underneath defenders, there is not a lot of space in the linebacker windows for the Dig or the Shallow Cross.
Cover 3
Against Cover 3, there is always the opportunity to hit the pre-snap Out route if the cornerback is bailing and inside. Additionally, the RB’s Swing route often comes available since he gets wide fast and is in a one on one opportunity with a linebacker in the flat.
Cover 4
Against Cover 4, the Shallow Cross and Dig are available because there is a lot of space underneath due to only three defenders being responsible for that space. So, the ball goes to the Shallow Cross route and the Swing route often since those are the underneath routes in the concept. Additionally, if the defense is playing a bailing Cover 4, the pre-snap Out route is attractive even more so than Cover 3 because there is one less threat of an underneath defender being able to get under the out route in the flat.
Conclusion
The Shallow Cross play is about getting the ball to a player streaking across the field into open space. Because the routes opposite the Shallow Cross are verticals, the defenders are pulled vertically, creating space for a player on the run to catch and get upfield fast. When the defense starts to play underneath to limit that space, space for the Dig opens up in between linebackers.
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