When the Post Route is Doubled

DANGER AHEAD

Doubled WRs are an example of the defense winning the battle over space. But the phrase is vague if left alone and needs the analysis of leverage to tell the whole story. When we look at doubled situations, we are looking at the intersection of numbers, space, and leverage all wrapped into one play.

This post will look at two plays where a WR is doubled in two different ways.

Number One

This concept is a play action Post-Wheel concept against a MOFC defensive structure. The number one receiver at the bottom of the screen runs a post against a corner with over and outside leverage. This particular leverage is advantageous for the offense. However, there is a middle of the field safety (a post safety) that keeps the QB from throwing the post.

Watch the WR at the bottom of the screen:

The post safety starts 15 yards from the line of scrimmage, cheats up briefly, and then gets deep to maintain leverage on anything deep with his eyes on the QB. Because he is a zone defender, he will go where the QB’s eyes take him. If the QB were to lock on the post and throw it, this safety would be able to make the play. His insistence on getting depth allows his to maintain over and inside leverage on the post, an advantageous position unlike the cornerback’s. So while the post has leverage on the cornerback, it doesn’t have leverage on the safety.

The QB could have anticipated that leverage pre-snap by the safety’s middle of the field alignment and then post-snap he could confirm this safety’s leverage by the depth the safety maintained.

Number Two

This concept is a big under center play action with a post and deep sit route. The sit route is designed to pull any deep defender down on it to create leverage and space for the post over top. The safety in the middle of the field plays low and latches on to the sit route, seemingly opening up space for the post.

However, watch the cornerback on the top of the screen:

This cornerback has eyes on the sit route as well and is running over and outside the sit. The safety is over and inside. The TE running the sit route takes a strong vertical release, so these two defenders are maintaining leverage on the vertical route to take that deep space away and not let this TE beat the vertically. The TE sits down so he is able to defeat this leverage simply by the design of the play. His pal running the post is not so fortunate.

The WR running the post at the bottom of the screen has leverage on the cornerback like the WR running the post in the first play — the cornerback here is over and outside as well. The QB must’ve seen the safety in the middle clamp down on the sit and thought that because the post WR’s leverage was good, he was good to make the throw. Not so fast.

The cornerback at the top of the screen was very fast and got eyes to the QB in time to see the QB rip the post. The depth of the post route allowed this cornerback to missile back full speed and get underneath the post. When throwing the post, the QB can usually afford to throw it a little short because it allows the WR to work back to the ball. That tactic is another example of using leverage. The WR has that space to work because his cornerback is over and outside. That didn’t work here though.

This play doesn’t work because the cornerback at the top of the screen cut off and defeated the underneath leverage that the QB expected his post to have. The QB’s read on the post was correct if he had only considered the cornerback. However, if you pause the film right before the QB is getting into his throw, you can see that the cornerback has zone hips and is a tad too over and outside the sit. It’s difficult to say to the QB he should’ve seen that, but it’s why the play didn’t work.

Conclusion

Leverage is at play everywhere and is especially relevant when talking about post routes because of how much space this route covers. Because it attacks so much space, there are more defenders that can become a factor. Sometimes this is easy to see, sometimes it is harder. But the leverage principles that tyrannically govern this game are always present.

Until tomorrow,

Emory Wilhite

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