This design gets the running back involved as he becomes the primary option running the rail route. The main difference in this design is the use of the RB downfield, and Z WR running a sit route over the ball. This “mesh rail” variation is arguably the most popular mesh design in football right now. With the drag route route runners looking to settle in voids of zone coverage, it makes for a versatile concept that offenses can run. It should be noted that this progression stays the same against all defensive looks. The corner from the Z WR is mostly a pre-snap decision for the QB that he can utilize if he identifies space/matchup opportunities. A perk of the mesh concept is that all areas of the field are worked, allowing the QB to find easy ways to “throw into pressure”, as many quarterbacks are taught to do. The QB must understand that the goal of this concept is to immediately release 5 eligible receivers downfield, therefore, he must anticipate blitzes and look to get the ball out quickly. Quarterback Coaching Points and Progression Z Receiver- Work vertical to 10 yards, steep vertical angle out of cut. Be prepared to sit in zone voids once passing the pre-snap alignment of the RT. Be prepared to sit in zone voids once passing the pre-snap alignment of the LT. Z Receiver - Work vertical to 10 yards, steep vertical angle out of cut. TB(Right Side)- Release wide with urgency on a flare route. Stay on the move.įB(Left Side)- Check pass protection. While mesh is a blitz beater, offenses will like this play better against man blitz teams! Route Coaching Points vs Man and Zone These situations will speed up the need for the ball to come out, and challenge the receivers and QB to be on the same page. Many teams will look to confuse teams by dropping DL, or replacing blitzers with secondary players to fill voids in coverage. If the defense looks to get home quick against the 5-man pass protection of the offense, it could create potential issues. Mesh can often struggle against a zone blitz or simulated pressure. The corner route is also a great option against cover 2 attacking the near safety, and against soft corners in cover 3 and cover 4 defenses. The drag route runners will look to settle their routes down, while the arrow and flare routes out of the backfield are still options. This is different than something like the class Y Cross concept, which is adaptable but can often hit much deeper down the field. While, this is dependent on solid execution, mesh is built for short, but solid completions against zone. Similar to the shallow cross concept, the ability to get the ball to guys on the run is a spread coach's dream.īase Zone Coverages - While defensive guys may have input here, if your guys are trained up on this play, there are answers against cover 2, 3 and 4. The QB will be likely to find a completion in man scenarios, by analyzing the RB on his rail route, before transitioning to the slot receiver utilizing the pick in the middle of the field, running away from his matchup. Man Coverage - Two of your best athletes in your RB and slot WR have the opportunity to beat their 1 on 1 matchup. Offenses will run this in a variety of circumstances, as it is a stable play-call against almost all types of defensive coverages. Against zone, it empowers receivers to find voids in coverage, and allow the QB to find completions. Against man coverage, it allows playmakers to stay on the move. Mesh is a short to intermediate concept that works to create natural picks/confusion for the defense. With many different variations and tags to include in this play, you’ll see why offenses across all levels are adapting mesh into their offensive system. Mesh combines the potential for downfield completions, with underneath route runners looking to stay on the move vs man, or settle in open zone voids. However, this play has made its way into many offenses across football, as it possesses principles that appeal to any offense looking to bolster their passing attack. Mesh is arguably the first play that pops to mind when thinking of the Air Raid Offense.
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