Play action passing is one of the most effective tools in an offense’s play calling arsenal. By simulating run action, it manipulates defensive reactions by slowing down pass rushers and freezing linebackers just long enough to create opportunities behind them downfield.
Whether it’s executed from under center or shotgun, the deception becomes even more potent, as the traditional run-action mechanics force defenders to commit more fully to stopping the run before recognizing the pass.
The conventional wisdom is that under center play action is the preferred play call of choice between the two because it is more closely aligned with running the football. The key advantage of under-center play-action is the extra time it takes for the play-fake to develop.
Unlike shotgun, where the run or pass is often more immediately apparent, the under-center fake forces defenders to pause and read the play longer. This hesitation creates larger passing windows and slows down the pass rush, giving the quarterback more time and space to operate.
In one example from Week 3 of 2019, the Green Bay Packers (under then-first-year head coach Matt LaFleur) called a fullback leak out of 22 personnel in an I-formation. Fullback Danny Vitale was the target here downfield. The play-action from under center allowed the fake to develop slowly, making it even more convincing.
By using this method, the Packers made it extremely difficult for Broncos defenders to quickly diagnose the play. The second-level defenders, particularly the linebackers, took their initial steps toward the line of scrimmage as Aaron Rodgers executed the run fake.
The linebackers were positioning themselves to fit up the run on the fullback, causing them to hold their positions just a split second longer as they tried to identify whether it was a run or pass. That slight delay was enough to create openings in the coverage and let Vitale get open behind them as he navigated through the hole.
From the end zone angle, the effectiveness of this under the play-action becomes even clearer. The defensive line hesitated before rushing the passer, and the linebackers were late to drop into their zones as they focused on the backfield action. That extra moment of uncertainty is all Rodgers needed to exploit the defense and deliver a successful pass.
Packers’ play action in 2024
In 2024, the Packers called more under center play action than shotgun, but were a slightly more efficient team when running it out of the gun. They had 54 passing attempts from under center and 43 out of the shotgun.
The data in the two charts above is courtesy of Sports Info Solutions. They are sorted using their advanced charting features and do not include any run-pass options out of shotgun, as RPOs are essentially a cheat code and skew the data. When sorted, the data shows that the Packers' use of shotgun play action was more effective and efficient than under center.
In the current era of the NFL, at least for the Packers under Matt LaFleur, and the Kyle Shanahan offensive tree in general, under-center play action is becoming a relic and is less effective at drawing the attention of the second level defenders.
As a result, LaFleur and company have gotten more creative with their shotgun play action designs, as it gets more of the reaction that under center used to command. Other teams, like the 49ers, just don’t call as much play action as they used to 5 years ago, using it 10-15% less than before and using under center play action less frequently in particular.
In these clips from last season, you can see how there is really no effect on the second level defenders to the play action. Almost immediately, they’re gaining zone depth upon seeing the play action fake. To be fair, in some of these, quarterback Jordan Love does a poor job of executing the play fake and doesn’t adequately sell the run. But part of that may be due to the quarterback turning his back and wanting to get out of there early to turn and throw.
The key to unlocking shotgun play-action efficiency lies in the way LaFleur packages his run designs and personnel groups, and marries them with formations and motions. A lot has been written about “making the run and play action pass exactly the same.”
This play sequence illustrates what LaFleur is after with play action out of the shotgun. LaFleur called this run game concept three times before hitting the Lions' intermediate defenders with a play action pass off the same action.
It’s a run design where the quarterback motions the ball carrier behind him similar to a pistol formation in 21 “pony” personnel (two running backs instead of a running back and fullback). It’s a clever way to get to a counter run design out of pistol because it gets the linebackers' eyes moving on their guy pre-snap, making them hesitate and think about an extra step before the snap.
In this game, the Packers gained 16 yards on the three run calls above, setting up an explosive pass play off the same running back action on a play-action pass.
The primary receivers are Tucker Kraft on the short crossing route and Dontayvion Wicks running the mini dagger route behind it.
Above, you can see where the linebacker's eyes are looking: in the backfield. They bite hard on the run fak,e and no one covers Kraft on the crosser.
Love hits Kraft over the middle, and he rumbles for a gain of 21.
This run design out of a gun formation evolved from a concept they called frequently earlier in the season called “spinner” counter where the offensive player who motions behind the quarterback ends up running a fly sweep fake, while the quarterback executes a spin move before handing the ball off to the next back behind counter blocking.