Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls out of Pro Far with 21 personnel sends both outside receivers vertical before breaking down into curl routes at the top of their stems, sitting down in soft spots against zone or working back to the quarterback against man. The middle receiver runs a shallow drag/return route underneath to occupy linebackers and give a checkdown option, while the two X routes on the boundary release wide and climb upfield for a vertical stretch. This is a zone beater at its core, using the curl routes to settle into the throwing lanes between the underneath and deep zone defenders, with the primary read progression starting on the boundary curl (right side, marked 1), working to the backside curl, then checking down to the shallow crosser if both are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since two deep safeties usually signal Cover 2 or Cover 4, which squeezes the curl windows tighter than a single high look. Watch the flat defender or cornerback leverage at the snap, if he sinks with the vertical stem too early he opens the underneath curl window for an easy completion. Beware Cover 3 sky or match zone concepts, they can disguise a robber or lurk defender sitting right in the curl landing spot to bait a turnover. Man coverage with no help over the top is where this play struggles most, since the receivers have to win with separation rather than sit in a zone soft spot. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, if he flows hard to the shallow crosser it usually opens up one of the outside curls against lighter zone coverage.
Usage Tips
Use pre-snap motion or a hot route audible to check the flat defender's leverage before the snap, since curl routes live and die on how much cushion the corner gives.
Attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells with this play because the curl sits right in the hole between the underneath zone and the deep third or deep quarter defenders.
If you see man coverage, hot route the shallow crosser into a speed out or slant to give your quarterback a quicker, more reliable throw against tight man leverage.
Pair Curls with Slants or Double Comeback in the same set to create a horizontal stretch package that punishes linebackers and safeties for guessing.
Best used on second and medium to second and long, since the curl depth typically sits around ten to twelve yards and moves the chains without forcing a low percentage deep shot.
Combine with HB Slip Screen as a change of pace call to keep aggressive blitzing defenses honest before coming back to Curls.
