Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 16 playbooks
Breakdown
DBL Outs from the I Form Close set is a dropback pass play built on two out routes breaking to opposite sidelines from the outside receivers, giving the quarterback a clear high-low horizontal stretch. The TE runs a deep corner route up the seam and away, clearing out space underneath, while the HB releases into the flat for a check-down or swing option off the backfield. This is primarily a man beater since the two out routes attack cornerbacks in man coverage by breaking hard to the boundary, and it also works as a zone beater against sink coverages by settling the outs into passing lanes over shallow defenders. The primary read progression starts with the near-side out route, moves to the TE corner if the linebacker or safety bites on the underneath routes, and checks down to the HB in the flat as the outlet.
Defensive Reads
Watch for cornerbacks playing outside leverage press man, since jamming the release on the out routes disrupts the timing needed for this concept to hit on schedule. A single-high safety shell with aggressive linebacker depth signals man coverage underneath, which is exactly what the out routes and TE corner are designed to exploit. User-controlled defenders sitting in the flat or curl-to-flat zones can jump the HB check-down and the near-side out route, so quarters or Cover 3 sink with a disciplined underneath defender is the biggest threat to this play. Look for late safety rotation to the strong side after the snap, which tips a zone blitz or robber coverage that can undercut the TE corner route. If the defense shows a nano blitz or interior pressure package pre-snap, the HB in the flat becomes the fastest outlet since the out routes take longer to develop and the quarterback may not have time to progress through the full read.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the cornerbacks are playing off man or sitting in zone since the out routes need separation at the break point to work against tight man coverage.
Look for two-high safety shells before the snap, since single-high looks often mean the corner route from the TE will run into help over the top and you should prioritize the out routes instead.
Hot route the backside out into a comeback or curl if you see the defense rolling coverage hard to the strong side, since this keeps the concept balanced against rotating zones.
This play works best on second and medium to second and long, where the horizontal spacing of the out routes matches the down and distance for a manageable completion.
Pair this with HB Toss or Power O out of the same personnel to keep the defense honest against the run, then come back to DBL Outs once linebackers start cheating up on early downs.
