Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Y-Post out of I Form Close (21 personnel) sends the TE on a deep post from the middle of the formation while the backside receiver runs a deep out breaking toward the sideline. The FB releases into a shallow crossing route underneath, and the near receiver runs a deep comeback toward the sideline, giving three levels of stretch across the field. This is a man beater built to attack single high safety looks, with the primary read progression starting on the Y-Post seam shot, working to the shallow drag from the FB if the post gets taken away, and finishing with the outside comeback as a boundary outlet.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle of the field pre-snap, if there is only one deep safety, the post route has a strong chance to split the defense for an explosive gain. Watch the flow of the linebackers after the snap, if they widen out to cover the FB crosser, that confirms zone coverage and opens a passing window behind them for the post. Key the corner over the comeback route, if he sits at a shallow depth and does not turn his hips downfield, he is likely playing man and vulnerable to a double move. This play struggles against two deep safety shells like Cover 2 or Cover 4, since the post has to fit into a tighter window and the safety can rotate over the top. Be alert for a user-controlled defender sitting in the middle hook zone or lurking off a blitz disguise, this can jump the post route if the quarterback delivers the ball late.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safety alignment before the snap, if you see one deep safety shaded to the post side, expect the corner to be isolated in man and throw the post with anticipation. Use motion or a formation shift to see if the defense adjusts its shell, this helps confirm man versus zone before the ball is snapped. Hot route the backside comeback into a fade if you are facing a corner playing off coverage, this creates an easy pitch and catch against soft man. Pair this play with HB Zone Toss or Power O out of the same Close set to keep defenses honest on early downs, then hit them with Y-Post once they start selling run. Best used on second or third and medium when the defense is more likely to play single high or man coverage looking to stop the run first.
