Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 24 playbooks
Breakdown
Curls out of I Form Pro (21 personnel) sends the X receiver on a deep curl at roughly 12 yards while the Z receiver on the opposite side runs a curl breaking inside from the outside alignment, giving you a two-way curl combo that stretches zone drops horizontally. The TE runs a short drag/spot route underneath crossing the middle, and the number 1 receiver on the right runs a vertical seam/go to hold the deep safety and clear space for the curls. This is a zone beater at its core, using the curls to settle into soft spots against Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone drops, with the primary read progression starting at the near-side curl, working to the TE drag if linebackers sink into the curl windows, then to the backside curl as a final checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify two deep safeties, this signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 zone drops that Curls is designed to exploit with its horizontal stretch. Watch the flat defenders and outside linebackers post-snap, if they sink hard to cover the curls, the TE drag underneath becomes wide open. If the defense shows single high safety or man coverage indicators like tight press alignment on the outside receivers, expect the curls to get squeezed by physical corners playing trail technique. Key on any user-controlled defender lurking in the middle zone, since a smart user will sit in the throwing lane between the two curls and jump the shallow crosser. Beware disguised blitzes with linebackers crashing the A or B gaps, since a five or six man pressure package can collapse the pocket before the curls have time to develop at their full depth.
Usage Tips
Look for two-high safety shells pre-snap since Curls thrives against Cover 2 and Cover 4 where zone defenders have to sink and cover multiple horizontal windows.
Use the vertical route on the number 1 receiver to hold the deep safety, this opens up throwing lanes to both curls if the safety bites on the seam.
Hot route the TE drag into a deeper crosser or option route against man coverage since the shallow drag alone will get picked off by linebackers with underneath help.
Combine this play with HB Pass or PA Gos out of the same I Form Pro shell to keep the defense guessing between quick game and shot plays off similar formation looks.
Best called on second and medium or third and short to medium since the curls settle in quickly and give you a high floor completion against zone drops.
