Playbooks

Lead Swing Curls

Pistol·Bunch·11
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationPistol

In 2 playbooks

Franchise Offense BackerattackerOffenseFranchise Offense ChainmoverOffense

Breakdown

Lead Swing Curls is a play-action leaning dropback pass out of Pistol Bunch that pairs a swing route out of the backfield with a pair of curl routes breaking off the bunch stack, giving the quarterback a high low read against zone and a natural pick action against man coverage. The HB swing serves as the checkdown and screen valve while the curls settle into the intermediate zones between 10 and 15 yards, creating clear grass in front of Cover 3 or Cover 4 defenders. Primary read progression starts with the frontside curl breaking off the bunch, works to the backside curl if the underneath defender sinks too deep, and ends with the HB swing as the built in outlet against a hard blitz.

Defensive Reads

Watch for a single high safety rotating late since that usually signals man coverage or a Cover 1 robber sitting in the shallow curl zone. Identify if the slot or nickel defender is aligned with inside leverage on the bunch, that alignment often means a jam and trail technique designed to disrupt the curl timing at the top of the route. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, a shallow drop from the backer means he is sitting on the curl and the quarterback should look to the opposite side or dump to the swing. Watch for the flat defender crashing down on the swing route pre-snap, that usually means a nano blitz or edge pressure package that requires the quarterback to get the ball out quickly. This play struggles against Cover 4 quarters coverage where the safeties can sink hard onto the curls, so recognize match coverage rotation and be ready to check into a run or hot route into a seam beater.

Usage Tips

Look at the safety alignment before the snap, two high shells tell you the curls have room to sit down in the honey hole between the underneath zone and the deep half, one high tells you to expect man coverage or a robber lurking in the middle. Hot route the backside receiver into a corner route if you see Cover 2 to attack the seam vacated by the curl breaking outside. This play works best on second and medium to third and long because the curl to swing combo gives you a built in checkdown that keeps you ahead of the sticks without forcing a low percentage throw into a tight window. Pair this with HB Duo or HB Dive from the same Bunch set to keep defenders honest against the run before coming back to Lead Swing Curls once linebackers start creeping up in run support. Use the swing route as a hot read against a nano blitz off the edge since the HB can release quickly into space before the protection breaks down.

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