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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Curls out of Pistol Doubles Flex Hip is a three level route concept built to attack zone drops while still giving you man beating leverage on the boundary. The two outside receivers to the left run vertical stems that break down into curl routes at roughly 10 to 12 yards, sitting down in soft spots between underneath and deep zone defenders, while the flexed slot receiver runs a quick out and up the sideline to occupy the corner and clear space underneath. On the backside, the single receiver runs a shallow drag across the field that can act as a checkdown or a hot route against pressure. Progression starts with the near curl, works to the far curl, and comes back to the drag if both curls are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and leverage on the flexed slot receiver, since a safety sitting at 8 to 10 yards over that receiver signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and tells you the curls will have a defender sitting on top of them. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they drop quickly to 8 yards or more you are likely facing Cover 3 and the curls will have to settle short of the drop, so throw with anticipation. Man coverage shows up as the corner mirroring the flexed receiver's out and up route step for step, which is your cue to work the drag route immediately instead of waiting on the curls. This concept struggles against a hard inside blitz with man coverage behind it, since the quarterback has no time to let the curls develop, so use your hot route on the drag or check to a quick game answer if you see linebackers crashing the A or B gaps. Cover 6 or split field coverages can confuse the picture, so key the corner over the flexed receiver, if he sinks into a deep third the underneath defenders are likely playing zone and the curls become the primary answer.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two high safeties or a single high shell, since curls settle in soft spots against zone but need rub or pick action to separate versus man coverage. If you see Cover 3 or Cover 4 with linebackers sitting at 5 to 7 yards, throw the near curl as soon as it sits down before the underneath defender can drop under it. Against man coverage, hot route the flexed slot receiver into a slant or drag to create natural traffic for the curl routes and give yourself a faster throwing window. Use this play on second and medium to second and long, since the route depth gives receivers time to break open but does not require a full 20 or long developing shot down the field. Pair Curls with HB Draw or Inside Zone Split from the same set to keep linebackers honest on early downs, then come back to Curls once they start cheating up to stop the run.
