Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Deep Curl out of the Pistol Full House is a five-man route concept with two backs releasing into the pattern, making it a pass play designed to attack zone coverage. The X receiver runs a deep vertical shot up the sideline while the two backs work a curl and a corner route into the flat and intermediate zones on the right side, with a wheel developing up the numbers behind them. This is a zone beater at its core, using the deep vertical to hold the safety while the layered curl and corner combo sits down in the soft spots of a zone defense, and the primary read progression starts with the deep shot on the boundary before working back to the curl sitting underneath and finally the flat route as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since a single high safety leaves the deep vertical route on an island against man or zone coverage. Watch for cornerback press alignment on the outside receiver, which signals man coverage and should trigger a hot route adjustment away from the deep shot. Post-snap, track the flat defender and any linebacker sinking into the curl zone, since a defender sitting in that window can jump the route for a turnover if the quarterback holds too long. Look for two deep safeties rotating over the top, which signals Cover 2 or Cover 4 and makes the deep vertical route low percentage, shifting the read to the curl and flat combo instead. Identify blitz packages that send extra rushers off the edge, since the two backs releasing into routes leaves fewer blockers and can force a quick checkdown or a hot throw before the pocket collapses.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether you are facing a two high or one high safety shell since the deep vertical route is designed to punish single high looks with no help over the top.
If the corner presses the deep route at the line, hot route it to a slant or drag to turn this into a quick-hitting man beater instead of forcing the deep shot.
Use this play on second and long or third and medium situations where the defense is likely sitting in zone coverage, since the layered curl and corner combo exploits soft spots in Cover 3 and Cover 4.
Pair this call with PA Comebacks or PA Comeback Flood earlier in a series so the defense respects the deep shot, then come back to Deep Curl to bait underneath defenders and hit the curl sitting behind them.
Keep an eye on the wheel route developing up the sideline as a big play outlet if the safety bites down on the curl route, since it can turn into an explosive gain against blown zone coverage.
