Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
WR Smash out of Pistol Strong Slot pairs a classic smash concept to the trips side with a two-man read to the boundary. The backside X runs a corner route while the slot underneath sits down on a hitch, stacking a deep and short combo that stretches one defender vertically. To the trips side the outside WR runs a deep corner, the inline TE runs a seam or bender up the numbers, and the HB releases out of the backfield on a flare/wheel to the flat, giving the quarterback a high low read against zone. This is a Cover 2 beater by design: the corner routes attack the deep half defenders while the flat and hitch routes settle underneath the cornerbacks, so the primary progression starts with the trips side corner route, works down to the HB flare in the flat, and comes back to the backside hitch/corner combo if the coverage rotates away.
Defensive Reads
Watch for two deep safeties pre-snap, since a true Cover 2 shell is exactly what this smash concept is designed to attack with its high low corner and flat combo. If the cornerback to the trips side sinks deep with the corner route and the flat defender widens with the HB, that is the defense playing it correctly, so look to come back to the backside hitch and corner combo. Watch the flat defender's depth after the snap, since a lurking linebacker or user controlled defender who sits on the HB flare can jump the underneath route and bait a quarterback throw. Man coverage with press corners on the outside receivers is a red flag, since the corner routes can get contested at the top if the corner has inside leverage, so be ready to hot route into a quicker option. A hard blitz that brings extra pressure through the middle can disrupt the timing of the deeper corner routes, so check protection or get the ball out quickly to the HB flare as a built in answer against pressure.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high shell, since this concept is built to punish Cover 2 by putting the corner and flat defender in conflict.
If the cornerback to the trips side is playing hard outside leverage, hot route the seam TE to a quick slant to give yourself a faster underneath answer against man coverage.
Use this play on early downs or manageable third down and medium situations where you have time to work the full progression from corner route down to the HB flare.
Pair WR Smash with Fade Smash in the same set so the defense has to respect both the flat threat and a deep fade answer, forcing safeties to hesitate on their rotation.
Motion the HB out wide before the snap to get a pre-snap look at man versus zone based on whether a defender follows him, then check to the boundary hitch/corner combo if you see man coverage on the trips side.
