Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Middle Slant out of Shotgun 5WR Flex Trey attacks the middle of the field with a five man route concept and no blocking assignment shown since every eligible receiver is out in the pattern. The outside receiver runs a deep dig that crosses the field, the slot on that side runs a corner route vertically up the seam, the inline receiver runs a shallow drag underneath, the trey receiver runs a slant that breaks hard to the middle, and the backside receiver runs a vertical seam. The primary read starts with the slant coming across the middle since it is the quickest breaking route, then progresses to the shallow drag underneath if the slant window closes, with the deep dig and corner as high value shots against zone drops. This is a man beater concept designed to punish man coverage with immediate separation on the slant and drag while giving you vertical answers if the defense bites on the shallow stuff.
Defensive Reads
Check the middle linebacker depth pre-snap, if he is sitting shallow he can jump the slant and drag combo and blow up the underneath route Identify two high safety shells since split safeties can rob the corner route and force you into the slant and drag as your only options Watch for a user controlled defender lurking in the shallow middle zone, this is the biggest threat to the slant route since it sits right in his window Key on cornerback alignment at the snap, tight man press coverage on the trey receiver means the slant will need to win early separation right off the line Recognize blitz packages that bring extra rushers up the middle, these create quick throwing windows for the slant but also collapse the pocket faster so timing matters more than usual
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety looks pre-snap since the corner and dig routes stretch a lone deep defender horizontally and vertically at the same time
Motion or shift the trey receiver to check for man coverage, if the defender follows across the formation you know you are getting man and the slant becomes an easy completion
Use this play on third and short to medium since the slant and drag give you two underneath answers that convert quickly if the deep routes are covered
Combine with Four Verticals earlier in a drive so linebackers respect the seam threat, then come back to Middle Slant to hit the drag or slant when they sit on verticals
Hot route the backside seam receiver into a comeback if you see a corner playing off coverage, this gives you a quick sideline answer without changing the rest of the concept
Pair with Shallow Cross in your play calling script since both plays put stress on underneath zone defenders and create natural counters to each other
