Playbooks
Breakdown
Curl Flat Corner from Shotgun 5WR Trips lines up with a two-man boundary side (corner and flat route) and a three-man trips side featuring a curl, a corner route, and a red-lined man beater route that sits down as a hot read against pressure. The trips side stresses the deep outside third with the corner route while the curl sits underneath, and the flat route on the backside clears out the boundary for a quick throw. This is a pure dropback pass with no blocking tags shown beyond the five eligible receivers, and it is built as a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater. Primary read progression starts with the corner route attacking the deep outside void, works down to the curl sitting in the intermediate zone window, then checks to the backside flat as the checkdown against a hard close from underneath defenders.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since two high safeties invite the corner route to the trips side while a single high safety with rotation tips off Cover 3 and the curl becomes the primary answer. Watch the flat defender on the trips side, if he sinks with the corner route the window for the curl opens up immediately behind him. Man coverage with press alignment on the trips receivers is where the red-lined hot route wins quickly, since it is designed to separate fast against man leverage. Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells with extra deep help can take away both the corner and the curl, forcing a check down to the backside flat route as the release valve. Watch for a user-controlled defender sitting in the passing lane between the curl and corner, that lurk threat is the biggest post-snap danger for this concept and usually signals you should throw the corner route earlier before the window closes.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safeties are showing two high or rotating to single high, since the corner route from trips is the money throw against Cover 2 with the corner backing off the flat defender. If you see Cover 3 with the corner sinking deep, work the curl route sitting down in the hole between the underneath zone and the deep third. Use the red-lined route as your hot route answer against a blitz look, since it breaks quickly and gives you a built-in man beater versus press or blitz coverage. This play pairs well with Four Verticals and Flood in the same set since both stress the deep middle and sideline, forcing the defense to declare shell rotation before the snap. Best called on second or third and medium distance where the defense is more likely to sit in zone shells like Cover 2 or Cover 3 rather than jumping into man press.
