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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Inside Cross out of Shotgun 5WR Trips isolates the backside single receiver on a deep vertical while the trips side stacks a corner route, a dig sitting at the second level and a shallow crosser dragging all the way across the field underneath. The inline slot also releases on a deep corner to occupy the far flat and hold the safety, giving the quarterback a full-field stretch from shallow to deep. This is a man beater built around the crosser creating natural rub separation against man coverage, with the deep dig and backside vertical serving as answers versus zone drops. Primary read starts with the shallow crosser working left to right, then climbs to the dig, and finally works backside to the vertical shot if the safety bites underneath.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing man coverage with tight corner alignment on the trips receivers, since the crosser will win easily against man leverage. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, which signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and tells you the deep dig and backside vertical are the priority reads once the shallow crosser is taken away. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, if he sinks hard into the crosser's lane and forces a rerouted throw, the dig behind him becomes the window. User linebackers sitting in the shallow crossing lane as a lurk defender will bait quarterbacks into a pick, so if you see that defender crash the crosser late, look immediately to the deep dig or backside vertical. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties can squeeze the backside vertical, so if the safety to that side stays deep, expect the quarterback to stay on the trips side working the crosser to dig progression.
Usage Tips
Check the pre-snap alignment for man coverage indicators like tight press corners or a single high safety shaded to the trips side before snapping this play.
Use the crosser as your first read against man because it creates natural traffic and rub separation off the trips bunch, especially versus Cover 1 or Cover 3 man.
If you see two deep safeties split evenly, hot route the dig to sit down a beat earlier and target the soft spot between the underneath zone defenders and the safeties.
Pair this play with Slants or Curl Flats earlier in a series so linebackers start jumping shallow routes, then come back to Inside Cross to hit the crosser once they overplay quick game.
Save this play for third and medium to third and long situations where the full-field horizontal stretch from the crosser to the deep dig gives multiple answers if the first read is covered.
