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Breakdown
Levels out of Shotgun 5WR Trips is a classic Cover 2 beater built on stacked in-cut routes to the trips side. The three receivers to the trips side run a shallow drag, a deep in at roughly 12 yards, and a corner route that clears the top of the defense, while the backside single receiver runs a quick out. There is no run blocking shown since this is a five wide empty set, so protection is left to the offensive line in max protect. The primary read progression is high to low: check the corner route to see if it holds the safety, then work the deep in route against the linebackers, and finally settle for the shallow drag as the underneath outlet against a hard sink from the defense.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is in a two high safety shell since Levels is specifically designed to attack the seams and flat zones in Cover 2. Watch the flat defender to the trips side after the snap, if he sinks too far with the shallow drag it opens a throwing lane for the deep in route behind him. Key the deep safety over the trips side, if he stays flat footed reading the quarterback instead of getting depth on the corner route, the corner route will win over the top. Man coverage with no help over the top is the biggest threat to this concept since the natural picks from crossing routes get disrupted by aggressive man technique and a spy or blitz can collapse the pocket before routes develop. Watch for a user controlled defender sitting in the passing lane between the two in routes, that lurk technique is the main counter used to jump the deep in throw.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, look for two deep safeties before the snap since this play is designed to attack Cover 2 shells by stacking the in routes underneath the corner route.
If you see man coverage instead, hot route the shallow drag into a quicker option or just rely on natural rub concepts from the crossing routes to shake defenders.
Use the corner route as a clear out first, then progress your eyes to the deep in route which sits down in the void between the flat defender and the deep half safety.
Pair Levels with Four Verticals in your play calling script so defenses cannot sit on the intermediate in routes without opening up verticals behind them.
This play works best on second and long or third and medium since it takes a beat to develop, so give your quarterback a clean pocket with max protect if the defense shows blitz.
