Playbooks
Breakdown
TE Attack out of Shotgun Ace 12 personnel is a four verts style flood concept built to attack both Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells. The two outside receivers push vertical up the sideline, the inline TE runs a deep seam up the middle of the field, and the slot TE releases on a corner route that climbs into the void behind the flat defender and in front of the deep half safety. This is a man beater and zone beater in one package, with the primary read progression starting on the seam TE against Cover 3 middle voids, then working to the corner route breaking open on Cover 2 safeties who bite on the seam, with the backside vertical as the outlet if the defense rolls coverage away from the flood side.
Defensive Reads
Watch the safety depth and width pre snap, since two deep safeties with tight leverage on the seam TE signal Cover 2 and open up the corner route behind them. If the strong safety or nickel corner sinks hard on the corner route immediately at the snap, that is a sign of a user lurking Cover 3 or Cover 4 shell that will take away the flood side. Key the middle linebacker or hook defender drop, since a shallow drop leaves the seam route wide open for an easy explosive gain. Man coverage on the seam TE with no safety help over the top gets exposed quickly, so look for man match indicators like defenders turning and running with receivers at the snap. A well timed nano blitz up the middle can disrupt this play before the corner or seam routes develop, so if you see pressure indicators pre snap, be ready to check down or throw early to the backside vertical.
Usage Tips
Use this play on 2nd or 3rd and long when you need to stress the deep middle and outside thirds at the same time.
Pre snap, identify if the safeties are showing two high or rotating to one high, since that dictates whether you start your read on the seam or the corner route.
Against Cover 2, hot route the backside outside receiver into a shorter option like a slant or drag if the safety sits deep to eliminate an easy checkdown void.
Pair this play with Curl Flats or HB Quick Base earlier in a drive so the defense respects short and intermediate routes, then hit them with the vertical shots here.
If the defense shows heavy blitz looks pre snap, consider audibling to Quick Slants or a screen like HB Slip Screen instead since the deep routes need time to develop.
