Playbooks
Breakdown
Verticals out of Shotgun Box Offset Wk sends both outside receivers and the offset back vertical up the seams and sideline, while the TE runs a red option route working underneath as a middle read. The backside receiver runs a shallow crossing route into a stop, giving a checkdown if the verts are blanketed downfield. This is a classic four verts style Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater designed to stress the deep safeties, with the primary read progressing from the two outside vertical routes to the TE option route in the seam and finally down to the shallow cross as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Key the free safety pre-snap, if he cheats to one side of the field before the snap that tells you which vertical route the QB is likely to favor. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow dropping linebackers will struggle to carry the TE option route vertically and open up the seam window. Identify Cover 3 by watching for a single deep safety with corners rolling into deep thirds, this leaves the seams vulnerable between the hash and the numbers. Look for a user controlled defender sitting in a deep middle lurk or spy position, since a rover style defender jumping the TE option route can bait a bad throw and turn into a pick six. Recognize press man coverage on the outside receivers pre-snap, since disguised Cover 1 or Cover 0 blitzes can get home before the verticals stretch the field, making the shallow cross your only quick answer.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at the safeties before the snap, if you see two deep safeties splitting the field evenly you have a Cover 2 shell to attack with the seam verticals against the corners playing flat.
If the safeties are showing single high, target the outside vertical away from the free safety since he can only help one side of the field.
Use the TE option route as your primary hot route adjustment against man coverage, since he can settle or break away from a trailing linebacker or slower nickel defender.
Call this play on early downs or obvious passing situations like 2nd and long or 3rd and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells rather than bring pressure.
Pair Verticals with PA Verticals and Curl Flat from this same set to keep the defense guessing, since the run action and shorter routes will hold linebackers and safeties before you dial up the full field stretch.
