Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Flat out of Shotgun Bunch Offset stacks three receivers to one side with a lone receiver isolated backside on a vertical release. Out of the bunch, the outside receiver runs a curl at the sticks, the middle receiver releases to the flat, and the point man in the bunch pushes vertically up the seam, while the RB stays in to help protect against the red rush arrow off the edge. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 by stretching the flat defender and curl/hook defender vertically and horizontally, with the primary read progression going flat first to hold the underneath defender, then curl, then the vertical seam route as the deep shot if the safety bites down.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender's depth and width immediately after the snap, since he determines whether the curl sits down in a throwing window or gets undercut. Key the middle linebacker or hook defender to see if he widens to the bunch side, which opens up the vertical seam route for a big play against Cover 2. Against Cover 3, identify if the corner rotates down to the flat, which forces the quarterback into the curl as the primary answer against the remaining deep defender. Look for a user-controlled defender lurking in the shallow flat or curl area, since aggressive human players will often sit on this exact route combination to jump the throw. If the defense shows a nano blitz off the edge matching the red route indicator, get the ball out quickly to the flat since the protection may not hold up long enough for deeper progressions.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second and medium to third and short situations where the defense is likely to sit in zone shells rather than bring pressure.
Pre-snap, identify if the corner over the bunch is playing off or bailing into a deep third, since that tells you whether the curl route will have a soft window underneath.
If you see two deep safeties splitting the field, key the flat defender first: if he widens with the flat route, the curl behind him is open in the void.
Hot route the backside isolated receiver into a quick out or slant if you diagnose man coverage, since the bunch concept alone struggles against tight man leverage.
Pair this play with Z Spot or Bunch Drive in your play-calling sequence to keep the defense guessing between high-low flat concepts and traditional spot combos out of the same formation.
