Playbooks
All Curl out of Shotgun Bunch Quads Open sends all four eligible receivers on curl routes, creating a five-underneath-zone-window stretch with the bunch alignment forcing natural rub picks against man coverage. This is primarily a zone beater, designed to exploit soft spots between the flat and intermediate zones, though the natural bunch traffic also gives it man beater qualities against tight man coverage without help over the top. The primary read progression starts with the outside curl in the bunch, works to the innermost curl for the quick sit-down window versus zone drops, and finishes with the backside single receiver curl if the bunch is jammed or the defense rotates coverage away from the trips side.
Pre-snap, identify safety depth and shell alignment, two high safeties usually signal zone coverage which plays directly into the curl concept's strength. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow linebackers who bail into curl-flat zones will sit on the intermediate windows and force you to work the checkdown or backside curl instead. Post-snap, key the flat defender on the bunch side, if he widens with the outside receiver it opens the window for the inner curl to settle uncontested. This play struggles against Cover 2 Man or press man concepts with underneath help since defenders can sit on the curl stem and undercut the route before it settles. Beware of user-controlled linebackers dropping into a lurk technique in the middle of the field, a smart user defender can sit in the throwing lane between the two inside curls and bait an interception if you rush the read.
Attack this play on third and medium to third and long situations where zone drops sit at the sticks and the curl route settles right in the soft spot underneath the safeties. Read the second level pre-snap, if linebackers are showing off-man or Tampa 2 depth, target the innermost curl in the bunch since it settles fastest against those drops. Hot route the backside single receiver into a speed out or corner route if you diagnose Cover 3 with a hard flat defender, this gives you a natural zone beater complement without changing personnel. Use play action or motion pre-snap to bait the strong safety into crashing the bunch side, which opens throwing lanes to the outside curl for a clean pitch and catch. Pair this play with Mtn Drag Under and HB Screen in your call sheet to keep defenders guessing between horizontal stretch concepts and the vertical curl windows, forcing linebackers to hesitate on their zone drops. Avoid calling this against aggressive Cover 0 or all out blitz looks since the routes take time to develop and curls do not create quick separation against man press.