Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 16 playbooks
Breakdown
Inside Post is a five man route concept out of Shotgun Bunch Quads with a lone in-line receiver split away from the bunch on the backside running a deep vertical to hold the far safety. Inside the bunch, the routes stack with a deep out breaking to the sideline, a deep post from the inside receiver crossing the middle of the field, and the tag route from the bunch running a quick out at the sticks while the running back leaks out to the flat as the checkdown. Protection is a five man slide with the back releasing late, and this is a man beater designed to punish inside leverage since the post and the crossing out create natural traffic for defenders locked in man coverage. The primary read starts with the post working from the bunch, then works to the deep out, and finally checks down to the flat route or backside vertical if the middle of the field is capped.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and alignment since a single high safety cheating toward the bunch signals a post or dig call is coming and invites a heavy pass rush read. Watch the flow of the linebackers at the snap, if they immediately widen to the trips side to defend the out and flat combo, the post window opens up quickly behind them. Spy or rob the middle of the field with a linebacker or safety to sit on the post route, this single defensive adjustment neutralizes the primary read and forces the quarterback to check down. Man coverage teams that press the bunch receivers at the line disrupt route timing and can jump the post before it develops, so press coverage combined with a deep half safety is the best counter to this concept. Post snap, track whether the defense drops into a two high shell, if both safeties stay deep the post route will not have room to work and the quarterback should progress immediately to the deep out or flat checkdown.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high safeties since the post route needs a vacated middle to hit for an explosive gain.
If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, prioritize the post read immediately off the snap for a potential house call.
Hot route the backside vertical receiver into a comeback or dig if the cornerback is playing off coverage, since the straight vertical is easily taken away by a deep half safety.
Use this play on second and medium to second and long when defenses are more likely to sit in man match concepts, and pair it with Spot or Drag Under from the same set to keep the defense guessing between high low zone stress and man beating crossers.
Against teams that jump the post with a robber or lurking linebacker, sequence into Mtn Verticals later in the drive to stretch that same defender vertically and open the post back up.
