Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Y-Shake lines up out of Shotgun Bunch Spread with a tight bunch to one side and an isolated receiver to the other. From the bunch, the outermost receiver runs a deep corner while the middle bunch man breaks outside on a deep out, and the inner bunch receiver clears underneath before settling. On the backside, the Y (TE/slot) runs a shake route that snaps outward into a flat/out breaking pattern while the isolated receiver works an inside drag or shallow crossing route underneath. This is a man beater built on the Y-Shake creating separation with its stutter break, with the primary read progression starting at the Y-Shake option route, then working to the backside drag/cross, and finally to the deep corner or out route on the bunch side if the shake route is covered.
Defensive Reads
Watch the linebacker or slot defender aligned over the Y pre-snap, if he is playing with inside shade the shake route will bend outside into open grass. Post-snap, key any user-controlled defender flashing down to jump the shake break, that lurk threat is the biggest risk to this concept and forces you to hit the drag or corner route instead. Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone shells can bracket the shake route with underneath zone defenders sitting on the break, which is when you should progress to the deep corner route on the bunch side. Man coverage with no safety help over the top is the ideal shell to attack since the shake stutter creates immediate separation against man defenders trailing from behind. If the defense shows blitz with the slot corner crashing, expect the underneath drag or shallow cross to be open quickly as the hot read against pressure looks.
Usage Tips
Look at the pre-snap alignment of the defender over the Y before the snap, if he is playing outside leverage the shake route will break inside for an easy pickup.
Use motion or a quick glance to identify man coverage versus zone shells, this concept thrives against man because the shake route stutter forces defenders to bite and lose the route.
Hot route the underneath drag into a deeper crosser if you see linebackers dropping into shallow zones to take away that easy completion.
This play is best called on second and medium or third and short since the Y-Shake and drag give you a high floor conversion option underneath.
Pair this with Mtn Slot Under or Cheat Slot Cross in the same set so the defense has to respect both underneath crossing action and the shake breakpoint out of a similar bunch look.
