Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Mtn Curls is a curl flat concept out of Shotgun Bunch Str Nasty with 11 personnel, using pre-snap motion to shift the bunch look before the snap. From the diagram, the outside receiver stems vertical then breaks down into a curl at the top of the route, the inside bunch receiver runs a short curl or hitch to the flat area, and the third receiver cuts inside on a shallow crossing route underneath. The backside receiver runs a go route up the sideline off the motion to hold the corner and safety deep. This is a zone beater designed to attack the flat and curl windows in Cover 3 and Cover 4 zone shells, with the primary read progression starting at the outside curl, working down to the flat route, and checking the backside shallow crosser as the underneath outlet.
Defensive Reads
Read the middle linebacker depth at the snap, since a shallow drop into the curl window signals Cover 3 and tells you to work the flat route instead. Watch the corner over the motion receiver, if he sinks into a deep third instead of chasing motion that confirms zone coverage and the curl becomes the priority throw. Identify any slot defender sitting flat footed in the underneath zone, that defender is the primary threat to jump the flat route and bait a pick six if the quarterback stares it down. Check for a two high safety shell before the snap, since Cover 4 or Cover 2 looks will squeeze the curl route and force the quarterback to hold the ball and check down to the crosser. Beware of a hard corner blitz off the edge away from the bunch, since that defender can beat the tackle before the flat route develops and force an early checkdown or throwaway.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone based on whether a defender follows the motion man across the formation.
Target this play on second and medium to long third down since the curl and flat combo gives the quarterback a high percentage underneath option if the deep window is closed.
Hot route the backside go route into a comeback if you see a single high safety cheating hard to the bunch side, since that removes a deep shot but opens a quick comeback throw.
Pair Mtn Curls with Mtn HB Seam or Mtn HB Angle in the same set to keep defenses honest against the flat, since both plays attack similar zone spacing but stress linebackers differently.
Sequence this play after a run like Inside Zone or Pin Pull Toss to draw linebackers up, which opens the curl and flat windows against a defense still keying the run fit.
