Playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Smash Angle is a smash concept out of a bunch look, pairing a deep corner route with an underneath flat route from the two bunch receivers on the strong side while the backside receiver runs a shallow drag across the field and the running back releases into an angle route out of the backfield. The corner and flat combo on the strong side stretches the outside defender vertically and horizontally, forcing a high low conflict on any cover 2 corner or overhang defender. This is a zone beater built to attack cover 2 and cover 4 shells, with the primary read progression starting at the corner route for the deep shot, working down to the flat defender's conflict, and checking down to the angle route or drag as safety valves against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the strong side corner and safety depth to determine if they are playing a soft cover 2 shell, which is the shell this smash concept is designed to exploit. Watch the flat defender post-snap, since he has to choose between sitting on the flat route or bailing to help on the corner route, and either choice opens a throwing window. If the defense shows man coverage with a linebacker matched on the running back, expect the angle route to be a live option as the back works away from the linebacker's leverage. Cover 3 and cover 4 shells with a deep half or deep third defender sitting on the corner route can shut down the deep shot, so look for a rotating safety sliding to the strong side before the snap. Blitz-heavy defenses that bring extra rushers can be countered by the quick-hitting angle route and drag, so watch for linebackers crashing downhill as a sign to work the checkdowns immediately.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safeties are showing two high or rotating to single high, since this play is designed to punish cover 2 corners who have to choose between the corner route and the flat route. If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route the corner route to a fade or hitch to avoid getting picked by an aggressive corner jumping the route. Use the angle route out of the backfield as your answer versus any blitz look, since it clears quickly and gives the quarterback a rhythm throw against man coverage linebackers who struggle to mirror the running back. Sequence this play with Mtn HB Angle or Mtn Curls to keep the defense guessing between the same backfield action and different route concepts off similar formation motion. Best called on second and medium or third and short situations where the flat and drag give the quarterback easy completion options if the deep shot is not there.
