Playbooks

Verts Y Delay

Shotgun·Bunch TE·11

Delay Four Verts Pass Play Cover 2 Beater Cover 3 Beater

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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

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Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

SetBunch TE

Personnel

111 RB · 1 TE · 3 WR

In 1 playbook

Franchise Offense Two-minuteOffense

Breakdown

Verts Y Delay runs a four verticals concept out of the Bunch TE formation with the Y receiver (tight end) delaying his release to leak out late over the middle once the underneath defenders flow with their initial coverage responsibilities. The bunch alignment creates natural rub potential against man coverage while the four vertical stems stretch zone defenders sideline to sideline against Cover 2 and Cover 3 shells. Your primary read progression starts outside with the go routes attacking the deep thirds or half safeties, then works back to the delayed TE crossing the middle as your check down against zone drops or if the deep safeties rotate to take away the verts.

Defensive Reads

Read the middle of the field safety presnap because if he is aligned deep and centered he is likely playing Cover 3 or Cover 4 and will be responsible for one of the vertical stems, so target the seam away from his leverage Watch the linebacker depth at the snap since Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenses rely on linebackers to wall off the middle, and if they bite hard on the underneath routes the delayed Y route will have a wide open lane Key the cornerbacks out of the bunch alignment because man coverage defenders will try to fight through the natural rub, and hesitation from a defender getting picked is your cue to throw the vert route on that side immediately User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field are the biggest threat to the Y delay route, so if you see the user drop into a shallow zone hole abandon the delay read and go back to the outside verts Against Cover 4 or Cover 6 quarters shells the safeties will sink with the verts and take away the deep shot, making the delayed Y route your primary answer since the underneath defenders are the only ones who can cover him

Usage Tips

Presnap identify whether the safeties are showing two high or a single high shell since this route concept is built specifically to punish Cover 2 and Cover 3 defenders who cannot cover four vertical stems with only two or three deep defenders

Use the delayed Y route as your answer against zone coverage because the linebackers and safeties will often flow with the outside verts and leave a natural void in the middle of the field for the TE to sit in

Hot route the backside outside vert into a slant or option route if you diagnose man coverage presnap so you have a quicker answer against press man and nano blitz pressure

This play hits best on second and long or third and medium to long when defenses are more likely to play zone shells to protect against the big play down the field

Pair this call with Mtn Return Flood Stick or Mtn Snag Under earlier in a series to condition the defense into sitting on shorter routes, then hit them with the delayed vert shot once linebackers start jumping underneath crossers