Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Flat out of Shotgun Bunch Wide lines up two separate stacks: a solo receiver to the left running a quick out and up, and a bunch to the right with a vertical route stemming outside, a flat route from the inside bunch receiver, and a shallow drag or spot route crossing underneath from the backside. The right side flat and vertical combo creates a natural high low stretch on the boundary defender while the deep out route from the isolated receiver gives a built in checkdown against soft coverage. This is a zone beater designed to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 by forcing flat defenders and curl zone linebackers to choose between the underneath crosser and the flat route, with the primary read progression starting on the right side flat to vertical stretch before working back to the left out route.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flat defender at the snap, if he sinks with the vertical route the flat throw is wide open underneath him. Key the curl or hook zone linebacker on the bunch side, if he widens to the flat the crosser will find a soft spot behind him. Against Cover 3, the deep third defender to the bunch side has to choose between the vertical and any inside breaking route, creating the natural conflict this play is designed to exploit. Man coverage with underneath help can shut this down quickly since the flat and vertical combo lacks natural separation against tight man technique, so look for a linebacker shaded outside the bunch as a sign of man match principles. User controlled lurk defenders sitting in the middle of the field can jump the shallow crosser, so track any user movement toward the drag route before committing to that throw.
Usage Tips
Presnap identify whether the defense is playing two deep safeties or a single high shell, since this concept is built specifically to punish Cover 2 and Cover 3 zone drops.
If the corner to the bunch side sits at the flat defender's depth, throw the vertical route immediately before the safety can rotate over.
Use the shallow crosser as a built in answer against man coverage if you see the defense show Cover 1 or Cover 3 with man principles underneath.
Pair this play with Verticals or PA Post from the same set to keep defenses honest against the flat curl stretch, since both concepts attack similar zone drops but stress the deep half instead.
On third and short to medium, this play is ideal because the flat route and curl combo give the quarterback an easy completion window against sinking linebackers.
