Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curls Y Swirl is a five-man route concept out of the Bunch Y-Flex look in Shotgun 11 personnel. The three-man bunch releases with the outside receiver running a deep curl, the middle bunch man running a corner-breaking route that swirls up and out, and the tight end sitting down on a curl inside the numbers, while the backside receiver runs a deep crossing route from the far side of the formation and the running back stays in to check release before working out to the flat. This is a zone beater built to attack Cover 3 and Cover 4 by settling multiple receivers into the soft spots between the underneath and deep zones, with the primary read starting on the backside deep crosser before working to the curl and swirl combination on the bunch side.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and cornerback alignment on the bunch side, since press man corners will struggle to stay with the swirl route as it breaks vertically then out. Post-snap, key the flow of the middle linebacker, if he sinks into the curl window immediately, look to the deep crosser or the swirl route working behind him. Watch for a user-controlled defender sitting in the deep middle third, since that lurk threat can undercut the backside crosser if the quarterback stares it down too long. Against Cover 3, the curls will sit in the natural void between the underneath zone and deep thirds, so a fast progression read is critical before the flat defender can climb. This concept is vulnerable to disguised Cover 1 or Cover 0 blitzes since the curls and swirl routes take time to develop, so check for blitzing linebackers or extra defenders creeping to the line before the snap.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second and medium to third and short situations where zone defenses are more likely to sit back and play the sticks. Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing a two-high or one-high shell, since this concept thrives against Cover 3 and Cover 4 where the curls settle in the holes. If the cornerback on the bunch side is playing tight man, hot route the swirl route into a quick out or speed out to beat the leverage. Pair this play with HB Choice or Inside Zone earlier in a series to get defenses to bite on run action, then come back to Curls Y Swirl to hit the curls against a defense that has crept linebackers up. Against teams that show heavy Cover 2, look to the deep crosser first since it can work behind the underneath zone drops before the safety can rotate over.
