Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Mtn Smash Slot Dig is a Cover 2 beater out of Shotgun Bunch Y-Trips that uses pre-snap motion to shift the bunch look before the snap. Off the bunch, one receiver runs a deep corner/flag route while the middle receiver breaks off a dig across the field, and the outside receiver from the bunch runs a shallow flat route to complete the smash concept on the boundary side. The backside receiver runs a deep post read, giving the quarterback a full field progression from the corner route down to the dig, with the flat route as the checkdown against underneath zone drops. The primary read starts high to low: corner first to attack the deep half, then work down to the dig as the crossing route settles into the void vacated by the underneath defenders.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check the safety alignment: two high safeties with soft outside corners is exactly what the smash concept is designed to punish, so expect the corner route to be open if the defense stays in a standard Cover 2 shell. Watch the flow of the motion defender before the snap, if he mirrors the bunch receiver across the formation that confirms man coverage and the offense should attack with the dig and post since those routes create natural separation against man. Post-snap, key the underneath linebackers and any user-controlled lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, since a well timed zone drop or spy sitting on the dig route will bait the quarterback into a turnover. If the defense shows Cover 3 or rolls a single high safety, the corner route becomes tightly covered by the flat defender rotating over the top, so the quarterback should be ready to reset to the dig or checkdown quickly. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge can compromise the protection quickly, so identify overload blitzes pre-snap and be ready to hot route the flat route into a quick outlet or slide protection to the bunch side.
Usage Tips
Use the pre-snap motion to identify if the defense is playing man or zone, if the defender follows the motion man across the formation you are getting man coverage and should lean on the dig and post as your man beaters. Against Cover 2 shells, prioritize the corner route to high-low the safety before working the dig underneath, since the smash concept is built specifically to attack the deep outside quarter vacated by a two deep safety. This play works best on second and medium to third and medium situations where the dig route has room to sit down in the intermediate zone between the linebackers and safeties. Pair this with Mtn Fly HB Go from the same set to keep defenses honest deep, then come back to Smash Slot Dig once they start jumping the shorter routes. If the user drops a defender into the deep middle to rob the dig, look immediately to the flat route or the corner as your outlet since the dig will be taken away.
