Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Slot Slant out of Shotgun Bunch Y-Trips sends the bunch receivers into a vertical clear out, corner route, and quick slant while the backside X runs a deep comeback and the HB releases on a flare out of the backfield. The red route shows the slant sitting down in the middle of the field as the primary answer against man coverage, with the corner route stretching the sideline behind it to hold safeties and the deep vertical clearing space underneath. This is a man beater built on the bunch alignment creating natural rub traffic, and the progression starts with the slant, works to the flare or comeback if the slant is taken away, and finishes with the corner as a low percentage shot play.
Defensive Reads
Watch cornerback depth on the bunch side pre-snap, since tight man press alignment signals the offense will lean on the slant to exploit the natural traffic. Key the flow of underneath linebackers after the snap, because a linebacker sitting in the slant window can jump the route and bait a turnover. If the defense shows Cover 2 or Cover 4 with two deep safeties, the corner route becomes a low value option since it runs into help over the top. Identify user controlled defenders lurking in the shallow middle zone, as this play struggles against a spy or rat in the hole sitting on the slant read. Zone blitz looks that drop a lineman into the underneath slant area can disrupt the primary read and force the quarterback to hold the ball into pressure.
Usage Tips
Look for man coverage pre-snap since the bunch alignment creates natural picks that spring the slant open against man defenders trying to fight through traffic.
If you see a single high safety rotate down into the box, expect the slant window to be tighter, so be ready to hot route the slant to a quick out if your slot receiver is blanketed.
Use this play on third and short or in the red zone where the quick slant timing beats blitzes before extra rushers arrive.
Combine this with Mtn China X-Post or Mtn Return Whip Crossers from the same set to keep defenders guessing between quick game and deeper crossing concepts after showing the same bunch look.
Motion the HB flare route with a quick throw as a built-in blitz beater if you diagnose pressure before the snap, since it gets the ball out fast against nano blitzes.
