Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Texans Curl out of Shotgun Bunch aligns three receivers tight to one side with a lone receiver backside. The bunch releases into a curl and out combo: the outside receiver breaks off a deep curl, the middle bunch receiver runs a shallow out to the flat, and the point receiver works underneath, while the backside single receiver runs a deep crosser away from the concept to hold the far side of the field. This is a zone beater built to attack the flat to curl to deep out ladder on one side of the field, with the crosser giving a second answer if the defense rotates coverage away from the bunch. Primary progression starts with the flat route for a quick access throw, then climbs to the curl sitting down in the intermediate zone, and finishes with the backside crosser as the last window against zone rotation.
Defensive Reads
Key the flat defender first snap to snap; if he sinks with the curl route instead of expanding, the quarterback should climb straight to the intermediate window. Watch linebacker depth at the snap, shallow linebackers sitting in the curl lane signal Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone drops that can be exploited with the flat route underneath. Identify any user controlled defender lurking near the curl route, since that is the most common spot for a jumped throw against this concept. On the backside, track the deep safety rotation; if he cheats toward the bunch pre snap, the crosser becomes the highest value throw against a vacated deep middle. Man coverage with underneath help tends to shut this down quickly, so if you see press man on the bunch with a linebacker shadowing the flat, bail to a different concept in the set.
Usage Tips
Use this on second or third and medium when you need a high percentage completion against zone heavy defenses.
Check the pre snap safety alignment: if you see two high safeties sitting deep, expect the curl to sit right in the soft spot of a Cover 2 or Cover 4 shell.
Hot route the point receiver into a quick drag if the defense shows blitz, giving you a built in answer against pressure looks.
Pair this call with Bunch Verts or PA Divide Wheels in the same set so defenses cannot sit on the shorter flat to curl combo without getting burned deep.
Against man coverage, look to the backside crosser early since the curl to flat combo can get squeezed by tight man technique out of the bunch.
