Playbooks
Breakdown
Verticals out of Shotgun Bunch sends all three bunch receivers vertical: the point man releases outside and up the numbers, the middle bunch receiver runs a deep vertical seam straight up the middle of the field, and the third bunch receiver breaks outside then climbs up the sideline. The backside receiver runs an inward breaking corner route from the top of the screen, giving you four verticals total with staggered landmarks to stress every deep zone defender. This is a classic four verts concept built as a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater, with the primary read starting on the deep middle seam before working outside to the two vertical stems along the numbers.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and width, since two safeties splitting the field evenly signals Cover 2 and a single deep safety signals Cover 3 or Cover 1. Watch the corner over the point receiver at the snap, since aggressive outside jam technique tips man coverage or Cover 3 with press. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, since a shallow or lazy drop leaves the seam route wide open against Cover 2. Identify any late safety rotation from two-high to one-high, which usually signals a disguised blitz or man coverage look that this concept can exploit with the seam or corner route. This play struggles against Cover 4 or Cover 6 shells with two deep safeties who can sink and help on the outside verticals, and it is vulnerable to a well timed blitz since all four receivers are running vertical routes with no immediate outlet.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safeties are showing two-high or rotating to single-high, since this concept is designed to punish exactly those two shells.
Against Cover 2, target the seam route running up the middle before the safeties can squeeze it, since that vertical splits the two deep defenders.
Against Cover 3, work the outside verticals along the numbers where the single deep safety cannot cover both sideline threats.
Use this on second and long or third and long situations where a defense is more likely to sit in a two deep or three deep shell rather than bring pressure.
Pair this with Bunch Sail or Curls Attack out of the same formation and personnel so the defense cannot key on your alignment, then hit them with Verticals once they start jumping shorter routes.
