Playbooks
Flood H Post is a three level flood concept out of Shotgun Dbls Flex Y Off Close designed to attack Cover 3 and other zone shells. The H receiver runs a post to occupy the middle of the field safety while a deep out and a corner or flat route stretch the sideline horizontally, creating a high low read on the flat defender and a bracket conflict on the deep third corner. This is a zone beater at its core, though the post also gives you a man beater answer versus single high man coverage if your slot wins inside leverage. Primary read progression starts with the deep post to the flat route underneath, then works back to the check down if the flat defender sinks and the corner route is capped.
Key the middle of field safety at the snap, if he stays flat footed or bites on the flat route the post window opens up immediately for an explosive gain. Watch the flat or curl defender in Cover 3, if he sinks to take away the deep out the underneath flood route becomes the checkdown and quarterback should reset there. Identify user controlled lurk defenders sitting in the passing lane of the post route, a spy or rat defender sitting at ten to twelve yards can jump the throw if the quarterback stares it down. Man coverage with a single high safety is where the post has the best one on one matchup, look for the slot corner or nickel to see if he has inside leverage or outside leverage pre-snap. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties can squeeze the post into a tight window, so if you see two deep safeties pre-snap be ready to check down to the flat route or shift the read to the flood side out route instead.
Pre-snap, identify whether the corner over the flood side is playing off or press, since press corners get beat easier by the post if the safety cheats to the sideline routes.
Look for two deep safeties versus one deep safety before the snap, because Cover 3 and single high shells are where this concept hits hardest with the post splitting the seam.
Use hot routes to convert the underneath flat route into a quick option versus off man coverage if you need a faster release against a hard blitz look.
This play works best on second and medium or third and long when defenses are more likely to sit in zone drops rather than crash the box.
Pair Flood H Post with Mtn Dagger Y In or Y Stick from the same set to keep the defense honest, since both plays sell similar shotgun spacing but attack different levels and force zone defenders to widen or shrink their drops.