Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Both Stick is a mirrored stick concept out of Shotgun Deuce Close (12 personnel) that puts a three level stick combo to each side of the formation. Both outside receivers run flat routes to the boundary while the two inside slot receivers (or TEs) sit down on stick routes at five yards, and the RB releases up the middle on a vertical seam read against man coverage. With mirrored concepts on both sides, the QB reads either half of the field based on the leverage of the flat defender and the stick sitter, making this a true zone beater that also has answers versus man thanks to the natural pick and separation built into the stick route.
Defensive Reads
Watch for zone shells like Cover 3 Sky or Cover 4 Cloud, since the stick concept exploits the seam between the corner's flat drop and the linebacker's hook zone If the defense shows two high safeties with corners playing off, expect the flat routes to be undercut by aggressive user linebackers jumping the stick route Man coverage with no help over the top on the RB's seam release is the biggest vulnerability, so watch for blitz packages that vacate the middle of the field Nano blitzes and interior pressure can disrupt the timing of both stick reads, so identify if the defense is bringing extra rushers off the edge or up the A gaps before the snap Cover 2 with hard corners jumping the flat routes early forces the QB to climb the pocket and hit the seam read instead of the quick out
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify which side has the softer flat defender or a linebacker dropping late, since that dictates which stick concept you work first
Against zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, throw the stick route in the honey hole between the flat defender and the underneath hook player for a quick easy completion
Against man coverage, use the RB's vertical release up the seam as a home run shot if the defense brings a blitz and leaves the middle exposed
This play excels on third and short to third and medium since both stick routes settle in soon after the snap and give the QB a high percentage completion window
Pair this with Mtn Stick or RPO Peek Stick from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and RPO reads without changing your formation tendencies
