Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 16 playbooks
Breakdown
Curl Combo out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk lines up two receivers to each side with the HB releasing out of the backfield into a curl route from the boundary. The backside X runs a vertical seam to hold the deep safety while the inside slot runs a quick out and up, and the play side receiver stretches horizontally on a deep in that sits behind the linebackers. This is a zone beater built to attack the flat to curl window, and the primary read progression starts with the HB curl in the boundary, works to the deep in from the play side X, and finishes with the vertical seam if the defense rolls coverage away.
Defensive Reads
Watch linebacker depth at the snap, if they sink hard into the curl to flat area the deep in route from the play side X will have room behind them. Identify the deep safety shell before the snap, two high safeties tend to stay off the vertical seam route, opening the curl and flat combo underneath. Post snap, track any user controlled defender flashing down into the shallow HB curl route, if they jump it early the deep in route becomes the immediate answer. Cover 2 with aggressive corners jumping the flat will take away the HB curl, so be ready to reset your eyes to the seam route working vertically. Blitz packages that bring extra rushers off the edge will speed up your first read, so key the HB release out of the backfield to see if the curl is uncovered before committing to the deeper routes.
Usage Tips
Check the pre-snap safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties sitting deep the curl and deep in window will be soft against zone drops.
Use the HB curl route as your rhythm throw against Cover 3 or Cover 4 shells since it settles in the boundary flat before the corner can sink under it.
Hot route the backside seam runner into a dig or post if you diagnose man coverage, since the vertical stem alone will not create enough separation against a true man beater look.
Pair this play with Slants or Double Slants in your call sheet to keep linebackers honest underneath before hitting the deeper in route on Curl Combo.
Use this on second or third and medium situations where the curl to flat combination gives you a high percentage completion against zone drops without needing a home run shot.
