Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Double Post is a five-man protection pass concept out of Shotgun Doubles HB Wk that isolates two vertical post routes on one side of the formation. The outermost receiver runs a deep post that crosses the field, the inner slot receiver runs a shorter post that settles underneath and behind it, creating a natural high-low stretch on the deep half defender. The single receiver on the backside runs a go route to hold the corner and safety, while the TE/inline runs an out breaking route to the flat as an underneath outlet, and the HB releases on a check release flat route. Primary read progression starts with the deep post to the underneath post, then works down to the TE flat route if the safety squeezes the double posts.
Defensive Reads
Key the deep safety alignment before the snap, a single high safety pre-snap almost always rotates late and is what this play is designed to attack. Watch the flat defender in Cover 2 looks, if he sinks with the underneath post instead of staying low, the deep post will be uncontested behind him. In Cover 4 shells, read the outside cornerback's leverage, if he sits on the deep post instead of passing it off, the underneath post will have a wide throwing lane. Man coverage with no safety help over the top gets exposed quickly, since both posts crossing creates natural traffic that disrupts man technique and forces a pick situation. Watch for a user controlled linebacker sitting in a lurk spot underneath the posts, he can jump the shorter post if the quarterback stares it down too long, so eyes must manipulate him before the throw.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two deep safeties or a single high safety, since Double Post is built to exploit the seam between them.
Against Cover 2, drive the deep post over the top of the flat defender and in front of the safety rotating over, this is your Cover 2 beater built into the play.
Against Cover 4, the double post combo forces one safety to widen and the other to carry, creating a natural rub for the trailing post route to sit down in the honey hole.
Use hot routes to convert the TE out route into a shallow drag if you diagnose zone underneath, giving you an easy checkdown against a soft cushion.
Pair this play with Slot Wheel or Double Cross earlier in a series so defenders start biting on post routes, then hit this concept when the safety cheats up expecting shorter breaks.
