Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 2 playbooks
Breakdown
Corner Strike out of Shotgun Doubles Off Close aligns two receivers to the left in a close bunch and a single receiver plus attached TE to the right. The left side runs a dual out combo with both receivers breaking outside at the same depth to clear space underneath, while the right side has the TE releasing vertically up the seam before bending into a deep corner route as the outside receiver runs an out breaker to the sideline. The HB checks the backfield on a swing/flare look before releasing into the pattern, making this a play-action style man beater with the corner route from the TE as the primary read against single high or man coverage, working from the deep corner down to the underneath out routes.
Defensive Reads
Key the deep safety at the snap since a rotation toward the TE side signals help over the top on the corner route and should trigger a check to the backside out routes instead. Watch the flat defender or nickel corner on the TE side, if he sinks with the corner route immediately the defense is likely in man and the underneath outs become the quicker option. If linebackers widen out to the flare or swing route from the HB, that opens the middle of the field for the corner route to break clean without a lurking defender. User controlled safeties sitting deep in the middle of the field will erase the corner route, so switch to the left side out combo as a checkdown against that look. Cover 3 with a hard flat drop can undercut the outside out route, so recognize that rotation quickly and hold the ball for the TE corner route instead.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre snap since the deep corner route from the TE attacks the void between the corner and safety in that structure.
If the defense shows two high shells, hot route the backside out routes into deeper comebacks or use them as the first read since the corner window will be tighter.
Send the HB out on the flare route against zone heavy calls to hold linebackers and open up the corner route timing.
Pair this play with RPO Glance Slant or RPO Read Y Arrow earlier in a drive so defenders start jumping underneath routes, setting up the corner route to hit clean over the top later.
Best used on 2nd and medium to long or 3rd and long where the defense is more likely to play off coverage or zone drops, giving the TE room to sit down in the corner window.
