Playbooks

Charger Seams

Shotgun·Doubles Y-Flex·11
SeamPass Play
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This play belongs to no NFL team or scheme playbook, so it may not appear in the in-game builder.

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 1 playbook

Elites OffenseOffense

Breakdown

Charger Seams is a vertical stress concept out of Shotgun Doubles Y-Flex that attacks the middle and outer thirds of the field with dual seam routes complemented by underneath outlets. The Y-Flex tight end and slot receiver split the safeties by running up the seams while the outside receivers work off with quick breaking routes to hold the corners, making this primarily a man beater that also punishes single high shells. Protection is a standard five man slide, so the primary read progression starts with the seam that the safety vacates first, then works down to the underneath crosser or flat route if the safeties stay deep and the middle gets clogged.

Defensive Reads

Identify single high safety looks pre-snap, this is the shell that gets hurt worst since one deep defender cannot cover both seams. Watch the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sinks deep into a hole zone drop he can undercut the inside seam before it develops. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can force a check to the underneath crosser rather than the seam, so track whether the flat defender widens or stays tight. Man coverage with a robber safety sitting in the middle of the field is the toughest matchup, since the robber can jump either seam route without committing early. Watch for a nano blitz off the edge, if the protection cannot pick up an overload blitz the quarterback needs to get the ball out on the quick underneath route instead of holding for the seam.

Usage Tips

Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties cheating toward the numbers, one of the seams should have a clean throwing lane down the middle.

Use your hot routes to convert the backside outside receiver into a deep out or comeback against Cover 3 to give yourself a boundary throw if the seams are capped.

This play thrives on third and medium or third and long when defenses drop into zone shells expecting a checkdown, since the seams punish any linebacker who sits too shallow.

Pair Charger Seams with Charger Cross and Charger Y-Sail in the same drive, the shared formation and initial route stems make it harder for defenders to jump the seam read after seeing the crossing or sail concept on earlier snaps.

Against man coverage, throw with anticipation to the seam receiver as soon as he clears the linebacker level, waiting too long lets a user controlled safety close the window from depth.

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