Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Curl Combo out of Shotgun Doubles Y Off aligns two receivers to the left in a stack or split with the outside receiver running a drag across the field while the inside receiver sits down on a curl at the sticks. To the right, the outside receiver runs a vertical seam up the numbers while the slot receiver works an out and up wheel route breaking from the flat into the sideline. The running back releases underneath into a check release flat route from the backfield, giving the QB a five level stretch from shallow drag to curl to wheel to vertical seam. This is a zone beater built to attack cushion at the sticks, with the curl and wheel combo creating natural picks against zone drops while the drag gives a quick outlet against pressure.
Defensive Reads
Read the strong side safety before the snap, if he is sitting shallow expecting the curl, the wheel route underneath him becomes the better answer against Cover 3. Watch the flat defender on the right side, if he widens with the wheel route too aggressively it opens a passing lane for the vertical seam behind him. Key the middle linebacker depth at the snap, a shallow drop signals zone coverage where the curl route will find a soft spot, while an aggressive downhill drop or blitz signals man or pressure where the drag becomes the answer. Against Cover 2, the corner will sink under the wheel route while the safety rotates over the top, so the curl route sitting underneath the corner becomes the primary answer. This play struggles against a hard double team on the outside vertical seam combined with a linebacker spy on the drag, since it removes both the deep shot and the quick outlet, forcing the QB into the tighter curl window.
Usage Tips
Use this on third and medium to long since the curl route sits right at the sticks and gives you a high percentage completion against off coverage.
Pre snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties, this play thrives against zone shells like Cover 3 and Cover 4 because the curl and wheel combo overloads the intermediate zones.
If you see man coverage with a single high safety, prioritize the vertical seam route on the right since it can win over the top against a slower linebacker or safety trying to match up.
Hot route the running back to a quicker flat release if the defense shows an aggressive blitz look, this gives the QB an immediate outlet without holding the ball.
Pair this play with Four Verticals or Vert Comebacks in the same set to keep the defense honest, since Curl Combo punishes teams sitting on shorter zone drops while the verticals punish teams cheating up on the curl.
