Playbooks

Mtn Stick

Shotgun·Doubles Y Off·11
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Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

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Breakdown

Mtn Stick is a quick game concept out of Shotgun Doubles Y Off, built around a Stick combination to one side (flat route paired with a sit route) while the backside works a complementary route to hold the safety. It is primarily a man beater since the stick concept creates a natural rub against man coverage, forcing defenders to fight through traffic, but it also has zone answers because the sit route sits down in the honey hole between the underneath linebackers and deep zone defenders. The primary read progression starts with the flat route to see if a linebacker widens with it, then works to the stick/sit sitting in the window, and finishes backside if the defense rolls extra help to the stick side.

Defensive Reads

Key the middle linebacker or nickel defender at the snap, if he sinks into the stick window and squats there, the concept is dead and you need to reset with the backside route or the flat. Watch for user controlled lurk defenders sitting in the shallow zone specifically to jump the sit route, this is the single biggest counter to Mtn Stick and shows up most in zone shells like Cover 2 or Cover 3 sky. Cover 3 with a hard flat defender can take away the flat throw, forcing the QB to trust the stick window against the curl to flat defender instead. Man coverage with underneath help, such as Cover 1 with a robber, is the toughest look since the rub does not fully clear the sit route and a spy or robber can undercut the route from depth. Blitz heavy zone pressure with a hot linebacker crashing the flat route removes the checkdown, so identify pre snap blitz indicators like a linebacker creeping to the line and be ready to go directly to the sit route or backside receiver.

Usage Tips

Use this on third and short to third and medium since the stick route sits at the sticks and gives the QB a rhythm throw with a built in checkdown to the flat.

Check safety depth pre snap: if you see two high safeties sitting deep, the stick window underneath is wide open, so speed up your internal clock and rip it to the sit route as soon as the underneath defender clears.

Hot route the backside receiver into a quick out or slant if you diagnose man coverage before the snap, this gives you a second quick rhythm throw if the stick side is jumped by a robber or lurking linebacker.

Pair this with Mtn PA Sweep HB Seam or Mtn PA Y Screen in the same set to keep the defense honest, since both look similar out of the same personnel and formation but attack downfield or with misdirection after you have established the quick stick throw.

Against aggressive nano blitz or fast pressure looks, throw off rhythm to the flat route immediately since it is the built in answer to five and six man rushes that remove a defender from the shallow zone.

Other Plays in Doubles Y Off