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Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
RZ Scissors Salem lines up in Shotgun Doubles Y Off and features the scissors concept on the right side, where the outer receiver runs a corner route while the inner slot receiver crosses underneath on a shallow drag toward the sideline, creating a natural rub against man coverage. On the backside, the two left receivers run a hitch and a flat/out combo to hold the defense horizontally, while the running back stays in to help protect. This is a man beater and Cover 2 beater designed for the red zone, with the primary read starting on the scissors corner route and progressing down to the crossing drag underneath if the corner is capped.
Defensive Reads
Watch the corner over the outside receiver at the snap, if he sinks with the corner route without help underneath you have a clean throwing window against man coverage. Key the safety depth on the play side, a shallow safety who jumps the corner route leaves the underneath drag wide open against Cover 2. Against Cover 4, identify whether the outside corner sits in a hard trail technique, since the scissors crossing action forces him to fight through traffic and often loses him. Look for a robber or lurk defender sitting in the middle of the field, as this is the main threat that can undercut the drag route if the quarterback holds the ball too long. If the defense shows man match principles with a linebacker walking out to the slot, expect a natural pick from the scissors action to spring the underneath route free.
Usage Tips
Call this near the goal line or inside the 15 yard line where the compressed field limits deep safety help on the corner route.
Check pre-snap for man coverage indicators like a corner shaded outside the numbers, since the scissors rub is designed to lose man defenders in the traffic.
If you see Cover 2 with safeties splitting the field, throw the corner route into the void behind the corner and in front of the safety before he can rotate over.
Hot route the backside flat receiver into a quick out if you see a blitz look, giving your quarterback a checkdown against pressure.
Pair this with Redzone Scissors or TE Scissors Texas in the same drive to keep defenders guessing between the mirrored scissors concepts and the tight end variant.
