Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Double Outs is a mirrored route concept out of Shotgun Doubles that isolates both outside receivers on hard out routes at the same depth, with the two vertical seam routes from the inside receivers clearing the middle of the field. The backside and frontside symmetry forces defenders into a horizontal stretch, and the seam runners occupy the linebackers and safeties to open up throwing lanes underneath. This is a zone beater built to attack the flats and hard corners of zone drops, with the primary read going to whichever out route the coverage leaves open based on the flat defender's positioning.
Defensive Reads
Read the corner depth at the snap, if he sinks into a deep third or quarter shell instead of sitting on the route, the out is coming open immediately. Watch the flat defender, whether it is a linebacker or nickel, since a slow flat drop or a blitz call leaves the out route wide open in that void. Key the safeties for two-high versus one-high rotation, because two-high shells generally leave more room underneath for the outs while one-high invites more aggressive corner jumps. As the defense, sit a user-controlled defender in the flat or hard corner zone to jump the out route before it develops, since that is the primary answer to this concept. Bring a nano blitz or edge pressure package against this play, since the quarterback needs a full progression read to find the open out and quick pressure disrupts the timing before either route materializes.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify which side has the softer flat defender or a linebacker sitting too deep, since that determines which out route you throw first.
Use this against Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells where the corners sink into deep thirds or quarters, leaving the hard out route open in the vacated flat zone.
Hot route the seam runners into deep crossers or drag routes if you diagnose man coverage pre-snap, since the base seams do not separate well against tight man technique.
Pair this play with Deep Outs or Curl Flats in the same set to keep defenses guessing between hard breaking outs and deeper comeback style routes.
Best used on second and medium or third and short situations where the quick out route timing lets you take what the defense gives up before the pocket collapses.
