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Quick Reference
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Breakdown
Flanker Dig is a man beating pass concept out of Shotgun Doubles that isolates the flanker on a dig route breaking hard across the middle at intermediate depth. The underneath routes clear out the shallow zones and create a natural pick element against man coverage, while a vertical route on the backside occupies the deep safety. The primary read starts with the flanker's dig, working from outside in, then progresses to the underneath crosser or check down if the middle is jumped.
Defensive Reads
Check the middle linebacker depth at the snap, if he sits shallow in a hook zone he can undercut the dig before it fully develops. Watch for a single high safety rotating late, which signals Cover 3 or Cover 1 and opens the dig window between the numbers. If the cornerback on the flanker is playing off with outside leverage, expect the dig to be there in man coverage since he cannot recover to the inside break. User controlled defenders sitting in the deep middle or lurking at the second level can jump the route, so key their positioning before releasing the throw. Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties tend to squeeze the dig passing lane, making the underneath crosser or check down the smarter answer against that look.
Usage Tips
Look for single high safety shells pre-snap since the dig sits in the void between the hook zones and the deep third. Motion the flanker or use a hot route to a slant if you see press man to speed up the break and avoid a jam disrupting timing. Pair this play with Curl Flats or Slant Flat earlier in a series so the defense starts respecting shallow routes, then hit the dig over the top once linebackers cheat up. Best called on second or third and medium when defenses drop into zone matchups rather than blitzing. Against Cover 3 or Cover 1, throw the dig on time right after the break since the window closes quickly once the middle linebacker sinks.
