Playbooks
Breakdown
Four Verticals out of Shotgun Doubles sends all four eligible receivers vertical, with both outside receivers releasing straight up the numbers, the slot receiver on the left running a seam route, and the inside receiver on the right (or attached TE) working a middle seam that bends slightly inside the hash. The RB stays in to help protect while the line slides to pick up the rush, making this a true dropback passing concept with no play-action or RPO elements. This is a Cover 2 and Cover 3 beater designed to stress the deep safeties horizontally, with the primary read starting on the seam route that attacks the void between the safeties before working outside to the boundary verticals.
Defensive Reads
Key the free safety's depth and width at the snap, if he sinks straight back without widening he is likely playing Cover 1 or Cover 3 and the seams should be your first look. Watch for the user controlling a deep safety and sliding over the top of the seam route, this is the classic lurk read that should push you to the far side vertical instead. Cover 2 shells with two deep safeties get stretched thin against four verticals since neither safety can cover both seams, look for the natural void in the middle of the field around 15 to 20 yards. Beware disguised Cover 4 quarters shells where corners and safeties both play deep thirds or quarters, this coverage matches up well against verticals and forces you to rely on max protection to let routes develop. If the linebackers show blitz and vacate their zone drops immediately, expect a hot route or quick throw to be necessary since the seam runner may be uncovered but the quarterback wont have time to progress through the full read.
Usage Tips
Take a pre-snap look at safety depth and spacing before the snap, if both safeties are shaded tight to the middle of the field you are in Cover 2 or Cover 1 and the seams will be wide open.
Hot route the outside verticals into stutter go's or streak sluggo's against man coverage to create separation off the line versus press corners.
Use this play on 2nd or 3rd and long when the defense is more likely to sit in zone shells like Cover 3 or Cover 4, since the vertical stress forces safeties to declare early.
Pair this call with Curl Flats or Drag Under earlier in a drive to condition the defense into expecting shorter routes, then hit Four Verticals off the same formation to punish cheating linebackers and safeties.
If the user drops a defender into the deep middle robbing the seam, immediately climb the progression to the boundary vertical away from that defender for the explosive shot play.
