Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
Skinny Posts is a two man route concept out of Shotgun Doubles 11 personnel that isolates both outside receivers on skinny post routes while the two inside slot receivers run underneath flat/out routes to clear the intermediate zones. The diagram shows both X and Z breaking hard toward the middle of the field on a tight post angle, with the slot receivers releasing outside and settling at the sticks to occupy underneath defenders. This is a man beater concept designed to attack single high safety looks, with the primary read being the post route to the side of your choice based on which cornerback shows the most inside leverage, and the outlet being the underneath flat route if both posts are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check for single high safety alignment, since a lone deep defender will struggle to cover both post routes if the quarterback reads the field correctly. Watch cornerback press or off alignment at the line, tight outside leverage from the corner signals man coverage that the skinny post can beat with a quick inside break. Post-snap, key the middle linebacker's drop, if he sinks deep into the throwing lane on either post it usually means a Tampa 2 or Cover 4 look that can undercut the route. Look for user-controlled safeties cheating toward one side of the field before the snap, that pre-rotation tells you which post route will have a smaller throwing window. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 with two deep safeties splitting the field evenly, the skinny posts get squeezed between the deep defenders, so be ready to check down to the underneath outs if the safeties stay disciplined.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing single high or two high safeties, since Skinny Posts thrives against single high man or Cover 3 where the post can split the safety and the corner.
Use your right stick or hot routes to widen the underneath out routes if you see zone defenders sitting in the short middle, giving your posts a cleaner throwing lane.
Target the post route to the side where the cornerback is playing outside leverage or is late off the line, since that indicates you can win inside on the skinny post before the safety can rotate over.
Pair this play with Curl Flats or Double Slants in your play-calling sequence to condition the defense to sit on shorter routes, then hit them with Skinny Posts once they start jumping the underneath.
Best called on second or third and medium to long, since the skinny post takes a few extra beats to develop and you want enough down and distance cushion to let the route mature.
