Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Spot Dbl Slants aligns out of Shotgun Doubles with two receivers stacked to the left, a receiver tight to the line on the right, and an inline flat runner in the backfield. Both left side receivers run slant routes into the middle of the field while the third left receiver clears out on a deep corner route to hold the safety, and the right side runs a flat route underneath paired with a quick out that curls up the sideline as the spot component. This is a man beater built on natural rubs from the double slants, with the primary read starting on the inside slant, working to the second slant, then checking the flat route as the underneath outlet against a hard blitz.
Defensive Reads
Watch the flow of the middle linebacker at the snap, if he sits in the slant lane instead of dropping to a zone landmark you are likely facing man coverage and the double slant rub will work. Identify the corner over the deep clear out route, if he presses hard and does not get help over the top from a rotating safety, that route occupies the entire left side and opens the slants underneath. On the right side, key the flat defender, if a linebacker widens out early to jump the flat, throw the out breaking route working up the sideline instead. This concept struggles against a sound Cover 3 with disciplined underneath zone defenders who sink and wall off the slant lanes, since the throwing window shrinks fast. Beware a delayed blitz off the right edge, since the protection is built around a quick five step drop and any extra rusher forces an immediate checkdown to the flat route.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, check for two high safeties, this concept thrives when the slant window stays open against single high rotation. Use motion or a hot route on the flat runner to check release if you see a linebacker sitting right on the line threatening a nano blitz. This play works best on second and short to second and medium since the slants convert quickly and the spot flat gives you a built in checkdown against pressure. Pair this call with Spot Smash or Spot N Go in the same set so the defense has to respect both the double slant window and the corner clear out route, keeping linebackers honest. Against aggressive man corners, throw the inside slant on time before the receiver crosses the opposite hash, the rub from the second slant naturally picks off a trailing defender.
