Playbooks

Curls HB Post

Shotgun·Empty Ace·12

Quick Reference

FormationShotgun

In 2 playbooks

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Breakdown

Curls HB Post out of Shotgun Empty Ace deploys five eligible receivers with the HB running a post from the backfield alignment, paired with curl routes from the outside receivers and underneath crossers from the slot. This is primarily a man beater, since the HB post exploits linebackers or safeties who have to match up on the running back out of an empty backfield, while the curls give the quarterback a built in sit down answer versus soft zone drops. The primary read progression starts with the HB post as the explosive shot play if the matchup is favorable, then works to the curls on the boundary if the safety rotates over the top or a linebacker sinks into the throwing lane.

Defensive Reads

Read the linebacker assigned to the HB immediately after the snap, since if he opens his hips to run with the post you have a clean throwing lane behind him. Watch the free safety depth at the snap, because a deep half safety who breaks late on the post can still make up ground and turn this into a pick six if the throw is late. Identify any user controlled defender sitting in the middle of the field, since a lurking user in the curl or post window is the biggest threat to this concept and forces you to move on to the outside curls. Cover 3 with a hard sinking middle linebacker takes away the HB post window and forces the quarterback to work the curls to the sideline instead. Man coverage with no safety help over the top on the HB is the ideal look, since it isolates a linebacker in space against a running back running a vertical breaking route.

Usage Tips

Check pre-snap for man coverage indicators like a linebacker or safety shading over the HB before the snap, since that alignment is the green light to take the post shot immediately.

Use motion or a quick glance at the safety rotation to confirm single high versus two high, because single high shells with the free safety cheating toward the strong side open up the HB post against man leverage on the weak side.

Hot route the backside curl into a flat route or corner route if you are facing a hard match zone team that likes to sink linebackers deep into the curl windows, giving yourself a quicker underneath outlet.

This play pairs well with Stick and Curl Flats in the same set, since both look similar pre-snap out of Empty Ace but attack shallow zones differently, keeping defenders guessing between HB routes and curl combinations.

Best called on second or third and medium when defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells, since the curls give you a reliable checkdown if the HB post is not open.

Other Plays in Empty Ace