Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 13 playbooks
Breakdown
Hoss Juke lines up five wide out of Shotgun Empty Base Trio, spreading three receivers to one side and two to the other with no running back in the backfield. The two receivers on the trio side run vertical Go routes up the numbers while the inside receiver runs a quick Slant across the middle, and the backside single receiver also releases on a Go route, giving you a four verts shape with a built in Slant breaking underneath. There is no run blocking to key on since this is a five wide empty look, and the concept is a classic Cover 3 beater and man beater designed to stretch the field vertically while the Slant works as the quick underneath answer against soft zone or blitz looks, with the primary read starting on the Slant before working outside to the vertical stems.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties or a single high look, since Hoss Juke is built to attack single high Cover 3 shells with vertical stress. Watch the flat and curl to flat defenders after the snap, if they sit on the Slant and do not widen with the vertical release, that is your cue the defense is playing a hard zone drop that can be exploited by the outside verticals. Man coverage with no help over the top is a green light to work the verticals immediately, since Hoss Juke is a legitimate man beater when defenders are locked in trail technique. Look for a lurking linebacker or safety sitting in the middle of the field, this underneath robber technique is designed to jump the Slant route and can bait you into an interception if you force the quick throw. Disguised blitzes with late safety rotation are the biggest threat to this play, since the quick Slant read can get taken away if a blitzer times the snap count and forces an early throw before receivers separate.
Usage Tips
Check the safety alignment before the snap, if you see two high safeties cheating deep the Slant becomes your quick trigger against soft zone underneath coverage.
Against single high shells like Cover 3, work your eyes to the seams created by the outside vertical routes since the flat defender cannot cover both verticals and the Slant at once.
Use this as a change of pace shot play after running Slants or Double Slant Stick from this same set, since the route stems look similar at the snap and force the defense to respect the quick game before you hit them deep.
On third and short or third and medium, the Slant is a built in conversion route that lets you throw quick and live to fight another down if the verticals are covered.
Hot route the backside vertical into a comeback or hitch if you are facing a defense that consistently plays deep zone shells and takes away the four verts shape.
