Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 13 playbooks
Breakdown
Slants deploys from an Empty Base Trio look with five receivers spread wide and no running back in the backfield. The outside receivers on both sides run deep gos to stretch the corners vertically while the two inside receivers on the left and right break on quick slants underneath, with the middle slot running a short in-cut. This is a classic man beater built to attack off-man leverage: the primary read is the slant on the left (red route) working against the corner's inside hip, with the mirrored slant on the right as the secondary progression if the defender jumps the throwing lane.
Defensive Reads
Watch corner alignment before the snap, tight press corners will struggle to stay on top of the slant, so bail technique or off coverage is the bigger threat to this play. Key the underneath linebackers post snap since a spying or robbing linebacker sitting in the shallow middle can undercut the inside slant route and jump the throw. Check for Cover 2 or Cover 4 shells with two deep safeties, these shells put extra bodies underneath and can clog both slant lanes while the go routes get help over the top. Diagnose blitz packages quickly since Slants relies on a fast rhythm throw, and a well timed A gap or edge blitz can beat the quarterback to his read before the ball is out. Beware user controlled defenders sitting in the shallow zone near the middle in route, since a smart user can jump that route for a pick if the quarterback stares it down too long.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether corners are playing off-man or press since this concept thrives against off-man leverage where the slant window opens instantly.
Look for single high safety shells like Cover 1 or Cover 3, the slants will sit down in soft zones but win faster against man coverage due to the quick break.
Hot route the middle slot's short in to a spot route or drag if you see a robber defender sitting in that area, since that route is the most vulnerable to a lurking linebacker.
Use this on early downs or third and short to medium since the slants develop quickly and protect against the blitz with a fast release.
Pair this with Double Slant Stick or Stick Nod later in a series so the defense has to respect the quick slant look before you hit them with a nod or option route off the same launch point.
