Playbooks
Breakdown
Dagger out of Empty Bunch Open aligns five receivers wide with no running back protection, so this is a pure drop back passing concept designed to attack downfield. The bunch side runs a vertical seam that clears out and a deep dig sitting behind it, creating the classic dagger combo where the seam route occupies the deep middle safety while the dig settles into the void underneath. On the backside, the isolated X runs a straight vertical to hold the corner deep, while the near slot works a quick out and the inside receiver runs a comeback/curl to give the quarterback a fast option if the deep combo is covered. This is a man and Cover 3 beater built to be a two level stretch, with the primary read starting on the seam to dig combo and working to the backside vertical or checkdown flat route if the middle is clogged.
Defensive Reads
Watch the middle linebacker's depth at the snap, since a shallow drop signals he is sitting on the dig route and you should look to bait him with your eyes before throwing behind him. Key the deep safety's leverage, if he bites on the seam route the dig window opens up wide against Cover 3 or single high man coverages. Against Cover 2, the safety who should be splitting the field will often collapse on the dig, so the backside vertical against the deep half corner becomes the better shot play read. Be alert for a disguised blitz off the slot, since Empty formations remove the running back as a blocker and a delayed blitzer can collapse the pocket before the dig has time to develop. If the defense shows Cover 4 or quarters, the seam route will get bracketed hard, so check the comeback route on the backside as your quick answer against that shell.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the safety is showing single high or two high, because Dagger thrives against single high shells where the dig sits behind linebackers and in front of the safety. If you see Cover 2 with two deep safeties, look to the backside vertical or the comeback route since the deep middle will be occupied and the dig window shrinks. Use motion or a quick glance at the slot cornerback's depth to confirm man versus zone before the snap, since Dagger's dig route is a legs pumping man beater against inside leverage corners. Hot route the shallow out on the bunch side into a flat route if you are facing heavy underneath zone drops, giving you a faster checkdown against Tampa 2 or Cover 4 looks. Pair this play with Bunch Arches or Cheat Slot Cross in your play-calling sequence to keep defenders guessing between vertical stretches and quick game answers out of the same formation.
