Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 1 playbook
Breakdown
In And Under is a five-man route concept out of Shotgun Empty Bunch Tight that stresses the middle and boundary of the field with layered crossers. The bunch side releases a deep vertical clear-out from the outside receiver while the two inside bunch receivers work a short out to the flat and an in-cut that settles underneath, and the backside receiver runs a deep in that sits behind the linebackers. The lone receiver on the play side runs a corner route breaking outside toward the sideline, giving the quarterback a high-low read from the numbers to the middle of the field. This is a zone beater designed to flood soft spots in the defense, with the primary read progression starting on the deep in from the backside crosser, moving to the underneath in/curl combo, and finishing with the flat route as the checkdown.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, check safety depth and cornerback alignment on the bunch side, since a single high safety often signals man coverage that opens up the deep in route against a lone defender. Post-snap, key on the middle linebacker's drop, since Cover 3 and Cover 4 shells that sink linebackers into shallow zones can jump the underneath in-cut and disrupt the primary read. Watch for user-controlled defenders lurking near the deep in route, as smart users will sit in the passing lane between the hash marks to bait an interception. Identify blitz packages by reading linebacker depth before the snap, since a crashing edge blitz forces the quarterback into a quick checkdown to the flat route, which can be taken away with a spy or contain defender. Zone coverages like Cover 2 or Cover 3 with soft corners are vulnerable to the corner route and deep in combo, but disciplined Cover 4 quarters coverage with matching linebackers can clog every window this concept attacks.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify whether the defense is showing two-high or one-high safety shell, since this concept thrives against zone coverage that leaves soft spots underneath the deep in route.
If you see man coverage with no safety help over the top, hot route the deep clear-out receiver into a shorter option or switch to Mesh Spot or Quick Slants from this same set for a faster-developing man beater.
Use the flat route as your checkdown against blitz looks, especially if you see linebackers crashing off the edge on nano blitz packages, since the flat man is the fastest route to develop.
This play works best on second or third and medium situations where the defense is likely to sit in zone coverage and respect the run.
Pair In And Under with Spot Stick or Shallow Drags in your play-calling sequence to keep defenders guessing between shallow crossing patterns and deeper in-cuts off the same Empty Bunch Tight look.
