Playbooks
Quick Reference
In 15 playbooks
Breakdown
Drive Y Corner is a five-man route empty concept from Shotgun Empty Bunch Wide that stresses the deep quarters of the field with a Y corner route breaking outside from the bunch while the drag underneath crosses the formation for a shallow zone beater. On the backside, the two receivers stack vertically with an out breaking route and a deep corner route working the sideline, giving the quarterback a high low read on that side against Cover 4 or Cover 2 shells. With no running back in the backfield, protection is full empty so the quarterback must read fast, working the primary corner route first before checking down to the underneath drag or backside out route.
Defensive Reads
Watch the deep safeties at the snap, if both safeties stay deep and split the field evenly you are likely facing Cover 4 or Cover 2, which is exactly what this corner route is designed to exploit in the seam. Key the flat or curl defender on the corner route side, if that defender sinks too deep or gets caught reading the quarterback, the window for the corner route opens up immediately. If you are on defense, disguise a two high shell then rotate a safety down late to jump the corner route, this timing takes away the primary read and forces the quarterback into a rushed checkdown. Bring a slot blitz or nano blitz off the bunch side, since the empty protection has no running back to pick up extra rushers, this can collapse the pocket before the corner route fully develops. Sitting a linebacker or nickel defender in the shallow drag zone will take away the checkdown, forcing the quarterback to either force the corner throw into tight coverage or take a sack.
Usage Tips
Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two high safeties, since this play is built as a Cover 4 beater and the Y corner route attacks the seam between the flat defender and the deep quarter defender.
Use the backside out route as a quick answer against Cover 3 or man coverage if the corner route on that side gets jumped by a rotating safety.
Motion is not needed here since the bunch alignment already creates natural rub potential for the drag route against man coverage, making it a solid man beater on early downs.
Pair this play with Drive Wheel or Post Corner Read in your play calling sequence so the defense sees similar bunch action and route stems, forcing linebackers and safeties to hesitate on their run fits and coverage rotation.
Best called on second or third and medium when you need a defined high low read and want to attack a defense that has been sitting in quarters or split field coverage.
