Playbooks
At a Glance
In 14 playbooks
Overview
Empty Chips Quads takes the standard Shotgun look and empties the backfield, sliding the running back out to create a four receiver surface on one side with a single isolated receiver on the other. The "chips" element refers to the stacked and cluster alignment inside the quads side, which forces the defense to declare its leverage rules before the snap. Unlike Shotgun sets that keep a back in for protection, this set trades the sixth blocker for a fifth eligible receiver, meaning every defender in the box has to be accounted for by route distribution rather than by a chip or a check release.
The 11 personnel grouping is what makes the set dangerous. Your slot receiver and tight end are both attached to the quads side, so nickel and dime defenses either match up small against the tight end or leave a linebacker chasing a receiver in space. The single receiver side gives you a pure iso read: if the defense rotates a safety toward the four receiver surface, your X is on an island with no help, and that is your one on one shot every single snap. Empty also declares the coverage instantly. Man defenses have to walk defenders out to cover the cluster, and zone defenses have to spin, so your first pre-snap read is free.
Play art in this set leans heavily on horizontal stress and screen deception. Cheat Fk Screen Cross, HB Screen, TE Screen, and Cheat Jailbreak WR Screen all use the empty look to sell vertical distribution before dumping the ball to a numbers advantage in the flat. Crossers, Dagger, and Slot Sail attack the middle and intermediate levels where empty formations force linebackers to carry vertical routes they are not built to run with. Post Corner Up and Cheat Texas X Sluggo give you the shot plays off the same shell, and the Gadget and 3DRB tags mean you can put your most explosive skill player anywhere in the formation.
Strengths
- Instant coverage identification: empty forces the defense to walk defenders out or spin the safeties, so you diagnose man versus zone before the snap without burning a motion.
- The quads surface creates natural stacks and bunches that generate free releases against man coverage, and Crossers plus Dagger both weaponize that traffic to rub off tight man defenders.
- Single receiver side isolation gives you a guaranteed one on one on every snap, and hot routing your X to a fade, slant, or comeback based on the corner's leverage turns this into a repeatable answer.
- Screen game is elite here because four receivers on one side means numbers in the flat: Cheat Jailbreak WR Screen and Cheat Fk Screen Cross both punish defenses that vacate the box to cover the spread.
- Dagger and Slot Sail flood the intermediate zones and stress the hook to curl defenders, and against Cover 3 the dig behind the vertical clear out is nearly automatic.
Weaknesses
- Five man protection with no back means A gap and nano blitz pressure gets home fast, and you have zero check release help to pick up a delayed linebacker.
- No run threat at all, so opponents can play pass on every snap, drop eight, and user a linebacker in the middle without any risk of getting punished on the ground.
- The compressed quads alignment can be attacked by press man with an underneath user defender who jumps the stacked releases before your receivers separate.
- Screen plays become predictable if you lean on them, and a user-controlled defender sitting flat side kills Cheat Jailbreak WR Screen and TE Screen for negative yardage.
- Tight end matched against a nickel corner or safety on the quads side is often a mismatch in the defense's favor if your TE lacks route running and release ratings.
Usage Tips
Read the safeties first: single high with a walked out nickel means attack the iso side, two high means work Crossers or Dagger into the vacated middle.
On third down with five or more to go, run Dagger and read the dig under the vertical clear out, but always pre-snap check for a blitzer over the center and audible or hot route your slot to a sit route as your outlet.
Use the screens as a change up off your shot plays, not as a primary, and only call HB Screen or TE Screen after you have shown Post Corner Up or Cheat Texas X Sluggo from the same look.
Against heavy blitz users, slide your protection toward the pressure and hot route the innermost quads receiver to a drag so you have a quick answer built in.
In two minute situations, Slot Sail gives you a sideline throw with a built in flat outlet, which is exactly what you want when you need to stop the clock without risking the middle of the field.
