Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Slot Sail out of Shotgun Empty Chips is a sail concept run to the right side with the backside receiver working a corner route from the left. Reading the diagram, the outside right receiver runs a deep corner route stretching the sideline, the inside right receiver runs a vertical seam into a sail route breaking outside, and both remaining left and right flat receivers run outlet routes underneath at the numbers, while the far left receiver runs an out breaking route to the sideline off a quick vertical stem. This is a classic zone beater built to attack Cover 2 and Cover 3 by stacking three levels on the play side, with the primary read progression starting at the deep corner, working down to the sail route in the intermediate flat area, and checking down to the underneath flat route if the deep shots are covered.
Defensive Reads
Pre snap, check for two deep safeties split evenly which signals Cover 2 and opens the sail route window between the cornerback and safety. If the safety rotates to a single high alignment before the snap, prepare for Cover 3 and target the deep corner route immediately since the corner defender has no deep help outside. Post snap, watch the flat defender's depth and reaction to the sail route, if he sinks too deep the underneath check down opens up for an easy completion. Key on the weak side linebacker or nickel defender for a lurk threat sitting in the shallow zone, this defender can jump the sail route if he reads quarterback eyes early. Man coverage with no safety help over the top shuts this play down quickly since the corner route and sail route both rely on zone spacing, look to the RB or check down options if you see man alignment and a blitz look.
Usage Tips
Identify the coverage shell before the snap by checking safety depth, if you see two deep safeties expect Cover 2 and target the sail route in the honey hole behind the corner and in front of the deep safety.
Against Cover 3, take a hard look at the deep corner route since the single high safety cannot cover both the corner and the seam, forcing the corner defender into a bind.
Hot route the backside out route into a deeper comeback if you are facing aggressive flat defenders jumping underneath throws, this keeps the sail concept clean on the play side.
Use this play on second and medium to third and long situations where defenses are more likely to sit in zone shells rather than blitz.
Pair Slot Sail with Curl Flat or TE Screen from the same Empty Chips set to keep the defense guessing between high low zone stress and quick underneath answers, this keeps linebackers from sitting on the sail window.
