Playbooks
Quick Reference
Breakdown
Under Seams is a five-man route concept out of Shotgun Empty HB Wide that floods the field with vertical stress. The outside receiver on the left runs a quick shallow drag across the middle while the inside receiver on that side climbs straight up the seam. On the right side you get a three-man vertical stack with a deep out breaking route in the middle flanked by two seam runners. This is a zone beater built to stretch linebackers and safeties vertically while the shallow drag serves as a built-in checkdown against man coverage or blitz pressure. Primary read progression starts with the deep out breaking route in the boundary since it settles into soft spots against zone drops, then works to the seam runners if a safety bites down, and finally checks down to the shallow drag against pressure or if the middle of the field is closed.
Defensive Reads
Pre-snap, identify single-high safety looks like Cover 1 or Cover 3, since these leave the seam lanes vulnerable to the two vertical seam runners on the right side. Watch linebacker depth at the snap: if the middle linebacker sits shallow to jump the shallow drag, the seams will open up behind him for an easy explosive gain. Key the flat defender on the right side, since he has to choose between the deep out breaking route and the outside seam runner, creating a natural conflict read for the quarterback. Against Cover 2 or Cover 4 quarters shells, the deep safeties can sink and take away the seam throws, forcing the quarterback to check down to the shallow drag underneath. Watch for a user-controlled defender lurking in the shallow zone or spying the middle of the field, since that threatens both the drag route and any hesitation throws to the seams.
Usage Tips
Use this play on second or third and medium to long when you need to attack the middle of the field vertically. Pre-snap, identify if the defense is showing two-high or single-high safety look, since Under Seams punishes single-high shells that leave the seams open. If you see man coverage with no help over the top, hot route the shallow drag receiver into a quicker option or motion him to create natural rub leverage against man defenders. Against Cover 3 or Cover 4 zone shells, trust the seam routes to sit down in the honey hole between the flat defender and deep third safety. Pair this call with Bronco Seams or Stick from the same set to keep the defense guessing between quick game and vertical shots, since both share personnel and pre-snap look but attack different levels of the defense. On third and long, use the deep out breaking route as your first read since it settles quickly against off coverage and zone drops.
